This day in Mohawk Valley history: March 15, 1917

ROUND ABOUT US

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THIS PART OF THE STATE.

Short Items of Interest Gathered From Our Exchanges, Telling of What Other People Are Talking About.

Main office: Beech-Nut Packing Company
Canajoharie, NY

F. E. Barbour of Canajoharie will leave March 17th on a business trip to Belize, Central America, where the Beech-Nut companies are large buyers of chicle, a product used in making gum.

Syracuse university is to have the largest athletic arena in America, its stadium covering six and one-third acres. It will have a normal seating capacity of 20,000 which can be increased to 40,000. The stadium will cover more ground than the famous Yale bowl.

J. S. Ellithrop of Canajoharie left recently for Petersburg, Va. The Beech-Nut Packing company gives $500 a year in cash prizes to competitive peanut growers. the competitors are boys between the ages of 10-18. Five county prizes are awarded in five counties and then from the 25 winners of county prizes, major prizes are given, and Mr. Ellithrop will award the major prizes on this trip.

The case of Alfred H. Smith, president of the New York Central railroad, charged with violating the excise laws by selling on a train while passing through the no-license town of Grenville, was called before Justice of the Peace D. T. Hill in Scotia Thursday and upon his attorney’s entering a plea of not guilty, Mr. Smith was held to await action by the grand jury, giving cash bail in the sum of $1,000. Mr. Smith appeared by the company’s lawyers. Mr. Smith is charged as head of the railroad, with having through his employes, sold whiskey and brand to William H. Anderson, state superintendent of the Anti-Saloon league, and Fred J. Tower, district superintendent, while they were on a train passing through the dry town.

Source: NYSHistoricnewspapers.org

Beech-Nut

Beech-Nut’s roots go back to 1891, to the Mohawk Valley town of Canajoharie, New York. Raymond P. Lipe, along with his friend John D. Zieley and their brothers, Walter H. Lipe and David Zieley, and Bartlett Arkell, founded The Imperial Packing Co. for the production of Beech-Nut ham. The product was based on the smoked hams of the Lipes’ father, farmer Ephraim Lipe. The company’s principal products were ham and bacon for the first seven years. The Zieleys sold their shares to the Lipe brothers in 1892.

The company was incorporated as the Beech-Nut Packing Company in 1899. Arkell was the first president of the company. In 1900, the company’s sales were $200,000. Engineers from Beech-Nut patented the first vacuum jar, with a design that included a gasket and top that could remain intact in transit and became a standard of the industry .

During the first 25 years of the 20th century, the company expanded its product line into peanut butter, jam, pork and beans, ketchup, chili sauce, mustard, spaghetti, macaroni, marmalade, caramel, fruit drops, mints, chewing gum, and coffee. – Wikipedia