Difference between revisions of "E. E. Thomas Fruit Company"

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{{Infobox_Industry
 
{{Infobox_Industry
 
| primary_business = Dried Fruit Packer
 
| primary_business = Dried Fruit Packer
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| primary_dates = -1899
 
| primary_dates = -1899
 
}}
 
}}
E. E. Thomas Fruit Company was an early San Jose-based dried fruit packer run by [[Edward E. Thomas]] and William Cameron as Vice President<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=B6pKAQAAIAAJ&lpg=PA455&ots=mYCMRE3zU6&dq=%22E.%20E.%20Thomas%22%20San%20Jose&pg=PA455#v=onepage&q=%22E.%20E.%20Thomas%22%20San%20Jose&f=false 1896 San Jose City Directory]</ref>with an E. B. Howard handling the marketing and Thomas handling the drying, dipping, and shipping of fruit. Thomas was the son of a local orchardist, in his thirties, and living at Race and Luther Streets in San Jose.  The company shipped 650 carloads of dried fruit in the 1893-1894 season<ref>The Sunsweet Story</ref>, and dried 500 tons of fruit in 1896-1897.  
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'''E. E. Thomas Fruit Company''' was an early San Jose-based dried fruit packer run by [[Edward E. Thomas]] and William Cameron as Vice President<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=B6pKAQAAIAAJ&lpg=PA455&ots=mYCMRE3zU6&dq=%22E.%20E.%20Thomas%22%20San%20Jose&pg=PA455#v=onepage&q=%22E.%20E.%20Thomas%22%20San%20Jose&f=false 1896 San Jose City Directory]</ref>with [[E. B. Howard]] handling the marketing and Thomas handling the drying, dipping, and shipping of fruit. Thomas was the son of a local orchardist, in his thirties, and living at Race and Luther Streets in San Jose.  The company shipped 650 carloads of dried fruit in the 1893-1894 season<ref>The Sunsweet Story</ref>, and dried 500 tons of fruit in 1896-1897.  
 
The original building burned down in 1897; a new $5,000 plant would replace it<ref>
 
The original building burned down in 1897; a new $5,000 plant would replace it<ref>
 
[http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=%22e.%20e.%20thomas%22%20fruit%20dryer&source=web&cd=14&ved=0CFwQFjADOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdnc.ucr.edu%2Fcdnc%2Fcgi-bin%2Fimageserver%2Fimageserver.pl%3Foid%3DPRP18970821.1.4%26key%3D%26getpdf%3Dtrue&ei=cx21T9_HCYnliALOlLGXAg&usg=AFQjCNGpWB0b4xbw_L-UP4M15HSDInMRWw&sig2=SqJl6Fbhh2KsA-yzRCwvwQ Pacific Rural Press, Aug 21 1897]</ref>.  The company also patented a fruit spreading machine, patent 482284.
 
[http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=%22e.%20e.%20thomas%22%20fruit%20dryer&source=web&cd=14&ved=0CFwQFjADOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdnc.ucr.edu%2Fcdnc%2Fcgi-bin%2Fimageserver%2Fimageserver.pl%3Foid%3DPRP18970821.1.4%26key%3D%26getpdf%3Dtrue&ei=cx21T9_HCYnliALOlLGXAg&usg=AFQjCNGpWB0b4xbw_L-UP4M15HSDInMRWw&sig2=SqJl6Fbhh2KsA-yzRCwvwQ Pacific Rural Press, Aug 21 1897]</ref>.  The company also patented a fruit spreading machine, patent 482284.
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==Photos==
 
==Photos==
 
[http://content.scu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/svhocdm&CISOPTR=2371&CISOBOX=1&REC=2 E. E. Thomas Drying Yard, San Jose  History San Jose / Silicon Valley History Online]
 
[http://content.scu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/svhocdm&CISOPTR=2371&CISOBOX=1&REC=2 E. E. Thomas Drying Yard, San Jose  History San Jose / Silicon Valley History Online]
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[http://books.google.com/books?id=mBY1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA256&lpg=PA256&dq=%22E.+E.+Thomas%22+San+Jose&source=bl&ots=mmJ_-htajY&sig=Y3QFX4KnBGzOOkC5BojaphyB1EY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xaRoUrGhA4-FkQf5ioE4&ved=0CF8Q6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=%22E.%20E.%20Thomas%22%20San%20Jose&f=false Main packing house]<ref>Charles M. Shortridge, "Sunshine, Fruit and Flowers: Santa Clara County and Its Resources, Historical, Descriptive, Statistical..." , 1896, San Jose Mercury News.</ref>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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[[Category:San Jose]]
 
[[Category:San Jose]]
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[[Category:West San Jose]]
 
[[Category:Dried Fruit Packer]]
 
[[Category:Dried Fruit Packer]]

Latest revision as of 01:50, 14 December 2014

Summary
Business

Dried Fruit Packer
Main Location

San Jose
Active

-1899

E. E. Thomas Fruit Company was an early San Jose-based dried fruit packer run by Edward E. Thomas and William Cameron as Vice President[1]with E. B. Howard handling the marketing and Thomas handling the drying, dipping, and shipping of fruit. Thomas was the son of a local orchardist, in his thirties, and living at Race and Luther Streets in San Jose. The company shipped 650 carloads of dried fruit in the 1893-1894 season[2], and dried 500 tons of fruit in 1896-1897. The original building burned down in 1897; a new $5,000 plant would replace it[3]. The company also patented a fruit spreading machine, patent 482284.

The company must have been fading by 1899; E. E. Thomas killed himself in 1899, supposedly because of financial pressures. Thomas was owed money by Howard, and had only worked with him because he could not get a loan without using Howard. [4].

Locations

Location Years Address Details
San Jose 1893, 1896 Race Street near San Carlos Street Northeast corner[5]

Photos

E. E. Thomas Drying Yard, San Jose History San Jose / Silicon Valley History Online

Main packing house[6]

References

  1. 1896 San Jose City Directory
  2. The Sunsweet Story
  3. Pacific Rural Press, Aug 21 1897
  4. SAN JOSE BANK FAILURE DROVE HIM TO SUICIDE: E. E. Thomas, Prominent Fruit Packer, Turned on the Gas and Went Hence.San Francisco Call, Feb. 8 1899. Article includes sketch of Mr. Thomas
  5. 1896 San Jose City Directory
  6. Charles M. Shortridge, "Sunshine, Fruit and Flowers: Santa Clara County and Its Resources, Historical, Descriptive, Statistical..." , 1896, San Jose Mercury News.