The Gummy Life of William Wrigley Quiz

Answer: Pennsylvania

William Wrigley, Jr. was born to Mary Ledley Wrigley and William Wrigley, Sr. on September 30, 1861 while they were living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over the course of their marriage, William and Mary had seven more children.

Answer: Selling soap

Wrigley, SR. was a soap maker while Mrs. Wrigley was a homemaker. Mr. Wrigley started the Wrigley Manufacturing Company in 1870 and let William, Jr. sell soap from a basket door to door in 1871.

Answer: New York City

William, Jr. and his friend left Pennsylvania for adventure. He and his friend sold newspapers while living on the streets. After a few weeks of sleeping on park benches and selling newspapers, William and his friend returned home. Upon returning home, William's father sent him to work making soap at $1.50 a week.

Answer: Ada Foote

After a short time making soap Wrigley, Jr. returned to selling soap like he did as a child. He soon fell in love with a sixteen year old girl named Ada Foote. They fell in love and married on September 17, 1885. Together, they had two children, Dorothy and Philip.

Answer: Baking powder

With $32 of his own money and $5,000 borrowed from his uncle, William moved to Chicago, Illinois and built another Wrigley company. Unlike his father, Wrigley, Jr. gave away a free item with the soap he sold. When Wrigley found that his customers wanted the baking powder more than the soap, Wrigley, Jr. started selling the baking powder instead of soap.

This time with each jar of baking powder he sold, Wrigley, Jr. gave away a pack of gum.

Answer: 3

When Wrigley, Jr. realized that the gum he gave away for free was becoming more popular than the baking powder, he started the Wrigley Chewing Gum Company. At first the company only sold three flavors of gum: Lotta, Vassar, Sweet Sixteen Orange. In 1893, Juicy Fruit was sold and then spearmint.

When Wrigley, Jr. was asked to join his company with Thomas Adams and five other gum companies, Wrigley, Jr. declined.

Answer: Spearmint

Wrigley, Jr learned that his new flavor "spearmint" was selling so well so he spent upwards of $250,000 on gum advertising. The advertising worked and "spearmint" became the best selling gum of 1910. By 1914, Wrigley Chewing Gum Company introduced the doublemint flavor. The name for the new gum came from the mint flavor being double distilled as it was being made.

Answer: Chicago Cubs

Wrigley, Jr. purchased the Chicago Cubs in 1921. In 1926, the ball park where the Cubs played was renamed Wrigley Field. Wrigley, Jr. had more bleachers and box seats installed. He also had an upper deck added. While Wrigley, Jr. was the owner, the Chicago Cubs won the National League Championships in 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938.

The Wrigley family gave up the Chicago Cubs in 1981, forty-nine years after Wrigley, Jr.'s death.

Answer: Catalina

The home Wrigley, JR. built on Catalina was named Mount Ada. He ferried the Chicago Cubs there for training and family gatherings.

Answer: Heart failure

Wrigley, Jr. and his wife Ada were at their home in Phoenix, Arizona when Wrigley, Jr. became seriously ill from heart failure. He passed away on January 26, 1932. Mars, Inc. purchased the Wrigley Chewing Gum Company in 2008. Wrigley, Jr.'s ashes were moved from his home at Catalina in 1947 to Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in California.