Saginaw and the H.J. Heinz Company – Part One
- kellison71
- 8 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Company - of 57 varieties fame – has strong Saginaw connections.
This week we are exploring the history of the firm’s Saginaw branch, and next Sunday, we will look at a more personal connection.
The H.J. Heinz Company established its Saginaw facility after the lumber boom was over. It was a time when the community was struggling to reinvent itself and attract new industries. The first public announcement was in 1896:
“The Heinz Factories – Location at Saginaw Now Assured. Arrangements have at length been perfected for the location of the H.J. Heinz Co. factories at Saginaw and work on the building will be commenced as soon as the weather will permit. Contracts have already been made for a large portion of the crops required, and the remainder of the contracts will be taken as rapidly as possible. The Heinz Co, will contract for 1,000 acres of produce this year, consisting of cabbages, cauliflowers, cucvmbers [sic] and tomatoes, and the growing of this produce will give employment to several hundred people, besides about fifty hands employed in the factories.
The H.J. Heinz Co. is an old established institution. Its principal factories and offices are located at Pittsburgh and its trade extends all over the United States as well as foreign countries. The company utilizes the products of about 7,000 acres of land annually in pickling and preserving business. The securing of this factory, in competition with a number of other cities seeking its location, is a splendid tribute to the worth of the Saginaw valley as a gardening section, as well as to the enterprise and energy displayed by those of our citizens who have worked to make it a success.
S.G. Higgins, chairman of the committee on manufactures of the board of trade, has been the prime mover in bringing the industry to Saginaw and is entitled to credit for the success that has crowned his efforts. The site for the factories will require about twelve acres of ground and its location has not yet been defiantly determined, but two acceptable sites have been offered, one on the Improvement company’s grounds and one in the north part of the city.” (The Saginaw Evening News, March 28, 1896.)
The efforts of the Saginaw Improvement Company – a group formed to revitalize Saginaw at the end of the lumbering boom – was important in attracting the H.J. Heinz Company to build a plant in Saginaw. The factory located on Hess at Sheridan, was located on an industrial site developed by the organization and was in operation by the next harvest season after the announcement. The firm reported:
“The following is brief history of the company’s business for the season of 1897: It manufactured about 12,000 barrels of Keystone kraut; 76,000 gallons of tomatoes were prepared for catsup and tomato sauce. There were 9,000 bushels of pickles put into vats and about ten tons of cauliflower were put into brine for future use.” (The Saginaw Evening News, February 25, 1898.)
In 1902, the facility produced 20,000 barrels of sauerkraut. Complementing other H.J. Heinz Company facilities in Michigan – Holly and Holland, it thrived for about seven decades. In the years following World War II, expansion was discussed and the manager noted it “has developed into one of the firm's key units in finishing of genuine dill pickles and production of other pickle and relish ingredients.” (The Saginaw News May 2, 1946.)
In 1963, the paper reported:
“Although it no longer cans pickles here, the H.J. Heinz Co. operates a large receiving station at 2100 Hess. It ships a lot of its cucumbers taken in here to the Heinz plant in Holland, Mich. These are for fresh-pack pickles. The remainder are stored and cured in vats at the Hess station.”
“HEINZ WILL receive more than 240,000 bushels of cucumbers during the season. This runs from about July 15 to Sept. 15.” (The Saginaw News, August 8, 1963.)
In 1969, the property was sold to Gratiot Metals and leased back to the Heinz company until 1970 – in order to provide time “to process the 1969 crop of dills.” (The Saginaw News, July 8, 1969.)
Next week we will explore a second Saginaw and H.J. Heinz connection.
Visit this link to explore the rich history of the H.J. Heinz Company.
The Recipe – French Dressing – Foundation Recipe
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Paprika
3 Tablespoons Heinz Pure Vinegar
¾ Cup Heinz Pure Olive Oil
Mix the salt, sugar and paprika together. Add vinegar and oil and beat thoroughly, or put all of the ingredients into a glass jar, screw top on tightly and shake thoroughly.
For delicious variations of French Dressing see the opposite page.
(Next week we will reveal the delicious variation we chose.)
From the Heinz Book of Salads published in 1925.
This recipe is similar to one we featured in 2023. This link will take you that recipe – and exploration of the history of French Dressing.
Next week will focus on one of the delicious variations of French Dressing and use it to dress an – you will need to wait until next week to learn the identity of the salad and continue our exploration of the H.J. Heinz Company’s connection to Saginaw.