Ainsley Cannery

Summary

Business	Cannery
Main Location	Campbell, CA
Active	1894-1934
Brands	Pansy, Mikado, Ainsley's, J.C. Brand
Successors	Drew Canning Company, Hunt Brothers Packing Company

Ainsley Cannery, circa 1900, Alice Iola O'Hare photo

The Ainsley Cannery was a long-lived cannery in Campbell California founded by John Colpitts Ainsley, a British immigrant. Ainsley worked with family to preserve fruit in California for export and sale in Britain, with production starting at 1,000 cases in 1891. Ainsley's cannery did significant export business throughout its lifetime.

The Ainsley cannery as along the railroad tracks north of Campbell Avenue, and was an obvious landmark when approaching the town from the east.

The cannery was sold to the Drew Canning Company in 1934 for $200,000; Drew later sold the plant to Hunts in 1946.

Locations

Location	Years	Address	Details
Campbell, CA	1894-1934	Harrison Ave north of Campbell Avenue
Mayfield	1918		Maraschino cherry plant

Photos

Campbell downtown Pomona Public Library

Ainsley Packing Co. Alice Iola Hare Photograph Collection, Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley

Details

Sold to Drew Cannery in 1934.

Packing maraschino cherries in Mayfield according to Western Canner and Packer

Started off selling to Europe and England. (Always canned, or dried as well?) New machinery for a “heavy pack” mentioned in Western Canner and Packer, 1918. Sold to Drew Canning in 1934 when Mr. Ainsley retired.

Reference to Cannery being closed “since 1931” in mention of running of cafeteria in 1934 by Mrs. Margaret Murdock who’d had the concession for eight years until the closing.

However, June 30, 1932 Campbell Interurban Press said that the Ainsley Packing Company was starting its pack of 1932 apricots on Friday, July 1, followed by pears and peaches, "all of which will come from the Santa Clara Valley... On account of the depressed business conditions throughout the world, the run this year, as is the case with all other canneries, will be considerably lighter than usual. It is not the intention to open the camp and as far as possible preference of employment will be given to those who have worked there during previous seasons, and to local residents."

August 4: "reopens today when Ainsley’s packing company starts production, the cannery will be in production until about the first of September working on peaches and pears."

Street-side photo, 1930’s.

Dinner at Ainsley Cannery, Saratoga’s blossom festival.

1902: "Packers of selected California Fruit". Only Ainsley Packing, not canning.

Memories of 0-6-0s switching it in the 1940’s. (Train Orders)

1895: August 9, 1895 San Francisco Call notes that Ainsley cannery just completed canning 200,000 cans of apricots. Should also put up 75,000 cans of peaches, 120,000 cans of pears.

1895: December 23, 1895 San Francisco Call notes Ainsley shipped six carloads of fruit to San Francisco for shipment to London in the previous week, and oputput is double that of last year.

August 13, 1898 Pacific Rural Press: Santa Clara. Ainsley Cannery.—Campbell Visitor, Aug. 7: The Ainsley cannery started again yesterday. It has haudled about 400 tons of apricots this year, which is about double the amount of last year. Owing to the high price few peaches will be canned. The English market calls for about 40 per cent pears, 40 per cent apricots and 20 per cent peaches, while the American market will run about 50 per cent peaches, 25 per cent apricots and 25 per cent pears. Mr. Ainsley has contracted for 450 tons of pears, and altogether the cannery will probably double the business it did last year.

Sold to Drew Canning on March 13, 1934 (book 675, pg 554) for $150,000 (Unpaid amounts at 5%/yr). J.C. Ainsley president, W.H. Lloyd secretary of Ainsley at time of sale. 470 foot frontage on Harrison, 52 feet on Campbell Avenue

Ainsley apparently had a deed of trust on part of Security Cold Storage (book 669, pg 387) dated July 1, 1928.

Transfer of Cannery from Ainsley Packing Company to the Ainsley Corporation (both California corporations) dated December 27, 1933 (book 670, pg 321) lists the land and cars owned by the packing house.

December 1922 Western Canner and Packer cites Ainsley as selling fruit salad in 24 oz glass jars, FOB Cannery. $8/case.

Ainsley trucked apricot pits from the cannery; a 1923 news article describes an accident where the Ainsley truck crossed the railroad tracks after a freight train, but failed to notice the southbound passenger train behind it. "The truck was loaded with apricot pits which were destined for cracking and chemical reduction into oil, dyestuffs, and charcoal."