Wm. Wrigley Jr. and Co. Envelope, 1902

This collection consists of one 1902 envelope from Wm. Wrigley Jr. and Company, the manufacturer of Wrigley Chewing Gum.

Wm. Wrigley Jr. and Company, known as the Wrigley Company, was founded in Chicago in 1891. It was run by four generations of the Wrigley family until 2006. In 2008, the company was purchased by Mars, Incorporated. Wrigley remains the largest manufacturer of chewing gum in the world. In 1921, William Wrigley Jr. became the majority owner of the Chicago Cubs, whose stadium is named Wrigley Field.

This collection consists of a color envelope advertising twelve Wrigley chewing gum flavors. It was sent from the Wrigley Office and Warehouse, located at 88 and 90 Michigan Avenue in Chicago, to Peck Stowe & Wilcox Company in Southington, Connecticut. The envelope is stamped February 13, 1902. The twelve advertised chewing gum flavors are Juicy Fruit, blood orange (two designs), licorice, lemon cream, vanilla pepsin, pepsin (two designs), banana, peppermint, spearmint, and pineapple. Of these flavors, Juicy Fruit and Spearmint are still sold today.

The Library purchased this envelope in 2021 with the support of the Bruce C. Creamer Fund.