Ruth Hanly Booe, Bourbon Ball Inventor
Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Ruth Hanly Booe (1891-1973). In 1919, friends Ruth Hanly and Rebecca Gooch left teaching to found Rebecca-Ruth Candy. Operating out of the barroom of the Frankfort Hotel, closed due to Prohibition, the two were successful entrepreneurs before women gained the right to vote. In 1929, Gooch sold her half of the business to widow Booe. Over. Booe is credited as the inventor of the “Bourbon Ball,” a world- famous confection, and the “Mint Kentucky Colonel.” Her business savvy saw the company through a factory fire, the Great Depression, and sugar rationing during World War II. Booe remained active in the business until 1964.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
In 1919, schoolteachers Ruth Hanly and Rebecca Gooch left the classroom to found Rebecca-Ruth Candy, working out of the shuttered barroom of the Frankfort Hotel, which Prohibition had emptied. The two built a thriving business before women could even vote. After buying out her partner in 1929, Ruth Hanly Booe is credited with inventing the world-famous "Bourbon Ball" and the "Mint Kentucky Colonel," steering the company through a factory fire, the Great Depression, and wartime sugar rationing.
Why it matters
Booe's story captures a wave of early-20th-century women entrepreneurs who built enduring businesses on their own terms, while her signature confection turned a Kentucky specialty into a nationally known treat.
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Related people
- · Ruth Hanly Booe
- · Rebecca Gooch
Themes & tags
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