Them Bones, Them Bones, Them Chicken Bones

Thanks to Carl Weaver of the NCA we now know where Chick-O-Stick came from. (Thanks, Carl - you were way more persistent that I was. Atkinson's needs to consider revising that "fun" page design!)

This is from the Atkinson's web site


ORIGIN OF THE CHICK-O-STICK NAME


How did the Chick-O-Stick get its name? The real answer has probably been lost in our corporate history, but here’s one account by Eric Atkinson, President of the company. Generally, when we began making Chick-O-Sticks in the late 1930’s, that kind of candy was traditionally known as “Chicken Bones”. Back in those days, Atkinson candy was distributed only inside the State of Texas. In the 1950’s, Atkinson Candy Company began distributing their candy nationally and discovered that another company already owned the rights to the name “Chicken Bones” (and that’s probably a good thing). Our then Vice President of Sales, J. Powell Ware, working with Joe Atkinson and an artist for the box company, somehow came up with the name Chick-O-Stick..…and it stuck! Why “Chicken Bones” in the first place? Well, one thing is certain about that – there is no chicken in a Chick-O-Stick! Our best guess is that the toasted coconut on the outside of the candy gives the appearance of a piece of fried chicken.


Can you say - "GROSS!" Chicken Bones? Not even "Chicken Legs" - Chicken BONES. Maybe these guys were drinking some Texas Moonshine when they came up with that. What peanut butter and chicken bones possibly have in common is beyond me. But candy history is infinitely fascinating!!

And I do think that to stay engaged with life - you have to have something that captures your interest. It doesn't have to be candy, but there has to be something. If you lose interest, you lose the fire.

So keep burning! (And long live the Chicken Bone! AKA the Chick-o-Stick)