A. Block

From Packing Houses of Santa Clara County
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Summary
Business

Dried Fruit Packer
Main Location

Santa Clara
Active

1896-1930's
Postcard view of Abram Block Fruit Packing House with lug boxes and wagons visible.

Abram Block was a fresh fruit packer in the Santa Clara Valley. The company was founded by Abram Block, an early California pioneer, and former banker. Block moved to California after reversals in mining stocks[1]. The company was located on the northwest side of Santa Clara, and shipped 500 to 900 carloads of fruit a year. His plant was billed as the "largest deciduous packing house in the world."[2] The company employed 75 people during the summer of 1932[3].

The company was incorporated in 1896. Directors were Abram Block, Wm. F. Pickstone and Max Koher of Santa Clara, and James N. Block and John M. Fagg of San Francisco[4][5].

The company had been represented by California Fruit Distributors but no longer appeared on their list of represented companies by 1921.

Alice Iola Hare photographed women packing cherries at the plant during the summer of 1904[6].

Locations

Location Years Address Details
Santa Clara 1896, 1900 1896 San Jose City Directory

References

  1. Abram Block biography. In Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
  2. Abram Block Fruit Company. In Eugene T. Sawyer, History of Santa Clara County,California, Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 278.
  3. August 25, 1932 San Jose Evening News
  4. Articles of Incorporation: March 25, 1898 Sacramento Daily Union.
  5. A. Block Fruit Company. In California Secretary of State registrations via bizapedia.com. Filed March 22, 1898, disbanded.
  6. Women packing fruit. From March 2014 Les Amis des Sourisseau newsletter, for San Jose State's Sourisseau Academy.