How was the Jolly Rancher invented?

The product was originally produced by the Jolly Rancher Company, founded in1949 by Bill and Dorothy Harmsen of Golden, Colorado. The Jolly Rancher Company made ice cream, chocolate and candy sold at several "Ranch Maid Ice Cream" stores in the Denver area. The name was meant to suggest western hospitality. Jolly Rancher began concentrating on hard candies as sales grew.