The Candy Shop Where You Can Taste History
From wartime chocolate to ancient sesame brittle, True Treats offers delicious, edible lessons. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. Kelly McEvers: Today we’re going to talk about a candy store in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. And about how candy stores have always played a big role in the town’s history. Back in the 1840s, a German immigrant named Frederick Roeder set up a little sweet shop in Harpers Ferry. He sold cakes, candies, and pies and lived right upstairs for about 15 years. But then came the morning of July 4, 1861 .By that time, the Civil War had arrived. Union troops were moving in. Roeder ventured outside his shop to check out the scene. Some say to get a look at the Union flag flying just across the river. He was a Union sympathizer himself. He was hit by a ricocheting bullet. And then he died. Which means the town’s first civilian
