Pictorial History Of Dolle’s Candyland Available Next Month

Pictorial History Of Dolle’s Candyland Available Next Month
Anna Dolle Bushnell is pictured with a copy of her pictorial history book published by Arcadia. Submitted Photo

OCEAN CITY – The co-owner of an iconic resort establishment is celebrating 110 years of operation with the release of her new book.

Available for purchase starting July 6, “Dolle’s Candyland, Inc.” is a pictorial history of the business’s 110 years in Ocean City.

A description of the book reads, “Dolle’s Candyland, Inc., has been an institution to beachgoers of the Eastern Shore since 1910. Behind every piece of saltwater taffy, kernel of caramel popcorn, and other delectable sweet produced by Dolle’s is a rich history with ties to other well-known Eastern Shore establishments. Family-owned and -operated since 1910, Dolle’s unique history of candy manufacturing makes for an interesting tradition still carried on today. With locations in Ocean City, Maryland, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, millions of beachgoers have enjoyed Dolle’s by indulging in the homemade sweets or simply enjoying the business’s timeless presence on the boardwalks of two popular seashore destinations.”

Author Anna Dolle Bushnell, co-owner of Dolle’s Candyland, said her new book totals 128 pages and features more than 200 photos from the family’s private collection, as well as historical accounts.

“There’s definitely a lot of people interested in the history of Ocean City, so it’s not just about Dolle’s but also about a lot of the old businesses here in town,” she said. “It’s like looking at downtown Ocean City through Dolle’s’ eyes and what ties it had to other businesses that are here.”

Bushnell said an effort to interview family members and sort through the family’s photographs began in earnest last fall, ahead of the business’s 110th anniversary. It was during this time that she was approached by Arcadia Publishing.

“I actually started the book before I was approached by the publisher,” she said. “I had started interviewing my family and gathering the photos and everything, playing around and taking notes, before Arcadia contacted me. It was out of the blue.”

As the nation’s leading publisher of books of local history and local interest, Arcadia’s mission is to connect people with their past, with their communities and with one another. Arcadia’s catalog includes more than 15,000 local titles, with 500 new books of local interest and local history published each year.

“They approached me after I had already gotten started but didn’t really have a direction,” she said. “It was very strange, but very exciting.”

Bushnell said she began writing the book in December using historical accounts and photographs from family members, as well as from Tom Ibach and Signe Holmgren-Murray of the Rehoboth Beach Dolle’s.

After months of work, she said the book will soon be available for purchase online and at all Dolle’s locations. Copies will be on sale for $21.99.

“Not only is it Dolle’s history, it also shows how so many families have been here for so long,” she said. “There’s a lot of pictures of different businesses and how they all tied into Dolle’s, including Dumser’s and the Alaska Stand and the pier and Thrasher’s. It shows how our neighborhood of families has sustained for so long as a community on the Boardwalk. It’s also cool to see some pictures that haven’t been released.”

Bushnell said updates on “Dolle’s Candyland, Inc.” and information on scheduled book signings will be posted on the business’s Facebook page as it becomes available.

“There’s so much cool stuff in here,” she said. “I was more than excited when Arcadia contacted me because I wanted something that would be cool for the public, cool for my family and great for the businesses as well. It’s a great marker for our birthday.”

Since 1910, Dolle’s Candyland has manufactured and sold candy out of its flagship location on Wicomico Street and the Boardwalk in Ocean City.

When Bushnell and her brother, Andrew Dolle, took over operations in 2000, they expanded the family business to include a wholesale candy operation and multiple Dolle’s Candyland stores. Between 2006 and 2018, for example, Dolle’s opened new stores at 120th Street, 67th Street and at Park Place Plaza in West Ocean City. A fifth location will open in Berlin this year.

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.