My paternal grandfather (standing, far left) spent quite a lot of his life crewing on square-rigged ships (also known as "windjammers") out of San Francisco. These ships were owned and operated by Alaska Packers, which was a division of the Del Monte Corp (aka the California Packing Corporation). The company had a small fleet of these ships and they were involved in the salmon canning industry in Alaska. Outbound from San Francisco, they hauled up supplies for the canneries. On the return, they'd bring finished goods to San Francisco for eventual labeling and sale to retailer grocers. Although steam had largely replaced wind powered ships by the turn of the 20th century, Del Monte found it more economical to sail these old steel hulled sailing vessels up and down the Pacific coast.
My paternal grandfather (standing, far left) spent quite a lot of his life crewing on square-rigged ships (also known as "windjammers") out of San Francisco. These ships were owned and operated by Alaska Packers, which was a division of the Del Monte Corp (aka the California Packing Corporation). The company had a small fleet of these ships and they were involved in the salmon canning industry in Alaska. Outbound from San Francisco, they hauled up supplies for the canneries. On the return, they'd bring finished goods to San Francisco for eventual labeling and sale to retailer grocers. Although steam had largely replaced wind powered ships by the turn of the 20th century, Del Monte found it more economical to sail these old steel hulled sailing vessels up and down the Pacific coast. | Click image for Comments. | Home | Browse All Photos