Heritage District in Sunnyvale in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Del Monte Building

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 29, 2019

1. Del Monte Building Marker

Inscription. The Del Monte Building was constructed by the Madison and Bonner Company in 1904 adjacent to the Southern Pacific Railroad on the northwest corner of Sunnyvale and Evelyn Avenues. For the first 26 years dried fruit from local orchards was processed and stored in the building. During this time several fruit canning operations, including Madison and Bonner, merged to form the California Packing Corporation, whose popular trademark became "Del Monte." In 1930 the corporation moved its seed processing operation to this facility which became the Sunnyvale Seed Germinating Laboratory. Del Monte became a subsidiary of the R. J. Reynolds Company in 1979, but by 1993 when Dubrovnik Association, Inc. (D.A.I.) purchased the building, the seed production site had closed and the building has stood vacant for several years. D.A.I. moved the building to this present site and gutted the interior to create ground floor retail space and meeting rooms on the upper floors. The refurbished exterior maintains the essence of the original facade and is a visual reminder of Sunnyvale's role in the impact that orchards and fruit processing made on the Santa Clara Valley.

Erected 1999 by Native Daughters of the Golden West, San Jose Parlor #81 and Veldome Parlor #100; Sunnyvale Historical Society.

Topics and series. This

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historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Native Sons/Daughters of the Golden West series list.

Location. 37° 22.639′ N, 122° 1.793′ W. Marker is in Sunnyvale, California, in Santa Clara County. It is in the Heritage District. Marker is at the intersection of South Murphy Avenue and East Evelyn Avenue, on the right when traveling north on South Murphy Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: South Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale CA 94086, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. F.E. Cornell’s Country Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Joshua Hendy Iron Works (approx. 0.3 miles away); Hendy Ironworks (approx. 0.3 miles away); Hendy Stamp Mill / Hendy's "California" Stamp Mill (approx. 0.3 miles away); Home of Martin Murphy, Jr. (approx. 0.4 miles away); De Anza Expedition 1775 - 1776 (approx. 0.4 miles away); City Hall Bell & City Hall Cornerstone (approx. 1.4 miles away); Prune Steamer Pot / Hendy Manhole Cover (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sunnyvale.

Also see . . .

Del Monte Building and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 29, 2019

2. Del Monte Building and Marker

The marker is located behind the silver car and light post on the right.

1. The Del Monte Building - Robert's Vasona Branch Blog. The Del Monte Building ... originally located at 185 Evelyn Ave. next to the railroad tracks, it was the sole Santa Clara Valley outpost of Madison and Bonner, a dried fruit packer with multiple plants out in the Fresno area. The plant's location hints that M&B was willing to take a big chance to branch out from the raisin market into the prune, peach, cherry, and apricot market of the Bay Area. (Submitted on April 21, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

2. California Packing Corporation. The California Packing Corporation (also known by its primary brand, Del Monte or by the CalPak nickname) was a major canner and dried fruit processor founded in 1916....The company was the brainchild of J. K. Armsby, who merged five major canners to create a single large canning conglomerate. The founding companies were Griffin and Skelley, Central California Canneries, J. K. Armsby, California Fruit Canners Association, and the Alaska Packers Association. The company a huge range of products: canned fish from Alaska, pineapple from Hawaii, fruit from California, and vegetables from the midwest. (Submitted on April 21, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Del Monte Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 29, 2019

3. Del Monte Building

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 21, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 614 times since then and 97 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 21, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.