On May 14, 1920, in Lynn, Massachusetts, the Daily Evening Item newspaper published a short article announcing that two young men, H. Allen Durkee and Fred L. Mower, had founded a company to produce Marshmallow Fluff. Both men were graduates of Swampscott High School and veterans of World War I from the U.S. Infantry. The exact date they began working together is hard to pinpoint. Before they started making Fluff, they had already been making candy together, crafting sweets in their kitchen at night and selling them door-to-door by day.
As Durkee wrote in 1930: “Ten years ago, we started with one barrel of sugar, a few tin cans, two spoons, one used Ford, no customers, but plenty of prospects. Today—after just ten short years—thanks to a great partnership with food wholesalers, we have the largest marshmallow cream distribution in New England and no more Ford.”
Marshmallow Fluff actually originated in 1917. Before World War I, a Somerville resident named Archibald Query whipped up the spread in his kitchen and sold it hand to hand, but wartime shortages forced him to stop. After the war, Query found other work and wasn’t interested in restarting his business, but he was willing to sell the recipe. Durkee and Mower pooled their savings and bought it for five hundred dollars.
Fresh from their return from France, they playfully renamed their product “Toot Sweet Marshmallow Fluff,” though the “Toot Sweet” label didn’t stick around for long. The “no customers but plenty of prospects” phase also fizzled quickly. An early invoice still in the company’s books shows that in April 1920, three one-gallon cans were sold to a vacation resort in New Hampshire at NULL.00 per gallon! Door-to-door sales earned a reputation among local homemakers, and Fluff eventually landed on grocery shelves across the region.
Ah yes, the Fluffernutter! Many say you haven’t lived until you’ve tried one of these distinctly American treats—and they might be right! A longtime staple of playgrounds, after-school snacks, college dorms, and local diners, the Fluffernutter is a divine snack that’s incredibly easy to make at home: just spread Marshmallow Fluff on one slice of bread, peanut butter on the other, press together—and voilà! To take it to the next level, add bananas, chocolate chips, or your favorite treat. Let your imagination run wild and create your own Fluffernutter masterpiece!
