Despite appearances , not everyone heads to Starbucks for their morning caffein repair . For well over150 years , Folgers has been deliver land , whole - bean plant , instant , and habitation - brewage coffee berry to millions of sleepy-eyed consumers . look into out some fact on the society ’s history , from their descent in whaling to some unfortunate run - ins with Charles Manson and lose it turtles .
1. THE FAMILY WAS NAME-DROPPED INMOBY-DICK.
For century , the Folger kindred of Nantucket was renowned for their whaling efforts . ( Oil from whale blubber was often used forlampsuntil kerosene rise in popularity . ) They were so well known that author Herman Melvillereferred to"a long melody of Folgers and harpooneers " in his classicMoby - Dick .
2. THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED THANKS TO THE GOLD RUSH.
Folgers
James Folger was just 15 years old when his parents despatch him and two old brothers to San Francisco to mine for amber in 1849 . As plans go , it was n’t a smashing one : the Folger boysdidn’t have enough moneyto travelling to the mining areas , so James stick behind to earn some cash . He wind up working for the Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills companionship , which was marketing an former , commercially roasted primer coffee tree . Two decades later on , James returned — this prison term with more cash — and bought the business , rename it J.A. Folger & Co. in 1872 .
3. MAXWELL HOUSE WAS AN EARLY NEMESIS.
After decades of being a regional dearie , Folgers waspurchasedby Procter & Gamble in 1963 and quickly became part of the national competition for store - bought umber brands . Wary of giving up any ground , Maxwell House take shape an in - firm " Folgers Defense Team " in 1971 . The consequence : Horizon , a chocolate that come in ared cansimilar to Folgers , and a video commercial character named Aunt Cora ( played by Margaret Hamilton , the Wicked Witch from 1939’sThe Wizard of Oz ) . Cora was signify to be a take on Folgers ’ Mrs. Olson ( see below ) , with the hope that if Maxwell House ran the commercials in part too soon enough , Olson would seem like a second - rate take - off . Folgers was forced to lower their price from $ 1.20 to 87 penny per can just to stay on militant . By 1979 , however , they had contract over 26.5 percent of the market share , well ahead of Maxwell House ’s 22.3 percent .
4. EARLY COMMERCIALS WERE NOT VERY PC.
While Folgers has a history of memorable television touch , their most enduring ad campaign revolved around aSwedish characternamed Mrs. Olson , who appeared to keep interfering by introduce Folgers coffee bean to her overworked neighbors in a serial publication ofpretty sexistads in the fifties and 1960s . ( Folgers conducted enquiry intohow petulantthe onscreen husbands could get and found housewives considered any kind of verbal abuse so typical as to be acceptable . ) Virginia Christine , who portray Olson for 21 years , was born in Stanton , Iowa in 1920 . When the ads grew pop , the town renovated its stylemark urine tug so it resembled a coffee great deal in her honor .
5. THEY HAVE A LINK TO THE MANSON MURDERS.
One of the 20thcentury ’s most ill-famed crimes was the murder of Sharon Tate and four of her houseguests in 1969 by disciples of cult leader Charles Manson . Among the victim : Abigail Folger , the25 - yr - oldFolger fortune heiress , daughter of Peter Folger and great - granddaughter of founder James Folger . ( Manson and his cohorts wereconvictedof first - degree slaying in 1971 . )
6. THE “PETER” COMMERCIAL RAN FOR OVER 17 YEARS.
7. A WOMAN FOUND A SNAPPING TURTLE IN ONE CAN.
A wad of coffee comes into the United States via New Orleans , which is why 2005 ’s Hurricane Katrina resulted in a marked disruption of supply . The natural disaster may have had other side effect : According to theAssociated Press , Marjorie Morris of Ainsworth , Iowa found a dead child snapping turtle in her can of Folgers . While no harm come to Morris , she was dismayed by her timing : the 77 - year - old had been using the can for a month before spotting the impart ingredient .
8. THEY CAME UP WITH SOME PRETTY CLEVER MANHOLE COVER ADS.
John Morton viaFlickr//CC BY - SA 2.0
In 2006 , Folgers garnered some plus atomic number 59 when they used metrical foot - test copy signage to cover up manhole in New York City and made themresemblehot cup of coffee , pure withsteamemitting from holes in the cover song . While cagey , the stunt had an unintended side effect : the odor from the cloaca was not what you ’d normally associate with coffee .
9. THEY’RE PRETTY TIGHT WITH DUNKIN’.
Folgers was larn by the J.M. Smucker company in2008 , put it under thesame corporate umbrellaas theDunkin ' Donutsretail license . Together , the two dwelling house coffee brands made$577 millionfor the company in the 2d one-quarter of 2016 alone .
