Winchester Dried Fruit

Summary

Business	Dried Fruit Packer
Main Location	San Jose
Active	1936-1940

Dried fruit packer which appeared in San Jose in the mid-1930's. 1936: The principals were Bert Kirk, Jr., and Antonio Teresi, both from orchard families in the Santa Clara Valley. Kirk's family owned much of the orchard land south of Dry Creek Road around modern-day Meridian Ave. Teresi's family owned the Sorosis Fruit Ranch in Saratoga. Antonio also owned another 10 acres on the Santa Clara - Los Gatos road. Teresi wasn't just an orchardist; he'd also gone to business school.

1930's city directories showed them moving around, first in packing houses off Sunol Street (and possibly including the former Hamlin Packing building), and eventually settling on Ryland St.

A newspaper article from 1938 quotes the company as declaring 90% of their fruit was going abroad because of the poor domestic market.

Locations

Location	Years	Address	Details
Campbell	1938	?
San Jose	1936	1013 Sunol Street
San Jose	1938	631 Sunol Street
San Jose	1940	200 Ryland Street

Details

Sorosis Fruit Ranch was 220 acres, packing plant, water.

In 1936, their only address was on Sunol Street - possibly the Mayfair plant.

1938: Bert Kirk Jr., manager, Antonio Teresi President, Harry Mitchell Superintendent, Ed Trojan office manager. 90% of stuff going abroad because of poor domestic market.

On Warehouseman's Union lawsuit in 1940.

1940: complaints about violating

The May 31, 1939 San Jose Evening News noted complaints that Winchester Dried Fruit was not following the "prune prorate" rules, and was dealing in prunes without obtaining "secondary certificates from the [prune prorate] commission." April 8, 1940 San Jose Evening News report complaint against Winchester Dried Fruit going forward because they were handling fruit without inspections and certificates, and weren't following the "prorate procedure". The prorate commission was taking more detailed control of the industry, probably in order to keep prices high. One of their rulings was that converting surplus prunes to alcohol and brandy was illegal. The commission was disregarding other laws, such as the state agricultural code banning growers from allowing fruit to drop and go to waste without the order of an agricultural authority.

The August 6, 1940 San Jose Evening News reported that the company's license was suspended "over claims of growers against the concern."

Campbell: Sept 10, 1938 news article in San Jose News said that moving to new modern plant IIRC.