The first reference to gelatin was in 1682 when a Frenchman by the name of Denis Papin experimented with removing the glutinous material from animal bones by boiling them. Gelatin is pure protein - in and of itself it has no odor, taste or color.

The first patent for a gelatin dessert was granted to Peter Cooper in 1845 although records don't indicate that he ever did anything with his patent.

In 1897 a cough syrup manufacturer in Le Roy, New York by the name of Pearl B. Wait got interested in gelatin. Magic was created when he added fruit syrup and coloring to the concoction. He named it "Jell-O". Unfortunately Mr. Wait was never able to successfully market his product.

A Le Roy neighbor, Orator Francis Woodward bought the Jell-O business for $450. In 1902 Mr. Woodward began an advertising campaign "America's Most Favorite Dessert" and the product took off. Today, Jell-O is the largest selling prepared dessert and is known world-wide. Later Jell-O became a major product for General Foods.

The Jell-O factory began as the Genesee Pure Foods Company and occupied a factory on North Street in Le Roy from the 1910s until 1964. In 1964 the Jell-O factory was closed and manufacturing operations were moved to Delaware. Lawless Container Corporation used the factory for a number of years. The building is currently being used as a staging area for paintball games.