Edenvale Fruit Company
| Business |
Dried Fruit Packer |
|---|---|
| Main Location |
Edenvale, CA |
| Active |
1903 - 1916 |
The Edenvale Fruit Company was a dried fruit packer located eight miles south of San Jose in the hamlet of Edenvale. The company's plant included a packing house, warehouse and dryer (drying yard?).
The company was incorporated in 1903 by Mrs. M. H. Cheynoweth, E.A and J.O. Hayes, William P. and E.C. Lyon, and M.B. and C.L.Hayes[1]. The company built a brick packing house and warehouse at Edenvale[2][3]. The Southern Pacific built a spur for the new packing house the same year[4]. William P. Lyon, founder in 1903 with Hayes Brothers, was the business manager for Mercury Publishing, indicating his ties with the Hayes's. Lyon became president of the company in 1911. The company operated fruit ranches as well as packing house [5]. in 1904. Lyon sold his orchards to Norman Church. The plant employed an engineer in 1908[6].
The organization may have existed before 1903; Edenvale Fruit Company (along with Chynoweth & Lyon) exhibited dried fruit at the 1893 Worlds Fair[7].
Just after World War I, the plant was sold to Sanitary Fruit Company [8], then was leased Richmond Chase in 1916[9].
The packing house was on the west side of the railroad tracks, south of the Edenvale station, which had a passenger shelter, packing house, and a warehouse[10][11][12] The building burned down in 1952.
Locations
| Location | Years | Address | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edenvale | 1903-1907 | Saddlebrook Drive | Rancho Santa Teresa Mobile Estates. Aerial photos seem to show packing house there. |
References
- ↑ Edenvale Fruit Co. Legally Incorporated: April 29, 1903 San Jose Mercury.
- ↑ New Fruit Packing Company Organized: June 2, 1903 San Jose Mercury: Lyon: "We are building a packing house... somewhat more elaborate than we need for our own use."
- ↑ June 25, 1903 San Jose Evening News. "The brick walls of the Edenvale Packing company's establishment have been erected and the sidetrack of the warehouse has been completed." This is one of two plants being built in the season, according to the paper.
- ↑ Southern Pacific Railroad, "Edenvale: Proposed spur for J. O. Hayes. May 1903. In collection, California State Railroad Museum. Plan shows that spur was on the west side of the tracks, several hundred feet south of the depot.
- ↑ Wisconsin alum magazine
- ↑ Young Mechanic Answers Call: September 8, 1908 San Jose Evening News. "The deceased was an engineer for the Edenvale Packing house and was also the inventor of a patent fruit packing machine."
- ↑ Report of Worlds Fair Commission, California State Legislature, 1895.
- ↑ Obituary of William P. Lyon: November 14, 1931 San Jose Mercury Herald.
- ↑ Popular San Jose Manager Leaves Armsby Company: April 22, 1916 California Fruit News.
- ↑ Norman Holmes, Prune County Railroading. Shade Tree Books.
- ↑ Southern Pacific Railroad, "Edenvale: Proposed spur for J. O. Hayes. May 1903. In collection, California State Railroad Museum. Plan shows that spur was on the west side of the tracks, several hundred feet south of the depot. Plan shows packing house only.
- ↑ Southern Pacific Railroad: Edenvale: Proposed Water Facilities in Station. 12/11/1918. In collection, California State Railroad Museum. Drawing shows station on east side of tracks with platform on west side of tracks. Packing house is 600 feet south of station. By 1918, the plant was run by Richmond Packing.