Jackson Michigan Is The Original Home To Ritz Crackers
Snacks are something that many people will call essential to life and I think I agree with them. I mean snacks are at home whenever you want them, but you also pack them to satisfy your hunger while at work, school, on a road trip, catching a flight, at a party, and so many other things. Snacks are something everyone has, but the types of snacks are what set people apart.
Some people like to have sweet sugary snacks like gummy candy, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, brownies, etc. The list of sugary items could rumble on pages, but other people can do without the sweets and prefer other snacks. Some people like healthy snacks like fruit, vegetables, nuts, granola, etc. and choose to nourish their bodies with their snacks. Lastly, there are those who like salty snacks like cheez itz, potato chips, salted nuts, crackers, and more. One of the nation's favorite salty cracker snacks was created here in Michigan.
Jackson Cracker Company & Jaxon Crackers
During the early 1900s, the Jackson Cracker Company had been established and run, making crackers and biscuits for the locals to enjoy and also sending out shipments as well. They would go on to create the "Jaxon Cracker" which was just a small, round cracker used to eat with dips or solo. I love the spelling to keep it unique but also have a tie to the community, but eventually, they would be bought out and the name would be changed.
Nabisco & Ritz Crackers
In 1919, Nabisco comes rolling through town and throws the owners of Jackson Cracker Company an offer they can't resist and they are bought out. Nabisco bought the rights to the cracker company and Jaxon crackers and decided a change was needed. They took Jaxon crackers off the shelves and in 1934 and released them as the Ritz crackers we know.
They changed the name to Ritz because they were competing with Hi Ho crackers and needed a better marketing scheme. Starting with the name and choosing RItz because it resembled how they were offering "a bite of the good life" to everyone during the great depression. Sydney Stern is credited with creating this name, reasoning, and the trademark blue and yellow logo we're used to seeing.
The Ritz cracker has pretty much become a staple for the American home and almost everyone has had Ritz before. The taste is so familiar and they are so sought after that Ritz cracker has been named the best-perceived snack brand in America. This Tiktok video was posted by a user (shawnieismynickname) that explains the details below:
@shawnieismynickname Jaxon = Ritz. The name 'Ritz', which appealed to individuals enduring the privations of the Great Depression by offering them "a bite of the good life". #michigan#history#retromusic#oldschool♬ Down On The Corner - Creedence Clearwater Revival