Historical Note

The Joseph B. Funke Candy Company began in 1880 when J. Schreiber and M. Kratchwil entered into the candy making business. In 1882 Kratchwil withdrew and two years later Joseph B. Funke formed a partnership with Schreiber. The operation was located at the end of Main Street and it employed just a few men in the early days. Funke bought out Schreiber's part in 1887 and three years later the business was incorporated as the Joseph B. Funke Company. The facility moved to larger quarters on Second Street, between Main and Pearl, and Funke became one of the largest employers in La Crosse. Expansion continued and a new factory was built in 1898 on the site where Nathan Myrick constructed the first log cabin in La Crosse in 1842. The company pioneered many processes dealing with the manufacture of chocolates and had to overcome problems such as the lack of cooling mechanisms. In 1927 the chocolates were still dipped by hand because the machinery method, according to company officials, produced chocolates of lesser quality. The factory closed in 1933.