HISTORIES: "The Canning Factory" of Barron, Barron County, WI ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Mott 29 June 2000 ==================================================================== The Canning Factory Back in 1901, some enterprising Barron citizens decided to engage in the canning industry. They raised capital stock of $15,000 and built a plant. Four hundred acres of land was purchased for growing peas. Difficulties were encountered in harvesting the crop and in the canning operation, -- probably due to lack of experience. Late in 1902, the plant was sold to the Waukesha Canning Co. This company enlarged and remodeled the plant and carried on operations for ten years. In 1912, the plant was sold to the J.B. Inderreiden Company of Chicago, Illinois. This company operated through the year 1948, with the exception of one year when the plant was closed. The canning season usually started around July 1st. Some years it would start during the last week in June. The pack was usually completed by mid August or a week or ten days later. In early days mules and horses were used to haul the loads of vines from the farms to the viners at the plant. To seal the cans a soldering job was required. The cover was put in place and solder applied, one can at a time. Later a Hawkins line was introduced and 24 cans could be soldered at one time. Still later, the marvelous closing machine was invented which could seal the cans without solder and do so at the rate of 125 or more cans per minute. Steam power was used throughout the plant at first. Later on, electric power was used in the factory and can loft. A steam engine was used to operate the viners until the plant closed. Two very large boilers were used to produce steam. Steam was used to cook the peas. During some seasons the plant operated 24 hours a day during part of the pack. The record for one day's pack was 10,000 cases. Hot, dry weather during the critical growing season sometimes seriously reduced the season's pack. First grade peas thrive best in cool weather with plenty of rain. In later years when trucks came into use, viner stations were established in several places in the county. Some of the early plant managers were: Bill Christianson, John Hoffman, John Van Lear, John Webster and Bert Webster. In later year, these men were superintendents: E.W. Hulbert, Olaf Johnson and Bill Crandall. For awhile, E.W. Hulbert was superintendent of both the Barron plant and the Rice Lake plant. Ed. Hutchins started work at the canning plant way back in 1908. From then on, he worked at this plant all of the years it operated with the exception of some months which he spent in the U.S. Army during World War One. He probably worked at most every job in the plant at some time or other. He was foreman of the factory and can loft for many years. After the pack was over here, he worked for the Inderreiden Company during the corn pack, much of that time in northern Illinois. Hutchins states that Eldor Gunderson worked at this plant almost as long as he (Hutchins) did. Many a new worked, including this writer, was given a helping hand by Ed Hutchins when trying to get started on some new job. --From the Souvenir Historical Album of the Barron Centennial-1960 (used by permission)