John Colgan named it Taffy Tolu, and soon afterwards idle mouths around the world were motivated!

Chomp, chomp, chomp,snap, snap we owe this daily common place orchestra to pharmacist and Louisvillian John Colgan. Colgan was born in 1840, and following a formal education he became an apprentice pharmacist. After his apprenticeship in 1860, Colgan opened his own pharmacy at the corner of Tenth and Walnut streets in Louisville. He was a savvy businessman and quickly became one of the city's leading druggists.

But,Colgan had an even better idea. Often, he saw children peeling a sticky substance from tree bark and chewing it. They seemed to love the strange goo! Hum, Colgan thought he could make something similar, but even more tasty.

After some experimenting in 1879, he developed a sweetened chewing gum Colgan called Taffy Tolu. Tolu comes from a fragrant South American tree (Myroxylon Balsamum), which was often ground up and used in medicines. It gave the gum a pungent smell and tangy taste. Local children loved his new gum. Chewing it quickly became a fad!

By 1890, Colgan sold his pharmacy and went into full-time chewing gum production with business partner James A. McAfee. Taffy Tolu became one of the most extensively marketed products made in Louisville at the end of the nineteenth century.

When the gum was sold at the famous 1893 Chicago's Worlds Fair it was an instant hit! Soon after, Taffy Tolu was being sold around the United States, Canada and Australia.

 Sources:

Johnston, J. Stoddard. Memorial History of Louisville. Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company, 1896.

Parks, Jack. "Chewing Gum is Louisville's Idea." Louisville Courier-Journal Magazine, June 18, 1889.