Category: Oregon

Blogs by Kristin, Columbia River, OregonLeave a comment

Kinney Salmon Cannery in Astoria

Kristin Wong

In 1887, the Kinney Salmon Cannery in Astoria, Oregon, was the largest salmon-packing facility on the Pacific Coast, processing 7,500 cases valued at nearly $40,000, or over $1,353,000 today. Constructed in 1879 by Marshall J. Kinney and operated by the Astoria Packing Company, in which he was president. By 1890, the cannery expanded into a sprawling complex on pilings between 5th and 6th Streets. This growth mirrored the broader boom in the Columbia River salmon industry, which had become a global hub by the 1880s. Chinese immigrants, first hired in 1872, quickly became the backbone of the labor force. By … Continue reading Kinney Salmon Cannery in Astoria

Blogs by Kristin, Chinese Contract System, Columbia River, OregonLeave a comment

The “China House” at the Warrendale Cannery

Kristin Wong

Frank Manley Warren Sr. was a prominent figure in the salmon canning industry in the Pacific Northwest. He was born in 1848 in Ellsworth, Maine and then moved to Oregon with his family as a child. He founded the Warren Packing Company and in 1869, his first cannery was established in Cathlamet, Washington along the Columbia River. He then expanded his operations further down the Columbia River in 1876, which resulted in the naming of the town of Warrendale, Oregon in his honor. Warren was an innovator, credited with developing the idea of a retort system for canning salmon. His … Continue reading The “China House” at the Warrendale Cannery

Blogs by Jim, Columbia River, Oregon2 Comments

My Trip to Portland, Nov. 2024

jimchiao

Two weeks ago, I took a trip to Portland, Oregon. I have never been to Portland before, and I wanted to explore the city, its surrounding natural beauties, and visit some old friends. Another hidden agenda for me was to find out anything that is related to salmon fishing or salmon canning history – and I was not disappointed. For the first afternoon, we joined a tour group and visited Columbia River Gorge and its waterfalls along Historic Columbia River Highway. At Multnomah Falls, we witnessed the wonder of one of the tallest year-around waterfalls in the US. In front … Continue reading My Trip to Portland, Nov. 2024

Blogs by Jim, Columbia River, OregonLeave a comment

Rudyard Kipling’s Description of a 19th Century Oregon Salmon Cannery and Chinese Laborers

jimchiao

Who is Kipling? If you don’t know his name, you might have known him through the popular Disney movie The Jungle Book or the classic movie The Man Who Would Be King. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), born in British India, was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short story writer. He was a hugely-popular author of The Jungle Book and Kim, and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King. In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. It is a surprise to find his writing about a salmon cannery and Chinese workers, but it all happened on a trip … Continue reading Rudyard Kipling’s Description of a 19th Century Oregon Salmon Cannery and Chinese Laborers

Alaska, Blogs by Kristin, British Columbia, history, Oregon, Washington1 Comment

Cannery Bunkhouses

Kristin Wong

Chinese laborers that were hired to work in the salmon canneries beginning in the late 1800s had separate living quarters assigned to them at the canneries. This was similar at canneries from Alaska to the Pacific Northwest to even British Columbia, Canada. Depending on the cannery, sometimes these areas were called “Chinatown” because of the large number of Chinese workers. This segregation was likely due to various factors. First, the assigned jobs and wages earned was specified in the Alaska Packers Association’s contract which was broken down based on ethnicities (e.g. Caucasians, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Alaskan Natives). This hierarchy … Continue reading Cannery Bunkhouses

Blogs by Philip, Columbia River, history, OregonLeave a comment

Butchering Salmon – Interior of a Canning Establishment, Astoria, Oragon

Philip Chiao

Yellow and faded, stereo view photos of the early 20th century are like old postcards. They are also like calling cards from a forgotten era. The side by side double images confound modern viewers in an unexpected way. The fact they must be viewed with an instrument in order to visualize a three dimensional image must be strange yet familiar. On the left margin of the card it identifies the Keystone View Company as the manufacturer and publisher, copyright 1904 by B. L. Singloy. On the right margin, it calls to our attention that Keystone had offices in Meadville, Pa., … Continue reading Butchering Salmon – Interior of a Canning Establishment, Astoria, Oragon

Alaska, Blogs by Jim, Oregon, Personal StoriesLeave a comment

Fred Wong’s Amazing Career

jimchiao

I first contacted Fred Wong in October 2020, when my brother Philip and I were preparing for a talk at Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco. The subject of the talk was “Chinese Workers and the Early History of Salmon Canneries”. After CHSA made its announcement, one member wrote to CHSA and kindly suggested me to contact his friend Fred in Oregon. I decided to follow up. Actually, that was not the first time I tried to contact Fred. In fact, I have read something about him and a brief summary his 50+ years career in Alaska canneries. … Continue reading Fred Wong’s Amazing Career