California Prune and Apricot Growers

Detail

Growers association started in Spring 1917. Full list of 45 packers for 1917 crop in Sunsweet Story, p. 53. Initially signed up 75% of crop, but first year only sold 47% of the crop either because of cancelled memberships or growers selling secretly to packers.

1917 packing costs varied widely by packing house, encouraging association to wn packing houses.

In January 1918, sold $750,000 in preferred stock to buy packing houses under Growers' Packing and Warehouse Company. Separate organization was required because firms could not use warehouse stocks as collateral for bank loans. By having a second-party public warehousing firm issue warehouse receipts, the association could then use them as collateral. Acquired 16 packing houses before the beginning of the 1918 crop, first one bought was the George N. Herbert Company plant.

"May 21, 1917 San Jose News":http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s7MxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GeQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2613%2C5559628 notes that Samuel B. Squibb (later to work for Hyde) took responsibility for managing the office.

May 21, 1917 San Jose News quotes E. N. Richmond saying that the brokers won't try to break the prices of the growers association.

"July 21, 1917 San Jose Evening News":http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LykiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KqQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2025%2C814783 includes directions for delivery of dried apricots: east side growers to George Frank Fruit Company on Alum Rock, south of San Jose to O.A. Harlan on South 4th, Campbell to George Hyde & Co, Los Gatos and vicinity to Curtis Fruit, Los Gatos; Saratoga, San Tomas, and growers around Vasona to Gem City Packing, Vasona; Mountain View and growers north of Fremont Avenue including Los Altos and Mountain View to Mountain View Packing Company, Mountain View, growers south of Fremont (Ave) and others go to George Herbert on Lincoln, F.H. Holmes on 18th and Jackson, J.W Chilton on North First, Pacific Fruit PRoducts on San Carlos Street, J.B. Inderrieden, Ryland Street, Warren Dried Fruit, Ryland Street, A & C Ham, Cinnabar Street, San Jose.

"May 11, 1918 Pacific Rural Press":http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=PRP19180511.2.24.1&cl=CL2.1918.05&srpos=0&dliv=none&st=1&e=-------en-logical-20--1-----all--- said that CPGA was buying packing houses in the large growing areas, not just leasing or otherwise combining.

Also responsible for selling apricot pits; the same article announced a minimum price for apricot pits of $31.50/ton.

"The Sunsweet Story" gives much of the history.

Had various fights with packers. In 1928, the association explicitly told packers they wouldn't tolerate encouraging growers to break contracts. (

"San Jose Evening News, July 27, 1928":http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xAgvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HaQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1944%2C2470314

Western Canner and Packer's "anouncement":http://books.google.com/books?id=BxQdAQAAMAAJ&lpg=RA1-PA40&ots=ij7b8ghIdw&dq=%22sunsweet%22%20campbell%20packing&pg=RA1-PA40#v=onepage&q=%22sunsweet%22%20campbell%20packing&f=false of Sunsweet and associated packing houses:

Also processed canned prunes according to prices listed in "July 1922 Western Canner and Packer":http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ&dq=western%20canner%20and%20packer&pg=RA2-PA61#v=onepage&q=western%20canner%20and%20packer&f=false

At creation of the association, the plants were under contract, but not owned, by Sunsweet.

Plant No. 1, Campbell; (Campbell Farmer's Union) No. 2, Morgan Hill; (built 1911, torn down 1964) (Morgan Hill Farmer's Union) Mercury News article from August 7, 1987 says that Sunsweet was closing their dryer in Morgan Hill that year. Old address of 91 East 4th, Morgan Hill shows multiple warehouses. No. 3, Gilroy; (in operation 1958) (Gilroy Farmer's Union) No. 4, San Jose, Fourth and Lewis streets; (O.A. Harlan & Company) (Not on rolls by 1921) No. 5: Hemet (Hemet Apricot Grower's Association) (Photo at "Packing Houses of Southern California": http://coastdaylight.com/ph/scph/scph_hemet.html , listed as Growers Packing and Warehousing No. 6, San Jose (Lincoln Avenue) (G.N. Herbert & Company) No. 7, Vasona, Los Gatos; (Gem City Packing Company) No. 8, Mountain View; (former Mountain View Packing. Postcard of Mountain View plant along railroad tracks exists. Oak Street at railroad tracks according to Sanborn map.) 1921 Sanborn map shows main building has storage on first and second floors, grading on third, and a "process room" (sulfuring?) on second floor. Separate warehouse. Separate boiler house, with oil tanks at ground level. (Not on rolls by 1921) No. 9: Hollister (Hollister Packing Company) No. 10, San Jose (G. Frank Fruit Company) (Meridian Road at narrow gauge) No. 11, San Jose, Cinnebar and Senter streets; (A & C Ham Company) (Not on rolls by 1921) No. 12: San Jose (F. H. Holmes) No. 13, Los Gatos; No. 14, Lincoln Avenue, San Jose. Plant No. 14. J. W. Chilton & Company, San Jose No. 15, J. B. Inderrieden Company, San Jose; No. 16, Pacific Fruit Products Company, San Jose; No. 17, Warren Dried Fruit Company, San Jose; No. 22, Geo. E. Hyde & Company, Campbell; No. 37, Warren E. Hyde, S. E. Johnson, Cupertino; No. 38, West Side Fruit Growers' Association, Cupertino. No. 41, Sunnyvale. (1920) Evelyn at end of Central Avenue at railroad tracks south of downtown according to Sanborn maps. Plant # from Sanborn map. According to "March 1920 Western Canner and Packer":http://books.google.com/books?id=0v0cAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA10-PA24&lpg=RA10-PA24&dq=%22sunnyvale%22+%22california+prune+and+apricot+growers%22&source=bl&ots=JfjDfpEjMn&sig=BKgbJ6q9bU7SHn2akmRkIe__GKA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ryaJUfSWJ-aniAKC34CYBw&ved=0CGsQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=%22sunnyvale%22%20%22california%20prune%20and%20apricot%20growers%22&f=false the building was going to be a cement building.

PHotos of sunsweet plants in

"October 30, 1920":http://books.google.com/books?id=G21RAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA8&ots=SIuwX_8RKe&dq=sunsweet%20growers%20packing%20and%20warehousing%20association&pg=PA8#v=onepage&q=sunsweet%20growers%20packing%20and%20warehousing%20association&f=false

Plant 5, Yuba City (Enlarged 1964) San Jose, 7th and Alma (dehydrator, referenced in Portuguese in San Jose)

"Western Canner and Packer":http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ&dq=western%20canner%20and%20packer&pg=RA7-PA46#v=onepage&q=western%20canner%20and%20packer&f=false noted attempt to manufacture cooking oil from prune and apricot kernels. Sunsweet calling it "Sunsweet Nut-Oil"

See also: The Sunsweet Story for full history 1964 addresses from 1964 San Jose - Santa Clara telephone directory. Coykendall summarized the market and Bosnian prunes in "February 1923 Western Canner and Packer":http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ&dq=western%20canner%20and%20packer&pg=RA9-PA30#v=onepage&q=western%20canner%20and%20packer&f=false February 1923 Western Canner and PAcker

Plant #1: Three story building built in 1913 for Farmer's Union. 1921 Sanborn map shows grading on third floor, processing and storage on second, packaging and storage on first floor. Separate boiler house and underground oil tank. 1935 Sanborn map shows scales, 20,000 gallon oil tank.

Colusa: Construction planned for 1922 according to "February 1922 Canning Age":http://books.google.com/books?id=h6rmAAAAMAAJ&dq=canning%20age&pg=RA1-PA27#v=onepage&q=canning%20age&f=false and July 1922 Western Canner and Packer.

Napa: Construction to begin in spring on plant, according to "February 1922 Canning Age":http://books.google.com/books?id=h6rmAAAAMAAJ&dq=canning%20age&pg=RA1-PA27#v=onepage&q=canning%20age&f=false "July 1922 Western Canner and Packer":http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ&dq=western%20canner%20and%20packer&pg=RA2-PA34#v=onepage&q=western%20canner%20and%20packer&f=false reports the plant is on Jackson Avenue