John Sullivan Deas facts for kids

John Sullivan Deas (born in 1838, died July 22, 1880) was an important Black tinsmith. A tinsmith is someone who makes things out of tin, like cans. John Deas helped start the salmon canning business on the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. His factory, called a cannery, was on Deas Island. This island is still named after him today! In 2017, a newspaper called The Vancouver Sun recognized him as one of 150 important people from British Columbia.

John Deas's Early Life and Work

John Sullivan Deas was born in South Carolina in 1838. He started working as a tinsmith when he was just a teenager, around 1856.

Moving to San Francisco

By 1860, John Deas moved to San Francisco. He lived with other Black people from South Carolina, including Louis and Susan Mortimer. From 1860 to 1861, Deas worked as a tinsmith in San Francisco. He was employed by a man named Martin Prag.

Working in Victoria

By 1862, Deas had moved to Victoria. At that time, Victoria was part of the colony of Vancouver Island. By late 1868, he owned his own business. It was a hardware and stove shop called Birmingham House. It was located at the corner of Fort and Broad Streets.

Starting the Salmon Canning Business

John Sullivan Deas got into the salmon canning business in 1871. He was first hired by Captain Edward Stamp. Captain Stamp needed someone to make the cans for his new canning factory. Deas continued this work even after Stamp passed away.

Deas then built his very own cannery in 1873. It was located on what is now called Deas Island. The cans of salmon from his factory had special labels. They read "Fresh Salmon, John S. Deas, Frazer [sic] River, British Columbia." These labels were made by a San Francisco company. This company was owned by a Black artist named Grafton Tyler Brown.

John Deas was a leader in salmon canning on the Fraser River. In 1872 and 1873, he produced twice as much canned salmon as his competitors! More canning businesses started up along the Fraser River in the years that followed. Because of this, Deas's business was no longer the biggest. On August 19, 1878, John Deas announced that he had sold his cannery. He sold it to a company called Findlay, Durham and Brodie for fifteen thousand dollars.

John Deas's Family Life

John Sullivan Deas married Fanny Harris on September 4, 1862. Fanny was from Hamilton, Canada West. After selling his cannery, John Deas moved to Portland, Oregon. He went there to be with his family. Sadly, he died just two years later, on July 22, 1880. He was survived by his wife Fanny and their seven children.