Tag Archives: Fruit Growers Supply Company

History

The Humble CardBoard Box

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A packinghouse using cardboard boxes—-Sunkist Growers, Inc.

While the cardboard box has been around for over 150 years, when it came to shipping fruit and vegetables it would take many decades of refinement before the growers made the switch from wood to cardboard. During World War I the growers did make an attempt to use cardboard containers, but was deemed a failure. Those early boxes had two major flaws, they were not durable, and with no ventilation the produce quickly spoiled.

During the critical lumber shortage during World War II, the War Production Board asked the citrus industry to work with the Container Corporation of America, experimenting with the cardboard carton as a substitute shipping container. The growers complied, despite the far greater cost. They also experimented with mesh bags. Neither, however, proved satisfactory. The lack of proper ventilation in the cartons resulted in considerable spoilage and the lack of protection from the bag resulted in bruised fruit.

After the war ended, however, paper companies continued to refine the cardboard carton. The new containers were called half cartons because they were half the size of the standard wooden box. Grocers preferred them because they were easier to handle—-and empty cartons made great “carry home boxes” for customers.

Some citrus growers by the early 1950s had met with success with the cardboard boxes. Fruit Growers Supply Company, along with its parent company Sunkist Growers were still reluctant. One company official thought cardboard was just a passing fad. A fad it was not, and on November 1, 1955 Sunkist adopted the cardboard carton the package of choice, and the wooden box was now a part of history. Fruit Growers Susanville box factory curtailed production but continued making wooden picking boxes until 1961.

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History

An Impressive Logging Camp!

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Fruit Growers Supply Company housing, Susanville, 1924—Boyd Benham/Connie Boomer

This was a major labeling blunder by the photographer. The scene depicted is Fruit Growers housing for mill employees in Susanville, located along Alexander Avenue. When Fruit Growers proposed to locate in Susanville, they had wanted to avoid to provide housing, whereas their operation at Hilt was a complete company town. They had hoped some enterprising individuals would step up to the plate to provide housing. That was asking a lot, since Fruit Growers would need housing for over 1,000 employees and their families. Fruit Growers would eventually build 80 houses, in addition to dormitories at a cost of $245,000.

Camp A
Camp A, Fruit Growers Supply Company, located just north of McCoy Flat Reservoir, 1921

The above was a typical Fruit Growers logging camp, that consisted of portable cabins that could be easily moved by rail from one location to another.

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History

Sunkist & Fruit Growers Supply Company

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Attaching covers at a packinghouse—-Sunkist Growers, Inc.

While I do write a lot about the Fruit Growers Supply Company, many may not be aware of its association with the citrus industry. Fruit Growers, established in 1907, is a purchasing co-operative initially for the members of the California Fruit Growers Exchange. The Exchange was a marketing co-operative of citrus growers in Southern California.

Also, in 1907, the Exchange hired the advertising agency of Lord & Thomas to develop a trademark or brand name to distinguish its fruit from that of its competitors. The agency came up with “Sunkissed.” However, an Exchange agent in Chicago, taking a bit of poetic license changed the name to Sunkist. In April 1908, the Exchange adopted Sunkist as its trademark, mandating that only the highest-grade oranges would bear the Sunkist name.

The Exchange embarked on a very successful and very expensive advertising campaign. From 1908 to 1951 the California Fruit Growers Exchange spent $61 million to advertise the Sunkist brand. So successful were the campaigns that the name Sunkist became synonymous with citrus. On February 8, 1951 the California Fruit Growers Exchange officially changed its name to Sunkist Growers, to reflect the famous trademark.

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History

Camp Harvey Water Tower

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Camp Harvey, July 11, 2019

Last summer, in one of those “Where are We” segments was Camp Harvey. While I provided details about the old railroad. logging camp, I neglected to state why the old water is even in existence. When the Fruit Growers Supply Company abruptly shutdown the camp in the spring of 1949, they were in hurry to move the portable buildings to a new location. The days of railroad logging and their counterpart camps were quickly fading on the horizon. Fruit Growers had reached an agreement with Shasta Forest, who managed the property for the heirs of the Red River Lumber Company, that they could take their time in removing the structures. Most all of the logging cabins and related structures were removed in 1952. It was mutually agreed to keep the water tank tower with its 10,000 gallon redwood water tank, along with the pumping house and pipes in place for fire protection.

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History

Millpond Madness

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A 1964 Map of Susanville showing three milllponds.

While researching one item, I stumble across material that catches my eye and inevitably get sidetracked. This recently happened when working on an article about the Never Sweat Hills and related topics. Anyhow, while reviewing a 1964 Susanville Centennial publication, I examined the map of the town. In this particular instant what caught my attention was a map. There within a close proximity where three millponds—Lassen Wood Products, formerly Lassen Lumber & Box Company, Eagle Lake Lumber Company, formerly Fruit Growers and Paul Bunyan Lumber Company. Not only are these lumber mills gone, but so are there millponds, once an integral part of the operation. One facet of the millpond that I enjoyed while growing up, was watching a load of logs being dumped into the pond. There was one feature that I did not like—the stench from the millpond in the summer months.

Millpond, Lassen Lumber & Box Company, 1922

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History

Some One Has A Keen Eye

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log train Camp B
Train load of logs leaving Camp B, Fruit Growers Supply Company, 1922

A reader noticed recently the logs depicted above where on railroad flat cars belonging to the Red River Lumber Company. Fruit Growers found it to be more economical to lease flat cars from the Southern Pacific Railroad, who transported the same from Westwood Junction to the Fruit Grower’s mill in Susanville. Fruit Growers initial operations in the early 1920s, experienced a flat car shortage with Southern Pacific. Red River being a good neighbor obliged to provide Fruit Growers with flat cars until the matter could be resolved with Southern Pacific.

Another point I might add, the above was not a typical load of logs. These type of images, are common among lumber companies. They were used to show investors, bankers and the lot the most premium logs, to show them where the money was being spent. In Fruit Growers case, this photograph would be published in a portfolio to show the citrus growers where their money was used to provide them wooden boxes to ship citrus.

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History

The Wooden Box Campaign

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A1937 Lassen County Fair Parade Entry, featuring an oversized wooden box.

At the onset of the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Pacific Northwest lumber industry launched various campaigns to educate the public about the many benefits of timber. Recently, readers many recall the Forestry Essay Contests in the schools.

In the late 1930s, witnessed the organized wooden box campaigns. In 1938, according to the Wooden Box Institute over 50,000 employees of the lumber industry representing an annual payroll of $50 million were participating in the movement. It should be duly noted, that in this era, one of the major components of a sawmill was the box factory division. The manufacture of box shook to make wooden boxes accounted for nearly half the lumber produced in the 1930s. This was an important factor to the local mills of Fruit Growers and Lassen Lumber & Box which their employees joined the movement. On February 1, 1938 the Susanville Wooden Box Promotion Association was formed.

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History

Sierra Shangri-La —Sponsors

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It should be noted that the free publication was financed by advertisements of local businesses. I thought some might enjoy seeing some of the advertisements that appeared. Of the fifty-four businesses that are featured, only one is still in operation—that being the Fruit Growers Supply Company. While Fruit Growers no longer maintains a business presence, i.e., a sawmill, it still owns timberland in Lassen County.

On a somewhat related note, from time to time, I have been approached to place advertisements on this site. My preference is to have a clean appearance, without distractions, as so many websites are cluttered with annoying ads. Some may think I crazy for turning down extra revenue, but if making money was my sole purpose in life I would have found a different line of work.

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History

The Story Club Fire

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Story Club fire, August 14, 1944

Fruit Growers Supply Company’s famed Story Club was quickly destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of August 14, 1944. By the time the fire alarm went off and the fire crews arrived on the scene the three-story structure was entirely engulfed in flames. The only thing that could be done was to prevent the fire from spreading. By sunrise the building was reduced to rubble. Fruit Growers valued the loss at $40,000. For Stanley Arnold who had leased the club since 1930 now found himself without a job.

Story Club, 1924. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner

The Story Club built in 1922 was a recreational facility for the employees of Fruit Growers. It was, however, open to all and many local organizations held functions there. Today, the site is now Riverside Park.

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