Lititz, Pennsylvania – Pretzels, Chocolate and History
Where did hard pretzels get their start? Where did General John Sutter of Sutter’s Mill, California, settle after the discovery of gold on his property? What chocolate company is headquartered in a small Pennsylvania town? Who are the Moravians and where are they found?
The answer to these questions and more is Lititz, Pennsylvania.
Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery
Founded in 1861, the bakery was the first to commercially produce hard pretzels. When Julius Sturgis was working as an apprentice, he discovered the double baking process that produced hard pretzels. They became so popular that he and his family continued to expand the business, which still operates today.
Visitors can tour the original factory with its brick ovens, see many of the antique mixing and weighing devices, and try their hand at twisting the pretzels into the famous criss-crossed shape.
General John Sutter’s Final Home and Gravesite
When gold was found on John Sutter’s property at Sutter’s Mill, Coloma, California, it set off the 1849 Gold Rush. Sutter himself did not profit from the find and tried repeatedly to petition the United States to reimburse him for his losses.
Sutter and his wife, Nanette, moved East to Lititz, Pennsylvania, in …