Alaska Packers’ Association in Alameda

I'm phoning this blog in and simply submitting my research report to the Alameda Museum to give them information to go with some paintings they have of the Alaska Packer fleet in Alameda.

The Alaska Packers’ Association was founded in San Francisco in 1891.  They fished and canned salmon in Alaska in the Spring, Summer and early Fall and distributed their products throughout California.  In 1904, the APA built the Fortman Maria on the Alameda side of the Oakland/Alameda estuary.  They used the estuary to anchor their “Star Fleet” of ships during winter months, giving the strip water the name, Alaska Basin. 

In 1916, the APA merged with the Oakland based California Packing Corporation (CalPack), who sold their products (mostly fruits and vegetables) under the name Del Monte.   As time went on the Alaska Packer name was mostly phased out as they were considered a subsidiary of CalPack.  The company moved it’s base of operations to Seattle in the early 1930’s and, in 1967, the company would officially change its name to the Del Monte Corporation.   Salmon production saw a dramatic decline from the 1950’s to 1980’s as Alaska waters were over fished, brining up the price and turning most consumers to buying cheaper tuna.  In 1982, Del Monte sold what was left of the Alaska Packers to ConArga, of Omaha, Nebraska.

Over the years, the APA wielded considerable influence in Bay Area politics and development.  In 1923, during the debate over the construction of a tunnel that would run below the estuary, connecting Alameda and Oakland, the APA announced they would construct a two million dollar ship and rail terminal in Alameda, but only if the proposed tunnel was built.  The swing bridge that was in used at the time on the West End often disrupted boat traffic in and out of the Alaska Basin.  The Posey Tube was approved in 1923, began construction in 1925 and was completed in 1928.

In 1925, the large, new shipping facility was opened along the Alaska Basin.  The Encinal Terminals eventually would have its own birthing basin, three dockside transit sheds and a huge warehouse along a set of rail tracks that ran to Oakland and all points beyond.  The vast Del Monte Warehouse, considered the crown jewel of the facility, was completed in 1927 and still stands today on Buena Vista Avenue.  Littlejohn Park was built in the former Del Monte parking lot in the 1970s.