Historical Marker

Ruth Hanly Booe (1891-1973)

Historical marker location:

Frankfort, Kentucky

( 112 E. Second Street, Frankfort)

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. 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.