Making gelatin deserts used to be a time consuming process involving hours of boiling animal bones and connective tissues, straining the liquid, and adding sugar and flavorings. So in 1897 when Pearle Wait started packaging flavored powdered gelatin ( just add hot water!) it should have been a success. However since people weren’t familiar with the product few would try it. O. F. Woodward bought the company in 1899 and began a huge advertising campaign with pictures, posters, billboards, ads in magazines, and traveling salesmen. It worked and by 1902 yearly sales had topped $250,000. At just 10 cents a box that’s a lot of Jello! This is a tiny but fun museum with many display cases containing Jello artifacts. There’s also a carriage exhibit in the basement.
The museum entrance is in the rear of the building accessed by stairs and a lift. The lift is operated by museum personnel. A phone number to call for access is posted on the lift. The Jello exhibit is accessible. Due to steps the carriage exhibit is not accessible.
The parking lot, in the rear of the building, is big enough for RVs but there may not be enough room to turn a large RV around. The entrance to the parking lot is hard to spot – look for the Historic LeRoy House and turn up the driveway. Parking is also available along the street. Museum
42.97878, -77.98587
Did you ever make Jello jigglers? I think they were kind of a fad in the early 1980s. We haven't made Jello for a long quite awhile - maybe it's time for a batch!
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