Marshall J. Kinney Cannery facts for kids

The Marshall J. Kinney Cannery was a very important place in Astoria, Oregon. It was built in 1879 and became one of the city's longest-running salmon canneries. A cannery is a factory where fish are cleaned, cooked, and sealed into cans.

This cannery was run by the Astoria Packing Company. The company's president was a man named Marshall J. Kinney. His cannery quickly grew to be the "largest and most extensive salmon-packing establishment on the Pacific Coast."

In 1894, the cannery had to be completely rebuilt after a big fire. Later, in 1899, Kinney's cannery joined with other companies to form the Columbia River Packers Association. The cannery kept working until the 1920s. After that, it was mainly used as a workshop and storage area.

In 1954, a large cargo ship accidentally crashed into the complex, damaging part of it. The parts that were still standing were used for storage until 1980. Today, these old buildings are home to different shops and small businesses. The cannery was recognized as a historic place in 1989 but was removed from the list in 1997.

A Look Back: The Cannery's Early Days

The Kinney Cannery was built in 1879 in an area of Astoria called Uniontown. Marshall J. Kinney, whose father was Robert C. Kinney, was in charge of the Astoria Packing Company. This company ran the cannery.

In 1881, the cannery was already known as the "largest and most extensive salmon-packing establishment on the Pacific Coast." It reportedly packed 26,000 cases of salmon that year. That's a lot of fish!

The former location of the cannery

In 1887, the cannery packed 7,500 cases of salmon. This was worth a lot of money back then. Sadly, in 1894, a fire completely destroyed the complex. But it was quickly rebuilt and started fresh.

In 1899, the Kinney Cannery joined a bigger group called the Columbia River Packers Association. This group included several other canneries and packing companies. The newer buildings closer to the river were used for storage. The older buildings along the shore continued to be used for canning salmon.

Growing and Changing Over Time

By 1904, the Kinney complex had grown even more. It had three different production lines, meaning it could process a lot of salmon at once. The complex was split into two main parts by an extension of Sixth Street.

On the west side, there was a large wooden warehouse. After 1910, this building became a machine shop. It also stored equipment, cans, labels, and boat engines. Later, it even held offices for their Alaskan operations.

Nothing remains of Gunderson's Cannery Cafe after a 2010 fire

On the east side of Sixth Street, there was a two-story building that made cans. The cannery continued to operate until the 1920s. After that, it mostly served as a main workshop and storage area for the Columbia River Packers Association.

By the 1940s, the Kinney complex had become much larger. However, in 1954, a big cargo ship carrying grain crashed into the complex. Part of the cannery was destroyed in this accident.

The buildings that were left were used for storage until 1980. Since then, they have been turned into shops and businesses. Some parts of the complex were fixed up, and a lookout was even built on the wharf to attract visitors.

The Marshall J. Kinney Cannery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This meant it was recognized as an important historic site. However, it was removed from the list in 1997. The buildings housed businesses like Gunderson's Cannery Café until a fire destroyed them in December 2010.