Guggenhime and Company

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Summary
Business

Dried Fruit Packer
Main Location

San Francisco
Active

1893-1946
Brands

Pansy, Rosedale, Daphne, Carnation Pink, Heliotrope
Predecessors

Phoenix Packing
Successors

Hunt Brothers Packing Company

Guggenhime and Company was a large independent dried fruit packer in California, founded in 1897 by David J. Guggenhime[1]. Guggenhime had packing houses in the Santa Clara Valley, San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Valley, and Southern California. Guggenhime packed "dried fruit, raisins, nuts, [and] honey"[2], packing under flower brand names: Pansy, Rosedale, Daphne, Carnation Pink, and Heliotrope[3] David's brother, Berthold Guggenhime was vice president before 1918, but after David's death in 1921 ran the company. Berthold Guggenhime was the company president in 1921, with Bert Katz, vice-president, Lester Lacher, second vice-president, Silas Harris, secretary, and Martin Lemeke, treasurer[4]. Supposedly, the company became the largest independent dried fruit packer as Rosenberg Brothers declined[5].

Guggenhime planned a merger with several other dried fruit processors in Castle Brothers, Rosenberg Brothers, and Phoenix Packing in 1905, but the deal collapsed under accusations that Rosenberg Brothers used the merger as a ruse to gather competitive information[6]. Guggenhime was also a founding member of the Dried Fruit Association of California in 1907, with D. J. Guggenhime representing the company.

[Phoenix Packing]] was merged into Guggenhime and Company by 1920[7]. Both brands were advertised together in the California Fruit News, March 18, 1922.

Guggenhime was bought by Hunt Brands in April 1946[8], and left the dried fruit business in September 1949.

Guggenhime and Company in San Jose

Guggenhime had two packing houses, side by side, off of Julian Street in San Jose at least during the mid-1930's. The property site (and perhaps the buildings) were inherited from Phoenix Packing which had been on the site since 1907. John C. Gordon took multiple pictures of the three-story wood and brick plants. More details are available from contemporary lawsuits. A 1936 lawsuit over death in elevator hints at the internal arrangement of the packing house. John J. Whelan, the superintendent, died when crushed between floors; his widow sued the insurance company because his life insurance policy paid double for deaths associated with elevators[9]. A 1943 advertisement solicited men for the "long" dried fruit packing season[10]. The buildings still existed as late as 1945; a newspaper article notes a new concrete boiler house being built in 1934[11], and a building permit in 1945 shows that Guggenhime still occupied its three story buildings[12].

By 1951, the former Guggenhime buildings appeared as Food Machinery Corporation on Southern Pacific engineering drawings[13].

Locations

Location Plant # Years Address Details
College City 1909
Colusa 1909
Fresno Plant 4, 8,12 1909, 1930s[14] Santa Fe Avenue
Hanford 1909
Rucker 1909
San Francisco 1902 118 Davis St.[15].
San Francisco 1909 Filbert and Sansome St.
San Francisco 1912, 1921 100 California Street
San Jose Plant 16, 17 1927, 1935 261 Julian Street Julian and Pleasant Street. Formerly Phoenix Packing.
Santa Ana 1909 ???
Selma 1909

Photos

Plant 12, Fresno[16].

Plant 4 and 8, Fresno. Pop Laval Foundation.

Guggenhime and Company Dried Fruit Packing Plant 16 John C. Gordon Collection / San Jose Library

Guggenhime and Company Dried Fruit Packing Plant 17 John C. Gordon Collection / San Jose Library


References

  1. ↑ David J. Guggenhime Passes Away: May 18, 1918 California Fruit News.
  2. ↑ 1916 California Fruit News advertisement.
  3. ↑ Advertisement: May 27, 1911 California Fruit News
  4. ↑ New Officers of Guggenhime & Co: June 1921 Western Canner and Packer
  5. ↑ John Reynolds and Michael J. Semas, Frenso, Arcadia Publishing, 20xx.
  6. ↑ October 6, 1905 San Francisco Call.
  7. ↑ March 20, 1920 California Fruit News.
  8. ↑ Guggenhime Plant Sold: news article Jun 17 1946, San Jose News "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."
  9. ↑ Fitzpatrick v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. 15 Cal.App.2d 155
  10. ↑ "Guggenhime needs men for essential industry / dried fruit packing / long season: October 12, 1943 San Jose Evening News
  11. ↑ Boiler Room Will be Built at Cost of $5940: May 25, 1934 San Jose Evening News
  12. ↑ San Jose Building Permit 1945-000623-000-BD. Repair three story industrial building, expected cost $1,700. Building permit taken out by Earl Heple.
  13. ↑ San Jose: Proposed Track Repairs and Crossing for Food Machinery Corp.: Southern Pacific Coast Division Drawing #28067, August 23, 1951, drawn by R.W.S. E. O. Gibson collection, wx4.org.
  14. ↑ Sign on EBay suggests that company was established in 1897, and the Fresno plant was built in 1916.
  15. ↑ 1902 San Francisco City Directory. D. J. Guggenhime and I. Fleishman were the principals. David J. Guggenhime lived at 1101 Geary St.
  16. ↑ John Reynolds and Michael J. Semas, Frenso, Arcadia Publishing, 20xx.
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