The Clark Bar is a candy bar consisting of a crispy peanut butter/spun taffy core (originally with a caramel center) and coated in milk chocolate. It was introduced in 1917 by David L. Clark and was popular during and after both World Wars. It was the first American "combination" candy bar to achieve nationwide success. Two similar candy bars followed the Clark Bar, the Butterfinger bar (1923) made by the Curtiss Candy Company and the 5th Avenue bar (1936) created by Luden's. The Clark Bar was manufactured in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the original family-owned business until 1955. It was then manufactured by corporate owners until a series of sales and bankruptcies in the 1990s resulted in transfer of production to the Revere, Massachusetts–based New England Confectionery Company (Necco). Following Necco's 2018 bankruptcy, the Clark Bar is now produced in western Pennsylvania, by the Altoona-based Boyer Candy Company. History The original formula of the Clark Bar was pioneered by Irish immigrant David L. Clark in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1917. Its manufacture took advantage of a recently-developed approach that allowed a thin milk chocolate shell to surround a non-chocolate filling. In the case of the Clark Bar, the interior consisted of a crispy confection that included ground peanuts around a caramel core. As such, the Clark Bar became the first successful 'combination' candy bar. The bar was developed to be sent to troops during World War I, individually wrapped for ease of delivery. It began to be distributed nationally after the war's end, inspiring many manufacturers to produce their own combination bars. The small size of its double-bars contributed to their popularity. During World War II the company was sending daily 1.5 million bars to the armed forces, and when several labor strikes at its plant led to shortages among the troops, the federal government stepped in, calling production "essential" to the war effort. Related products were also produced, such as the smaller-sized Clark Bar Miniatures, Clark Bar Bites and Clark Bar Juniors, along with seasonal Clark Bar Easter Eggs, and a dark chocolate variety. The Clark Bar originally included a caramel 'center of attraction'. In 1965, the recipe was changed to increase the peanut butter content and thus enhance flavor. The caramel center would be removed from the recipe in the 1980s to increase its shelf-life. In 1995, an alternative recipe would briefly be used. Ownership changes From 1911, the Clark