Central California Canneries

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Summary
Business

Cannery
Main Location

San Jose
Active

1901-1916
Brands

Hotchkiss' Glass Jar[1], Hesperidies[2]

Central California Canneries was a northern California canner. The company started off with a single cannery in Sebastopol, but expanded to become "the second largest, and quite likely the best run, canning company in California"[3] By 1907, the company had seven plants in Sacramento, Visalia, Emeryville, San Lorenzo, Yuba City, and the Moorlands. J. Hotchkiss was the president of the company.

1906 was a bad year for the company; their San Francisco plant (probably 800 Minnesota) burned the day before the Great Earthquake and Fire[4], losing 20,000 cases of canned fruit[5]. The San Francisco plant was at Bay and Mason in North Beach[6]:

"April 17, 1906: Three-alarm fire destroyed the Central California Canneries at Bay and Mason sts. The fire was discovered at 11 p.m., and caused $50,000 damage. The warehouse was in the block bounded by Bay, Northpoint, Mason and Powell sts. Last fire engines left the scene shortly before 5 a.m."

A new plant being considered in Yuba City burned down[7]. Oakland city directories for 1907 appear to show the company's headquarters being chased to Broadway in Oakland.

Central California Canneries was merged into California Packing Corporation in 1916.

When J. K. Armsby lost agency for the California Fruit Canners Association, they began representing Central California Canneries; in order not to lose a good market, they began buying up stock in the canner. Central noticed and cut off the takeover, but stayed on good terms with Armsby through the California Packing Corporation buyout. One corporate history suggests that the Central California Canneries attempted buyout was J.K. Armsby's inspired the idea of a large, combined canner, wholesaler, and sales force[8].

1911: canning asparagus.

Central California Canneries shows up in a lawsuit against Dunkley for copying one of his peach skin removers.

Central California Canneries in San Jose

Central California Canneries' plant in San Jose was at 7th and Jackson Street; the long-time superintendent was Bert H. Berthold. The company was merged into Del Monte in 1916; the San Jose site became Del Monte's Plant #4 and #34, and reserved for vinegar and pickles.

Locations

Location Years Address Details
Emeryville 1907
Moorlands 1907 Perhaps Woodland?
Oakland 1906 1014 Broadway From 1906 directory -headquarters moved because of fire?
Sacramento 1907, 1910, 1916 Front Street between P and Q Sacramento City Directory, as quoted in history of St. Francis Parish. Became Del Monte Plant #12? Manager Louis H. Stewart[9]
San Francisco 1901 123 California 1901 directory (as Central California Canneries)
San Francisco 1902-1906 800 Minnesota 1902 directory
San Francisco 1906 Bay and Mason St Plant burned April 17,1906[10][11]
San Francisco 1908 633 Howard 1908 directory
San Francisco 1911-? 1 Drumm 1911, 1922 directory
San Jose 1907-1916 Jackson and 7th Streets Del Monte Plant #4.
Visalia 1907, 1913 see "History of Tulare":http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/biographies/s/steuben-william.txt
Yuba City 1907 Bought after 1906 - potential plant burned[12]

References

  1. Annual Report from the Commissioner of Patents 1912, p. 1156
  2. Label in Oakland Museum collection: H85.33.11
  3. William Braznell, California's Finest: The History of the Del Monte Corporation and the Del Monte Brand, 1982, Del Monte
  4. June 9, 1906 Pacific Rural Press
  5. Hubert Russell, The San Francisco Horror. Chapter III: Third Day Adds to Horror
  6. San Francisco Museum, Earthquake and Fire timeline.
  7. June 9, 1906 Pacific Rural Press
  8. fundinguniverse.com: Del Monte Foods company history
  9. Biographies of Sacramento County: Louis H. Stewart
  10. June 9, 1906 Pacific Rural Press
  11. San Francisco Museum, Earthquake and Fire timeline.
  12. June 9, 1906 Pacific Rural Press