HISTORICAL IMAGE
Salinas, California, USA
The Spreckels Sugar Beet Refinery, Near Salinas, Cal
"Claus Spreckels’ first introduction to the San Joaquin Valley was as a railroad builder. He built the San Francisco & San Joaquin Railroad, which ran from Fresno to Stockton on what is now the Santa Fe track. Spreckels built this railroad in order to give Southern Pacific a run for their money.
In 1896, Spreckels began contracting with growers for beets for the Salinas Factory. Local area growers signed up for only 5,000 out of a needed 30,000 acres to support construction of a factory. During this same time Woodland growers pledged 40,000 acres to Spreckels in an effort to locate a factory in Yolo County. Spreckels used that information to leverage the Salinas growers by giving them a two-week ultimatum of 30,000 acres or he was building in Woodland. Salinas growers pledged the full acreage and the factory was begun..."
www.spreckelssugar.com
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"Claus Spreckels’ first introduction to the San Joaquin Valley was as a railroad builder. He built the San Francisco & San Joaquin Railroad, which ran from Fresno to Stockton on what is now the Santa Fe track. Spreckels built this railroad in order to give Southern Pacific a run for their money.
In 1896, Spreckels began contracting with growers for beets for the Salinas Factory. Local area growers signed up for only 5,000 out of a needed 30,000 acres to support construction of a factory. During this same time Woodland growers pledged 40,000 acres to Spreckels in an effort to locate a factory in Yolo County. Spreckels used that information to leverage the Salinas growers by giving them a two-week ultimatum of 30,000 acres or he was building in Woodland. Salinas growers pledged the full acreage and the factory was begun..."
www.spreckelssugar.com){kind=small}