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.