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Continued from last week….
Although many benefited from the cannery industry’s expansion through the early 1900s, that couldn’t be said for the first Chinese settlement in Chinatown. The settlement didn’t burn once or twice, but on three separate occasions. After burning down for the third time, the Chinese fell from being the biggest fishing and canning force in Cannery Row to a tiny settlement by 1907.
World War I brought further expansion to the already thriving canning industry on the Monterey Peninsula, primarily in Cannery Row. From 1916 to 1918, Cannery Row went from having just a few canning plants to opening the following: California Fisheries Co., Hovden Food Products, Bayside Fish & Flour, Monterey Canning Company, San Xavier Canning Company, Pacific Packers/Great Western Sardine Co., and Pacific Fish Company. It was a prosperous two years indeed for Cannery Row.
Then Cannery Row luck ran aground when lightning literally struck. Large petroleum oil tanks that sat above Cannery Row were struck by lightning in 1924, resulting in an earth-shattering explosion. The oil spilled and caught fire, creating a rushing stream of flames. As a result, two canneries were completely destroyed. The flaming oil made its way into the sea, burning Monterey Bay until the tide and wind kept the fire under control before it finally went out.
Rebuilding became prolonged and expensive. The emergence of technology caused another hit to the industry. New fishing boats were introduced to Monterey waters with quarter-mile-long nets. What seemed to be a good idea to bring the flourishing industry of Cannery Row back up actually made it worse. The once overabundant fish supply in Monterey Bay was becoming scarce for the first time.
The disastrous Great Depression almost left an unexpected glimmer of hope for Cannery Row. A great demand for sardines led to their capture in Monterey to be used as fish meal and fertilizer. This saved countless jobs through the Great Depression. However, while the jobs were saved, millions of sardines were wasted away as fertilizer each year through 1930-1940.
Continued next week….
Everything else is just history
