Orchard City Canning Company

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Summary
Business

Cannery
Main Location

Campbell
Active

1910 - 1919
Aliases

Payne Cannery
Successors

California Canneries

The Orchard City Canning Company (also known as the Payne Cannery) was a Campbell cannery established around 1910 by Perley B. Payne Sr and partner. The cannery closed in 1917 because of a loss of business; the company's main market was in Hamburg, Germany; World War I cut off access[1] The cannery was leased to California Canneries in 1917, with Payne running the plant for Isidor Jacobs. The "Campbell plant" was sold to California Canneries in 1919[2][3]. A Southern Pacific 1931 Siding List still lists a siding serving California Canneries.

In 1915, the cannery packed 1,500 cases of canned and dried fruit, two boilers, employed between 45-50 cannery workers during the season. Payne won a Bronze Medal at the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco for that season's excellent product. Newspaper ads from 1919 request women to help with canning pears and tomatoes.

The Orchard City cannery was leased to California Canners Co. in 1917[4]. California Canneries bought the Orchard City Canning Company in 1918[5]. In the 1919 season, Jacob's son Solomon returned from world war I and took over the cannery "with the assistance of Mr. Payne."[6].

Locations

Location Years Address Details
Campbell 1915 Harrison Avenue 30 x 120 foot building.
Campbell 1915-1919 Hopkins Street Adjacent to railroad, according to "Campbell the Orchard City".

References

  1. Interview with Perley Payne Jr. Interview conducted by Fred Hirsh, 1999. Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University.
  2. July 1919 Western Canner and Packer
  3. July 12, 1919 The Canner Magazine mentions cannery bought by California Canneries, Inc. and is being modernized.
  4. New Packing Concern for Campbell. June 15, 1917 Campbell Interurban. "Arrangements have been completed whereby the Orchard City Cannery has been leased by the California Canners Co. and will be managed by P. B. Payne this coming season. The present plant will be enlarged and more machinery put in to make the plant modern in every way. 1,000,000 cans have already been ordered for the large pack that is expected. This big company is attracted by the fruit packing prospects in our valley and have chosen our town as a beginning point. The cannery will not be ready for apricots this season but plans are being made for a big pack of peaches and ..."
  5. Canning Tomatoes: August 30, 1918 Campbell Interurban. "The California Canneries Co., Mr. Isadore Jacobs, president, has purchased the Orchard City Canning Co. plant at Campbell, remodeling and putting in new machinery. Canning operations were begun yesterday on tomatoes and a pack even larger than last season is planned for. P. B. Payne will manage the plant assisted by Mrs. Rubell as forelady."
  6. Campbell's Canneries Prepare for Big Season. May 23, 1919 Campbell Interurban.