Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States.

[6] The Scotch-Irish immigrants left their homelands due to a number of political and economic atrocities by Queen Anne, who persecuted anyone who refused to conform to the Anglican Church.

The mountains of Appalachia and the valleys of frontier Pennsylvania drew the attention of these settlers, who were joined by Catholic and Presbyterian Scottish Highlanders who fled due to similar reasons.

[6] Early Scotch-Irish surnames in the Derry Township area included Hayes, Wilson, Harris, Clark, Wallace, McDonald, Logan, Davidson, Wray, McCallen, and Robinson.

[6] The German Palatinates, later called the "Pennsylvania Dutch," had similarly left their homelands and for a number of reasons, namely political oppression, religious persecution, and economic poverty.

The French and Indian Wars, which decimated the area, forced the construction of a series of forts along the Blue Mountains.

During its most famous stage, the Delawares, who aligned with the French, marched down the Blue Mountains to raid the settlers.

[6] At the time of the American Revolution, the settlers of the Derry Township area were enthusiastic about a war for freedom, as evidenced by early protestors and adoption of a list of patriotic resolves on 25 July, 1776, signed by Scotch-Irish and Germans alike.

Other communities in the area included Palmstown (now Palmyra), Campbelltown, Millerstown (now Annville), Middletown, and Fredrickstown (now Hummelstown).

Governor Thomas McKean authorized the formation of the Berks and Dauphin Turnpike in 1805 to connect the cities of Reading and Hummelstown.

The town was officially founded in 1903 and completed in 1905, namely for the company’s workers, and their homes had modern amenities such as electricity, indoor plumbing, and central heating.

The town had a public trolley system, a free school to educate the children of employees, a free vocational school to train orphaned and underprivileged boys, and later an amusement park, golf courses, community center, hotel, zoo, and a sports area.

[7] The purpose was to provide "a perfect American town in a bucolic natural setting, where healthy, right-living, and well-paid workers lived in safe, happy homes.

Located along the banks of Spring Creek, the park was an ideal spot for picnicking, boating, and canoeing, and featured graceful trees and wooded groves.

[9] The public trolley system was built in 1908 in the form of a street railway and provided the citizens easy access to other towns and cities in the area.

Hershey, who had no children of his own, sought to provide underprivileged boys with the education and skills needed to succeed in the real world.

In 1937, a strike and occupation at the chocolate factory ended violently when some strikers were severely beaten by a rally loyal to the company.

[6] In 1963, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center was founded as the site of Pennsylvania State University’s College of Medicine.

Hershey is located in southeastern Dauphin County, in the center and eastern parts of Derry Township.

Route 39 provides access to Hersheypark and Chocolate World, located in the northern part of the CDP, and continues north 6 miles (10 km) to Interstate 81 at Skyline View.

National Basketball Association player Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a regular season game played at Hersheypark Arena in 1962; his effort remains a single-game record for the league.

Elizabethtown College hosted the 2015 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center.

In addition, the Derry Township Police Department is a nationally recognized law enforcement agency.

[24] In The Simpsons episode "Homerland", Homer says: "I’ve never prayed to a city in my life and if I did it’d be Hershey, Pennsylvania.