Fact or Fiction? The Salt Water Taffy Story

Salt Water Taffy quilt block

The tale goes, that back in 1883 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, a candy shop owned by David Bradley, was near the ocean. A big storm hit one summer day and the boardwalk and the shops closest to the ocean were flooded. Mr. Bradley's entire stock of taffy (a favourite of the locals) was soaked with the salt water and he figured it was ruined.

Once the storm had cleared, a young girl entered the shop to make a purchase and Mr. Bradley joked that all he had available was some "salt water taffy". The girl bought some anyway and upon sharing it around, others began requesting the new treat called salt water taffy. True or not, the story continues.

The Salt Water Taffy quilt block is an easy five patch to construct. Although salt water taffy actually comes in a rainbow of colours, I chose to use the colours of the beachfront at Atlantic City. What colours would you choose?

I couldn't find any specific quotes about salt water taffy so instead, here are ...

Some thoughts about the seashore.

• I could never stay long enough on the shore; the tang of the untainted, fresh, and free sea air was like a cool, quieting thought.
  ~ Helen Keller


• The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.
  ~ Isak Dinesen


• I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.
  ~ Isaac Newton

<sub>'Salt Water Taffy' quilt block image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com


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