Difference between revisions of "J.F. Pyle Cannery"

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John Francis Pyle died on July 8, 1921<ref>One of San Jose's Pioneer Canners Passes Away: [http://books.google.com/books?id=1FVRAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA9&ots=cOjTeKw7-H&dq=%22john%20francis%20pyle%22%20death%201921&pg=PA9#v=onepage&q=%22john%20francis%20pyle%22%20death%201921&f=false July 16, 1921 California Fruit News]</ref>.
 
John Francis Pyle died on July 8, 1921<ref>One of San Jose's Pioneer Canners Passes Away: [http://books.google.com/books?id=1FVRAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA9&ots=cOjTeKw7-H&dq=%22john%20francis%20pyle%22%20death%201921&pg=PA9#v=onepage&q=%22john%20francis%20pyle%22%20death%201921&f=false July 16, 1921 California Fruit News]</ref>.
The company was sold to Barron Gray in early 1923<ref>Northern California Canneries: [http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ&dq=western%20canner%20and%20packer&pg=PA83#v=onepage&q=western%20canner%20and%20packer&f=false March 1923 Western Canner and Packer]</ref>.  The Pyle family retained the labels and brands.  The plant eventually became the Dole cannery.
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The company was sold to Barron Gray in early 1923<ref>Northern California Canneries: [http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ&dq=western%20canner%20and%20packer&pg=PA83#v=onepage&q=western%20canner%20and%20packer&f=false March 1923 Western Canner and Packer]</ref>.  Harry Pyle declared that they might reopen the cannery at some point, but the family had been frustrated at being stuck between high labor costs and high fruit prices<ref>Pyle Cannery Will Change Ownership: [http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hBZgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RSANAAAAIBAJ&pg=1973%2C2126683 February 9, 1922 San Jose Evening News].  </ref>.The Pyle family retained the labels and brands.  The plant eventually became the Dole cannery.
  
 
==Locations==
 
==Locations==

Revision as of 16:04, 11 October 2014

Summary
Business

Dried Fruit Packer
Main Location

San Jose
Active

< 1901 - 1923
Brands

Rely, Kantreli[1], R-bst
Aliases

J.F. Pyle and Son
Successors

Barron-Gray Packing Company

The J. F. Pyle Cannery was an early San Jose canner. Pyle was a San Jose orchardist with land on King Road at Maybury Road in Berryessa, at other sites on the east side of the valley[2]. The principal behind the cannery was John Francis Pyle, with assistance from his sons Harry and Frank. Pyle was growing tomatoes on land near Story and McLaughlin, and also had apple and other fruit orchards in Watsonville and Pacheco Pass. When one year's tomato crop was not purchased by a local cannery, Pyle decided to try canning his own tomatoes, and began the business[3]. J.F. Pyle & Son was officially incorporated in 1904[4]. The company operated at the farm until 1907, when they moved to a plant at Martha and Fifth.

Western Canner and Packer described a large addition to their cannery planned in 1918, probably the former Figprune Cereal Co. plant[5]. In 1922, 300 people worked there during the season. The manager in 1922 was Harry Pyle[6], and superintendent was E. G. Pyle. They started construction of a new building at Fourth and Margaret in 1922, encouraged by a large tomato pack the previous year[7]. A "George T. Pyle" worked for the cannery, and left in 1919 to work at the Seabright cannery in Santa Cruz[8].

John Francis Pyle died on July 8, 1921[9]. The company was sold to Barron Gray in early 1923[10]. Harry Pyle declared that they might reopen the cannery at some point, but the family had been frustrated at being stuck between high labor costs and high fruit prices[11].The Pyle family retained the labels and brands. The plant eventually became the Dole cannery.

Locations

Location Years Address Details
San Jose 1901, 1902, 1904 King Road at Mabury Road[12]
San Jose 1906, 1923, 1924 Martha and Fifth St

Sold to Barron Gray

San Jose 1907, 1922 Fourth and Martha

Northeast corner.

References

  1. Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents, 1916.
  2. January 29, 1902 Evening News
  3. Pyle Plant of Interesting Pioneer Origin: July 25, 1919 San Jose Evening News
  4. February 26, 1904 San Francisco Call: "SAN JOSE, Feb. 25.— J. F. Pyle & Son today filed articles of incorporation, with a capital stock of $30,000. for canning fruits and vegetable?, with place of business In this city.
  5. Pyle Plant of Interesting Pioneer Origin: July 25, 1919 San Jose Evening News
  6. Berryessa: Eugene T. Sawyer, History of Santa Clara County, California, 1922, Historic Record Co.
  7. Pyle Cannery to Build Extension: February 12, 1919 San Jose Evening News
  8. January 9, 1919 Santa Cruz Evening News
  9. One of San Jose's Pioneer Canners Passes Away: July 16, 1921 California Fruit News
  10. Northern California Canneries: March 1923 Western Canner and Packer
  11. Pyle Cannery Will Change Ownership: February 9, 1922 San Jose Evening News.
  12. 1901 San Jose City Directory