Leman's Gourmet Mints have been around since 1939. William Leman Sr., raised fields of peppermint and spearmint in Bremen, IN. In his business, he distilled the peppermint and extracted its oil, then sold it. At one time, the Leman factory and its suppliers accounted for the majority of Bremen's economy. The whole town was saturated with the delicious smell of mint. Often called "church mints," Leman's mints have been touted for their ability to soothe throats and keep people from coughing during church services. Helen Leman said she liked to pop a Leman's mint in her mouth before church on Sunday. By the time the mint was gone, the sermon was over, "or at least it should have been," she said. For many years the candies were made by the Peerless Candy Co. and distributed mainly in Illinois, Indiana and southern Michigan. Today they are made by the Atkinson Candy Co. of Lufkin, TX.
