George Frank and Company

From Packing Houses of Santa Clara County
Revision as of 05:17, 29 October 2013 by Robert Bowdidge (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Summary
Business

Cannery, dried fruit packer
Main Location

San Jose, CA
Active

~1900 - 1919
Successors

California Prune and Apricot Growers, Smith-Frank Packing Company

George Frank and Company was a turn-of-the-century dried fruit packer in San Jose, operating from around 1900 to the early 1920's. Frank's earliest plant was on the "west side" (Cupertino) area around 1900, appearing in a list of drop-off sites for the California Cured Fruit Association. Within a couple years, Frank had relocated southwest of downtown San Jose along Meridian Road at Paula St. in a building that likely pre-dated the company. Frank's new plant attracted workers in the 1902 season by having an orchestra play during working hours[1]. A large addition was added in 1903[2].

By 1910, personal issues caused challenges for Frank, with news reports of a [] notes messy divorce and claims for money and the business[3]. The business and land no longer appeared on Meridian Avenue at that time.

Frank's packing house was leased to Sunsweet in 1917, and was sold to the California Prune and Apricot Growers by June 1920. He started a separate company with D. L. Smith, the Smith-Frank Canning Company, after 1917, then sold a cannery to the George N. Herbert Packing Company in 1919, moved to Sacramento and reorganized as the Smith-Frank Packing Company. The new company claimed it would operate canning and dried fruit packing plants at Sacramento and maintain an office in San Jose. The company was still in existence as late as 1922[4].

Locations

Location Years Address Details
Sacramento 1919 California Canneries: 12th and B Street.[5]
San Jose 1904, 1906, 1907 Meridian Road near Paula

"Meridian cor narrow gauge[6]

San Jose 1917 Cot Growers Asked By Association to Cull Out All Smut: Alum Rock Ave[7]
West Side 1900

In San Francisco Call list of drop-off locations for California Cured Fruit Assn.

References

  1. Prune Packers Listen to Music, October 16, 1902 San Jose Evening News
  2. New Packing Houses Erected In Valley: June 25, 1903 San Jose Evening News
  3. Mrs. George Frank Files Four Sensational Suits: July 23, 1910 San Jose Evening News
  4. April 8, 1922 California Fruit News advertisement shows plants in Sacramento and San Jose.
  5. December 1918 Western Canner and Packer
  6. In 1906 San Jose city directory.
  7. July 21, 1917 San Jose Evening News list of Sunsweet collection stations.