Interesting discovery made during demolition of Lewter Hardware building

The demolition of part of the famous Lewter Hardware building included a unique discovery. An old mural for Yucatan Gum was found behind a layer of brick, advertising one of the first flavored chewing gum brands in the world.

Apparently, no one involved with the new project or with the hardware store knew about this mural, which makes it a pretty cool discovery.

And since this is part of the building that will remain, this could be a great opportunity to preserve some history.

Here’s more:

How old is this mural at Lewter Hardware?

Yucatan Chewing Gum was created by William J. White, who was dubbed the “Chewing Gum King.” He marketed one of the first known brands of flavored chewing gum after working in the confection industry briefly and experimenting with different chewing gum varieties.

According to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, in 1880 White came across a barrel of chicle — a natural gum tapped from certain Mesoamerican trees – and found that mixing corn syrup and sugar with chicle latex allowed the chicle to absorb and hold flavors.

He also determined that peppermint extract lasted longest as a flavor, and developed the peppermint chewing gum he named “Yucatan,” after the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, where his chicle had originated.

In 1890, White founded the American Chicle Co., which became the largest producer of chewing gum in the world. White would eventually be replaced as president of the company in the 1920s, and died shortly after, but Yucatan gum was still a popular product well into the 1940s.

The mural at the Lewter Hardware building is advertising “White’s Yucatan Gum,” so it would have to be anywhere from 80 to 90 years old, as White’s name was eventually removed from American Chicle products after he was no longer associated with the company.

Lewter’s opened in 1928, and was a staple in the Huntsville business community, serving customers loyally over the next nine decades and more. It is possible that the Yucatan mural is as old as the building itself.

Lewter Hardware officially closed nearly two years ago, and will soon be the site of Lewter District Townhomes, expected to be completed by 2025.

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