author
Md.) McCormick & Co. (Baltimore
What began in a Baltimore basement grew into one of the best-known names in spices. Founded in 1889, the company built its reputation the old-fashioned way: by selling flavoring extracts, syrups, and root beer door to door before expanding into spices.
1 Audiobook
Spices, Their Nature and Growth; The Vanilla Bean; A Talk on Tea
by Md.) McCormick & Co. (Baltimore
About the author
McCormick & Company is an American food business with deep Baltimore roots. Reliable historical sources trace its start to 1889, when Willoughby M. McCormick began making and selling root beer, fruit syrups, juices, and flavoring extracts in Baltimore.
The company moved into the spice trade a few years later and became closely tied to the city’s industrial story. Baltimore history sources note that McCormick’s South Light Street presence became a local landmark, remembered by many for the smell of spices drifting through downtown.
Over time, the business grew far beyond its small beginnings, but its origin story still feels unusually personal: one room, a cellar, and a founder building a customer base by knocking on doors. That mix of hustle, practicality, and everyday flavor is a big part of why McCormick remains such a recognizable name.