The "Canning" Factory

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, canning factories were the industrial heartbeat of small-town America. They transformed seasonal gluts of produce into a year-round economy, bridging the gap between the rural farm and the urban dinner table.

For much of the twentieth century, the local canning company provided area youth with their first real jobs. Whether working in the fields or in the factory, area teens could earn extra money for college or to buy their first car. 

The canning factory began as the Dutch Canning and Pickling Company in 1908. The business became known as the Calumet Dutch Packing Company in 1930, the Larsen Company in 1967, and Dean Foods in 1986. And while the business name changed over the years, its product stayed relatively constant. Dean Foods announced its plans to close the Cedar Grove plant following the 1996 growing season. 

For nearly a century the company harvested, processed, and packed locally-grown vegetables for distribution throughout the country.