Central California Canneries
| Business |
Cannery |
|---|---|
| Main Location |
San Francisco |
| Active |
1901-1916 |
| Brands |
Hotchkiss' Glass Jar[1], Hesperidies[2] |
| Successors |
California Packing Corporation. |
Central California Canneries was a northern California canner. The company started off with a single cannery in Sebastopol, but expanded to become "the second largest, and quite likely the best run, canning company in California"[3] By 1907, the company had seven plants in Sacramento, Visalia, Emeryville, San Lorenzo, Yuba City, and the Moorlands. J. Hotchkiss was the president of the company.
Central California Canneries is unrelated to California Cooperative Canneries, an Armour-supported canner started in 1918, or to the California Canneries business run by Isodor Jacob.
1906 was a bad year for the company; their San Francisco plant (probably 800 Minnesota) burned the day before the Great Earthquake and Fire[4], losing 20,000 cases of canned fruit[5]. The San Francisco plant was at Bay and Mason in North Beach[6]:
"April 17, 1906: Three-alarm fire destroyed the Central California Canneries at Bay and Mason sts. The fire was discovered at 11 p.m., and caused $50,000 damage. The warehouse was in the block bounded by Bay, Northpoint, Mason and Powell sts. Last fire engines left the scene shortly before 5 a.m."
A new plant being considered in Yuba City burned down[7]. Oakland city directories for 1907 appear to show the company's headquarters being chased to Broadway in Oakland.
Central California Canneries was merged into California Packing Corporation in 1916.
When J. K. Armsby lost agency for the California Fruit Canners Association, they began representing Central California Canneries; in order not to lose a good market, they began buying up stock in the canner. Central noticed and cut off the takeover, but stayed on good terms with Armsby through the California Packing Corporation buyout. One corporate history suggests that the Central California Canneries attempted buyout was J.K. Armsby's inspiration for a large, combined canner, wholesaler, and sales force[8].
1911: canning asparagus.
Central California Canneries shows up in a lawsuit against Dunkley for copying one of his peach skin removers.
Central California Canneries in San Jose
Central California Canneries' plant in San Jose was at 7th and Jackson Street; the long-time superintendent was Bert H. Berthold. The company was merged into Del Monte in 1916; the San Jose site became Del Monte's Plant #4 and #34, and reserved for vinegar and pickles.
Locations
| Location | Plant # | Years | Address | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeryville | 1907 | |||
| Moorlands | 1907 | Perhaps Woodland? | ||
| Oakland | 1906 | 1014 Broadway | From 1906 directory -headquarters moved because of fire? | |
| Sacramento | 1907, 1910, 1916 | Front Street between P and Q | Sacramento City Directory, as quoted in history of St. Francis Parish. Became Del Monte Plant #12? Manager Louis H. Stewart[9] | |
| San Francisco | 1901 | 123 California | 1901 directory (as Central California Canneries) | |
| San Francisco | 1906 | Bay and Mason St | Plant burned April 17,1906[10][11] | |
| San Francisco | 1908 | 633 Howard | 1908 directory | |
| San Francisco | 1911-? | 1 Drumm | 1911, 1922 directory | |
| San Jose | 1907-1916 | Jackson and 7th Streets | Del Monte Plant #4. | |
| Sebastopol | #3[12] | |||
| Visalia | 1907, 1913[13] | |||
| Yuba City | 1907 | Bought after 1906 - potential plant burned[14] |
Photos
Sebastopol branch of the Central California Canneries, circa 1900s. Western Sonoma County Historical Society Collection.
References
- ↑ Annual Report from the Commissioner of Patents 1912, p. 1156
- ↑ Label in Oakland Museum collection: H85.33.11
- ↑ William Braznell, California's Finest: The History of the Del Monte Corporation and the Del Monte Brand, 1982, Del Monte
- ↑ June 9, 1906 Pacific Rural Press
- ↑ Hubert Russell, The San Francisco Horror. Chapter III: Third Day Adds to Horror
- ↑ San Francisco Museum, Earthquake and Fire timeline.
- ↑ June 9, 1906 Pacific Rural Press
- ↑ fundinguniverse.com: Del Monte Foods company history
- ↑ Biographies of Sacramento County: Louis H. Stewart
- ↑ June 9, 1906 Pacific Rural Press
- ↑ San Francisco Museum, Earthquake and Fire timeline.
- ↑ Sebastopol branch of the Central California Canneries, circa 1900s. Western Sonoma County Historical Society Collection.
- ↑ History of Tulare.
- ↑ June 9, 1906 Pacific Rural Press