Difference between revisions of "Madison and Bonner"

From Packing Houses of Santa Clara County
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| primary_town = San Francisco
 
| primary_town = San Francisco
 
| primary_dates = 1903-1911
 
| primary_dates = 1903-1911
| successors = [[Bonner Packing]]
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| successors = [[Bonner Packing]],[[J. K. Armsby]]
 
}}
 
}}
'''Madison and Bonner''' was a California-based dried fruit packer founded by James Madison and Charles G. Bonner.  The company was started in Fresno in 1890<ref> [http://articles.latimes.com/1985-10-06/news/vw-5357_1_fresnans/5 October 6, 1985 Los Angeles Times].</ref>.  Madison and Bonner had packing houses in the Santa Clara Valley (Sunnyvale) and San Joaquin Valley (Fresno area).  The company only lasted to 1911 when the two principals decided to dissolve the company. Bonner took over the Fresno raisin plants, changed the signs to "[[Bonner Packing]]" and started billing the company in the trade magazine as "successors to Madison and Bonner." The distant Sunnyvale plant went to [[J. K. Armsby]], a large San Francisco-based packer.
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'''Madison and Bonner''' was a California-based dried fruit packer founded by James Madison and Charles G. Bonner<ref>1908 San Francisco city directory.  Offices were at Santa Marina Building, 112 Market Street, San Francisco.</ref>.  The company was started in Fresno in 1890<ref> [http://articles.latimes.com/1985-10-06/news/vw-5357_1_fresnans/5 October 6, 1985 Los Angeles Times].</ref>.  Madison and Bonner had packing houses in the Santa Clara Valley (Sunnyvale) and San Joaquin Valley (Reedly, Locans, and Forcey<ref>San Francisco Handbook of Manufacturing 1910</ref>.
 +
Fresno area).
  
The Sunnyvale plant is the biggest reminder of Madison and Bonner in the Santa Clara Valley because of their dried fruit receiving station built in Sunnyvale in 1904. The packing house, at 185 Evelyn on the site of a former winery, became part of Del Monte in 1916.  In 1926, when Del Monte's Plant 51 opened in San Jose, the local packing houses like the one on Evelyn were no longer needed.  Del Monte left it vacant for a few years, then reopened it in 1930 as the home of their corporate seed research lab.  Del Monte only left the building in 1986. The building managed to survive, moving across Murphy Street to its current location where it is billed as [http://www.thehistoricdelmonte.com/ the Del Monte building]  
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The company only lasted to 1911 when the two principals decided to dissolve the company<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=FW9RAAAAYAAJ&amp;amp;amp;amp;pg=PA3&amp;amp;amp;amp;lpg=PA3&amp;amp;amp;amp;dq=%22Madison+and+Bonner%22+dried+fruit&amp;amp;amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;amp;amp;ots=DS6ehXfWXl&amp;amp;amp;amp;sig=LeQSE1a9G7kvpmleVpGa2RhAHog&amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;amp;amp;ei=KxyYT_-oDqOTiQKftpz1Dw&amp;amp;amp;amp;ved=0CKcBEOgBMAc#v=onepage&amp;amp;amp;amp;q=%22Madison%20and%20Bonner%22%20dried%20fruit&amp;amp;amp;amp;f=false May 20, 1911 California Fruit News] </ref>. Bonner took over the Fresno raisin plants, changed the signs to "[[Bonner Packing]]" and started billing the company in the trade magazine as "successors to Madison and Bonner." The distant Sunnyvale plant went to [[J. K. Armsby]], a large San Francisco-based packer. 
  
 
[[Bonner Packing]] survived in the Central Valley for quite a while, and was billed as the largest privately-owned raisin packer in the world.
 
[[Bonner Packing]] survived in the Central Valley for quite a while, and was billed as the largest privately-owned raisin packer in the world.
 +
Bonner died in xxxx<ref>[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&amp;amp;amp;amp;GRid=79717972 Bonner obituary] </ref>.
 +
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==Madison and Bonner in Sunnyvale==
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 +
The Sunnyvale plant is the biggest reminder of Madison and Bonner in the Santa Clara Valley because of their dried fruit receiving station built in Sunnyvale in 1904.  The packing house was located at 185 Evelyn on the site of a former winery, and was expanded in 1906<ref>September 15, 1906 Pacific Rural Press.  Notes that Madison and Bonner just finished enlarging the packing house in Sunnyvale and installing new machinery.</ref>.  became part of Del Monte in 1916.  In 1926, when Del Monte's Plant 51 opened in San Jose, the local packing houses like the one on Evelyn were no longer needed.  Del Monte left it vacant for a few years, then reopened it in 1930 as the home of their corporate seed research lab.  Del Monte only left the building in 1986.  The building managed to survive, moving across Murphy Street to its current location where it is billed as [http://www.thehistoricdelmonte.com/ the Del Monte building]
 +
 +
Also see [http://thehistoricdelmonte.com/index.php/home/history.html building's own web site] for more photos.
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==Locations==
 
==Locations==
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
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==Photos==
 
==Photos==
 
[http://historicimages.insunnyvale.org/cdm/ref/collection/sunnyvale/id/166 Packing House and railroad tracks, 1940's.]
 
[http://historicimages.insunnyvale.org/cdm/ref/collection/sunnyvale/id/166 Packing House and railroad tracks, 1940's.]
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[http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Portals/0/Sunnyvale/CDD/Planning/HRC%20Materials/IMAGES_Chap_4.pdf Sunnyvale planning document] for photo of plant at original location.
  
 
==Details==
 
==Details==
 
More on [http://vasonabranch.blogspot.com/2012/04/road-trip-sunnyvale.html Madison and Bonner] in an article at vasonabranch.blogspot.com.
 
More on [http://vasonabranch.blogspot.com/2012/04/road-trip-sunnyvale.html Madison and Bonner] in an article at vasonabranch.blogspot.com.
 
Successor: Bonner Packing (Fresno plant), [[J. K. Armsby]] (Sunnyvale plant)
 
 
Dried fruit processors in Sunnyvale.  Built dried fruit receiving station in 1904 on site of former winery at 185 Evelyn in Sunnyvale.  Became part of Del Monte in 1916, plant closed in 1926 because of opening of larger plant in San Jose (Plant 51).  Building used as storage 1926-1930, then became Del Monte's corporate seed department in 1930.
 
 
See [http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Portals/0/Sunnyvale/CDD/Planning/HRC%20Materials/IMAGES_Chap_4.pdf Sunnyvale planning document] for photo of plant at original location.  Building moved to Murphy Street and currently used as meeting space and retail.
 
 
Also see [http://thehistoricdelmonte.com/index.php/home/history.html building's own web site] for more photos.
 
  
 
Madison and Bonner must have had a presence in the Central Valley; an article in the 12 Oct 1901 San Francisco Call remarks on a lawsuit over ownership of 6,000 tons of raisins from Fresno County where M&amp;amp;amp;amp;B owned a share.
 
Madison and Bonner must have had a presence in the Central Valley; an article in the 12 Oct 1901 San Francisco Call remarks on a lawsuit over ownership of 6,000 tons of raisins from Fresno County where M&amp;amp;amp;amp;B owned a share.
 
Madison and Bonner broke up the company in 1911 / Bonner purchased Madison's interest in the company and the Sunnyvale plant went to [[J. K. Armsby]] according to [http://books.google.com/books?id=FW9RAAAAYAAJ&amp;amp;amp;amp;pg=PA3&amp;amp;amp;amp;lpg=PA3&amp;amp;amp;amp;dq=%22Madison+and+Bonner%22+dried+fruit&amp;amp;amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;amp;amp;ots=DS6ehXfWXl&amp;amp;amp;amp;sig=LeQSE1a9G7kvpmleVpGa2RhAHog&amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;amp;amp;ei=KxyYT_-oDqOTiQKftpz1Dw&amp;amp;amp;amp;ved=0CKcBEOgBMAc#v=onepage&amp;amp;amp;amp;q=%22Madison%20and%20Bonner%22%20dried%20fruit&amp;amp;amp;amp;f=false May 20, 1911 California Fruit News]
 
San Francisco Handbook of Manufacturing 1910: plants in Sunnyvale, Reedley, Locans, Forcey, Fresno County.
 
 
Principals were James Madison and Charles G. Bonner in 1908 according to 1908 San Francisco city directory.  Offices were at Santa Marina Building, 112 Market Street, San Francisco.
 
  
 
Bonner Packing in Fresno advertised as [http://books.google.com/books?id=THlRAAAAYAAJ&amp;amp;amp;amp;pg=PA16&amp;amp;amp;amp;lpg=PA16&amp;amp;amp;amp;dq=%22Madison+%26+Bonner%22+dried+fruit&amp;amp;amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;amp;amp;ots=nBJDKYiE90&amp;amp;amp;amp;sig=a0RGKx12LSuWXbGX63uzWsXXTro&amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;amp;amp;ei=4ByYT-TfPM3KiALqzdHMDw&amp;amp;amp;amp;ved=0CI8BEOgBMAQ#v=onepage&amp;amp;amp;amp;q=%22Madison%20%26%20Bonner%22%20dried%20fruit&amp;amp;amp;amp;f=false successors to Madison and Bonner" in "July 1913 Fruit Grower News]  Specialized in raisins.  Bonner Packing later bought the Rosenberg raisin business after World War II.
 
Bonner Packing in Fresno advertised as [http://books.google.com/books?id=THlRAAAAYAAJ&amp;amp;amp;amp;pg=PA16&amp;amp;amp;amp;lpg=PA16&amp;amp;amp;amp;dq=%22Madison+%26+Bonner%22+dried+fruit&amp;amp;amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;amp;amp;ots=nBJDKYiE90&amp;amp;amp;amp;sig=a0RGKx12LSuWXbGX63uzWsXXTro&amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;amp;amp;ei=4ByYT-TfPM3KiALqzdHMDw&amp;amp;amp;amp;ved=0CI8BEOgBMAQ#v=onepage&amp;amp;amp;amp;q=%22Madison%20%26%20Bonner%22%20dried%20fruit&amp;amp;amp;amp;f=false successors to Madison and Bonner" in "July 1913 Fruit Grower News]  Specialized in raisins.  Bonner Packing later bought the Rosenberg raisin business after World War II.
  
September 15, 1906 Pacific Rural Press mentions that Madison and Bonner just finished enlarging the packing house in Sunnyvale and installing new machinery.
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[[Category:San Francisco]]
 
 
[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&amp;amp;amp;amp;GRid=79717972 Bonner obituary] [[Category:San Francisco]]
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Revision as of 21:50, 28 February 2014

Summary
Business

Dried Fruit Packing
Main Location

San Francisco
Active

1903-1911
Successors

Bonner Packing,J. K. Armsby

Madison and Bonner was a California-based dried fruit packer founded by James Madison and Charles G. Bonner[1]. The company was started in Fresno in 1890[2]. Madison and Bonner had packing houses in the Santa Clara Valley (Sunnyvale) and San Joaquin Valley (Reedly, Locans, and Forcey[3]. Fresno area).

The company only lasted to 1911 when the two principals decided to dissolve the company[4]. Bonner took over the Fresno raisin plants, changed the signs to "Bonner Packing" and started billing the company in the trade magazine as "successors to Madison and Bonner." The distant Sunnyvale plant went to J. K. Armsby, a large San Francisco-based packer.

Bonner Packing survived in the Central Valley for quite a while, and was billed as the largest privately-owned raisin packer in the world. Bonner died in xxxx[5].

Madison and Bonner in Sunnyvale

The Sunnyvale plant is the biggest reminder of Madison and Bonner in the Santa Clara Valley because of their dried fruit receiving station built in Sunnyvale in 1904. The packing house was located at 185 Evelyn on the site of a former winery, and was expanded in 1906[6]. became part of Del Monte in 1916. In 1926, when Del Monte's Plant 51 opened in San Jose, the local packing houses like the one on Evelyn were no longer needed. Del Monte left it vacant for a few years, then reopened it in 1930 as the home of their corporate seed research lab. Del Monte only left the building in 1986. The building managed to survive, moving across Murphy Street to its current location where it is billed as the Del Monte building

Also see building's own web site for more photos.

Locations

Location Years Address Details
San Francisco 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911 112 Market Street

Santa Marina Building

Sunnyvale 1904, 1911, 1916 185 Evelyn Avenue

Became "California Packing Corporation's":/view?industry=california_packing_corporation Sunnyvale receiving station.

Photos

Packing House and railroad tracks, 1940's.

Sunnyvale planning document for photo of plant at original location.

Details

More on Madison and Bonner in an article at vasonabranch.blogspot.com.

Madison and Bonner must have had a presence in the Central Valley; an article in the 12 Oct 1901 San Francisco Call remarks on a lawsuit over ownership of 6,000 tons of raisins from Fresno County where M&amp;amp;amp;B owned a share.

Bonner Packing in Fresno advertised as successors to Madison and Bonner" in "July 1913 Fruit Grower News Specialized in raisins. Bonner Packing later bought the Rosenberg raisin business after World War II.

References

  1. 1908 San Francisco city directory. Offices were at Santa Marina Building, 112 Market Street, San Francisco.
  2. October 6, 1985 Los Angeles Times.
  3. San Francisco Handbook of Manufacturing 1910
  4. May 20, 1911 California Fruit News
  5. Bonner obituary
  6. September 15, 1906 Pacific Rural Press. Notes that Madison and Bonner just finished enlarging the packing house in Sunnyvale and installing new machinery.