Libby, McNeil, and Libby
| Business |
Cannery |
|---|---|
| Predecessors |
Sunnyvale Canneries |
Libby, McNeil, and Libby was a Chicago-based canner, organized in 1875.
Their Sunnyvale cannery, opened in 1907, was large and long-lived; the water tank from the cannery still sits in the industrial park off Mathilda, painted as one of Libby's cans. Libby's opened the Sunnyvale cannery as their first west-coast plant due to the encouragement of local real estate agents and proximity to San Francisco[1] Sunnyvale had primarily been a meat-packing company; the Sunnyvale plant was an attempt to broaden their product line[2] The cannery's first product was canned apricots[3]. The cannery closed in the early 1980's, and the plant was torn down by 1985.
Swift and Company, the meat packer, had bought Libby's in 1888, but sold the company was part of the 1920 packer's decree. Libby's had initially canned meat, but had expanded to fruit early.
Libby, McNeil, and Libby in Sacramento
Libby's expanded into Sacramento in 1913. The plant employed 1,400 people in 1921, and was nicknamed "Old Reliable" because of its ability to fulfill production contracts[4]. The plant had sidings served by the Southern Pacific and Northern Electric (Sacramento Northern).
Locations
| Location | Years | Address | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Island | 1927 | River Road | Just south of Ryde along Sacramento River[5] |
| Sacramento | 1913-1982 | 1724 Stockton Ave. | History |
| Sacramento | 1914 | Folsom Blvd. and Hazel Ave | Olive pickling. |
| San Francisco | 1912 | 112 Market Street | Santa Marina Building |
| San Francisco | 1922 | 465 California Street[6]. | |
| San Francisco | 1960 | North Point near Taylor[7]. | |
| San Jose | 1926-1927 | 4th and Lewis | Leased from California Prune and Apricot Growers. |
| Santa Clara | 1927- | Franklin Street | |
| Sunnyvale | 1907-1981 | Mathilda and Evelyn Avenue | water tank still exists. |
References
- ↑ Kent L. Seavey, Yolanda Wuth, and James C. Williams, Images: Sunnyvale's Heritage Resources, 1988, City of Sunnyvale. Chapter 4.
- ↑ Canneries hold important place in Sunnyvale's history: August 9, 2012 San Jose Mercury Views
- ↑ C.W. Geiger, "Libby, McNeil, and Libby's Sacramento Cannery". In January 1921 Canning Age.
- ↑ C.W. Geiger, "Libby, McNeil, and Libby's Sacramento Cannery". In January 1921 Canning Age. Article includes plan of factory site and location of different buildings and railroad sidings.
- ↑ Pratt-Low Info, Cannery Landing RV Campground. Site shows 1928 steamboat map showing Libby Cannery, California Conserving, and Pratt-Low Cannery along west bank of Sacramento River in Grand Island, just south of Ryde.
- ↑ These Shippers have Signed On With Peach and Fig Growers: July 1921 Associated Grower magazine
- ↑ William Kaufman and Michelle Kaufman: "The State Belt: San Francisco's Waterfront Railroad". Signature Press, 2013.