Shaw Family Cannery
| Business |
Cannery |
|---|---|
| Main Location |
San Jose |
| Active |
1918- |
| Predecessors |
Richardson and Robbins, Hyde-Shaw Cannery |
Fruit cannery run by Elton R. Shaw, supposedly known for their fancy fruit packed in glass jars and high-quality jams.
The cannery started off as the [[Hyde-Shaw CAnnery], but was sold in 1915 to Richardson and Robbins from Delaware according to the March 13, 1915 California Fruit News. Shaw was "well known in California", and would be taking responsibility for both the company's Dover, Delaware plant as well as the California plant. Richardson and Robbins planned to expand the plant significantly, but ended up selling it back to Shaw in April 1918.
Edith Daley visited the plant in the August 5, 1919 San Jose Evening News, and remarked on their business of great jams:
FRom the ripening of the first cherry until the last ruddy apple turns into deliciously old-fashioned "back-east" apple butter, this place of "fine jams and preserves" offers a diversified program with every act a top-liner. Jellies of all fruit flavors and attractive colors; jam that makes you hungry for hot biscuit-and jam; preserves that you can "see through" they are so clear; orange marmalade; apricot marmalade; spiced peaches and pears, and apricots. Melba pack meas only three or four perfect peaches or pears in each glass jar.
Daley notes 200 employees processing 3000 "chests" of strawberries, blackberries, and all the loganberries and raspberries they can get per season, most brought from Watsonville by truck.
The cannery building was three-story, with canning on the top floor.
The cannery burned in 1928; to raise money to rebuild, the company offered stock in an offering in the October 30, 1928 San San Jose News "This offering brings to the investor an opportunity to become a stockholder in one of San Jose's oldest and best established fruit packing companies." Requesting $500,000.
Locations
| Location | Years | Address | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno | 1919 | From Edith Daley story. | |
| San Jose | 1919-1928 | Fourth Street and Virginia Street | From Edith Daley story, directories. |
| San Jose | 1928 | First National Bank Building #407 |
Details
References in Oct. 20 2005 Almaden Resident about a Shaw cannery at McKean and Harry in the 1920s.