Lathrop Hay Company
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The Lathrop Hay Company was a Hollister-based hay producer. Founded by L. B. Lathrop in 1873. Lathrop had been an orchardist in San Jose, but had moved to Hollister in 1873. He produced a huge crop of hay the next year, but because the Southern Pacific Railroad had not been completed to Hollister, he had no way to get it to market. He built a large storage warehouse near the railroad depot site and stored the hay until needed. He billed his new company as "Lathrop Hay Co., known everywhere as the largest hay company in the world." In 1893, the company expected to produce 27,000 tons of hay for shipping out. Between June 1 and August 18, the company shipped 492 freight cars at 11 tons each[1].
His son, R. P. Lathrop, later took over the company. By 1920, the warehouse site in Hollister had grown from 10 acres to 37, with four warehouses and 19,600 tons of hay capacity[2].
References
- ↑ Henry D. Barrows and Luther A. Ingersoll, [Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California. Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California], Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1893.
- ↑ San Jose's Self-Made Men: R. P. Lathrop: February 4, 1922 San Jose Evening News.