The first was William Underwood, and English pickler, who landed in New Orleans in 1817.
In 1822 – he establishes a canning factory in Boston. Underwood canned luxury goods and ships’ provisions, including oysters, lobsters, fish, meats, soups, fruits and a few vegetables.
By 1839, his tomato catsup is being shipped along the Mississippi River.
Another early packing firm was operated by Ezra Dagger and his son in law, Thomas Kensett an English immigrant who packed salmon, lobsters and oysters in New York starting in about 1819.
In 1825 they applied for a tin canning patent, the first in the United States.
In 1875, industry improvements in canning foods allowed Gustavus Swift and P.D Armour to establish Chicago meatpacking plants a key development in accelerating the settlement of the American West.
In 1883, Edwin and O. W Norton introduced the first ‘automatic line’ canning factory.
Campbell Soup, H.J Heinz, Borden’s Milk and Libby McNeill & Libby were among those adopting the new technology.
The first food canning factory in United States
