Guggenhime and Company
| Business |
Dried Fruit Packer |
|---|---|
| Main Location |
San Francisco |
| Active |
1908-1946 |
| Brands |
Pansy, Rosedale, Daphne, Carnation Pink, Heliotrope |
| Successors |
Hunt Brothers Packing Company |
Summary
Another of the large California-based independent packers, with packing houses in the Santa Clara Valley, San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Valley, and Southern California. The earliest mention of Guggenhime I've seen is around 1908, and the company lasted until the company's sale to Hunts in 1946.
Locations
| Location | Years | Address | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| College City | 1909 | ||
| Colusa | 1909 | ||
| Fresno | 1909, 1930s | Santa Fe Avenue | Plant #4, 8 (Photo: "Pop Laval Foundation":http://www.poplavalfoundation.org/shop/product.php?productid=16853 |
| Hanford | 1909 | ||
| Rucker | 1909 | ||
| San Francisco | 1909 | Filbert and Sansome St. | |
| San Francisco | 1912, 1921 | 100 California Street | |
| San Jose | 1927, 1935 | 261 Julian Street | Plant #16, 17 Julian Street (Julian and Pleasant Street) |
| Santa Ana | 1909 | ??? | |
| Selma | 1909 |
Photos
Guggenhime and Company Dried Fruit Packing Plant 16 John C. Gordon Collection / San Jose Library
Guggenhime and Company Dried Fruit Packing Plant 16 John C. Gordon Collection / San Jose Library
Details
1916 ad in California Fruit NEws lists them as "dried fruit, raisins, nuts, honey, proprietors of the famous PANSY BRAND. Packing houses in San Francisco, Fresno, Selma, San Jose, Santa Ana, College City.
1908 VP: Berthold Guggenhime.
1911 ad shows flower brands: Pansy, rosedale, daphne, carnation pink, heliotrope. Brands 1929 earnings: From WALL STREET JOURNAL San Francisco Bureau, The Wall Street Journal, 173 words Aug 5, 1929: SAN FRANCISCO Guggenhime & Company, packers, are estimated to have earned a net after depreciation and federal taxes, for the year ended May 31, 1929, of approximately $216,000, or 3.85 times dividend requirements, for 8,000 shares of $7 dividend first preferred issued during last year. These earnings are approximately the amount earned on an average during the past ten years. For the 12 months ended May 31, 1928, net was equal to 4.4 times the present dividend requirements on first preferred.
1936 lawsuit over death in elevator hints at what the elevator was like Wonder if John J. Whelan was related toJohn T. Whieland, a Guggehim foreman who came back from vacation to find his brother-in-law had been selling his stuff? (June 22, 1910 San Francisco Call "Oct 12 1943 San Jose News":http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1977&dat=19431012&id=5YMiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OaQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3269,864538"> ad: "Guggenhime needs men for essential industry dried fruit packing long season. Apply at 261 W. Julian."
Bought by Hunts in April 1946 (news article Jun 17 1946, San Jose News Got out of the dried fruit business in September 1949.
June 17, 1946:
"Guggenhime Plant Sold: Reports of court injunctions and other measures to halt the sale of Guggenhime & Co to Hunt Foods Inc. had not materialized today when the deed transfering the San Jose real estate was on file with County Recorder Charles A. Payne. The notice of intended sale of all the Guggenhime fruit-processing enterprises had been published a few weeks ago."
"The document filed here conveys the property at Julian and Pleasant Sts. long occupied by the Guggenhime plant. It relates only to the real estate and indicates a purchase price of approximately $130,000."
1909 addresses from ad in California Fruit Grower, April 24, 1909