To me, it was just sort of like, oh yeah, Jello.

It's a funny story that I'll tell people at parties or something about where I come

from.

Howie Rowbottom is an heir to the Jello fortune.

My sort of odd and tangential claim to fame here is that my great, great, great uncle

by marriage order, Francis Woodward bought the patent to Jello from its inventor in 1899

for $450 and then sold it for $67 million in 1920s.

That's like a billion dollars today.

Money that's filtered down through Allie's sprawling family over generations.

And lately, Allie's become obsessed with Jello.

How that Jello money shaped her family.

And how Jello the product has shaped America with messages like this.

What's for dessert when a spouse needs to hear?

The men in my life swear by it.

Ask any little girl when it comes to entertaining, there's nothing quite like Jello.

There's always room for Jello.

From business insider and sticher, this is household name.

Brands of the truck.

Brands you know and stories you don't.

I'm Dan Bobcock.

Today, one family's complicated relationship with Jello.

Jello money funded the life of Allie's grandmother.

...