The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County
History Online
Woodward Candy--
"The Best Money Can Buy"
From the late 19th Century through the 1930s Candy from Council Bluffs Dominated the Confectionary Market of the West
Flashback to the first few decades of the 20th Century and the name Woodward was everywhere. One couldn't miss their factory; it occupied a full square block, and unlike the city's other industrial plants, sat right downtown. Odds are everyone knew (or tired ot know) someone that worked there; they were the city's largest employer, and taking a few extra candies home at the end of the day to share with your friends was quite OK. The company dominated candy sales in the western United States with their Inner Circle Chocolate brand and Butter Brickle, but actually was known around the world for their stick candies. At its peak the company had 700 employees and turned out nearly five million pounds of candy a year.
Founder John G. Woodward ran the company until he died at the age of 76. Woodward was from Chicago, but moved to Council Bluffs for love-- he met Hattie, his future wife, while working as a traveling salesman for the Kingsford-Smith Starch Company. After he married he gave up the traveling job and took a position with a small local candy maker. He eventually bought out the owner and grew it to the huge manufacturing operation that it became.
Woodward first produced the Butter Brickle flavor in 1924 and registered the patent in 1928.
The Woodward factory occupied the 200 block of West Broadway on the south side. The plant had 850 foot artesian well and generated its own electricity. Ogden Place occupies this site today.
John G. Woodward looms large next to 45 inch tall Jean Bregant.
The "little people," Jean and Inez Bregant worked as marketers for the Woodward Candy. Inez was born in Council Bluffs; Jean Bregant moved here permanently after their Christmas Day marriage.
(Story by Richard Warner. Dr. Warner serves on the board of directors of the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County and as president of Preserve Council Bluffs.)
When the topic of Woodward Candy comes up, it's hard not also to consider Mr. and Mrs. Bregant. The pair were known as the "Candy Kids" and were hired to represent the Woodward company in 1907. Jean and Inez Bregant were featured a great deal of the Woodward advertising of that time.
What's unique about them is their size... they were called the "little people" by local residents; Mr. Bregant stood about 45 inches tall and Inez checked in with a height of 42 inches.
The Bregants had a house built to their specifications... the fireplace, bathtub and such were proportioned to their height. Newspapers referred to the little house as the "Doll House."
Thanks to the work of Preserve Council Bluffs the house still stands today at 517 4th Street in Council Bluffs, and has been completely restored to the way it was when the Bregants lived there.
John G. Woodward died in 1936 and the company closed shortly thereafter, in 1939. Recipes, equipment, and trademarks were sold, and part of the old factory became a Hinky DInky Store. The top four floors of the five-story building were removed; the first level became the grocery store and a parking lot was added on top of this for roof top parking.
