Collection ID:

Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Petrizzi, Jennie, Frind, William, Jensen, DeForrest Wayne, and Geneva Historical Society
Extent:
Seven Boxes
Language:
English

Background

Scope and Content:

This collection covers the entirety of American Can Company’s years of business, from 1901-1989, with a large number of photos (many duplicates of the same company distributed photos). It also includes personal reference books of former employees, publications distributed by the company, and tools of the trade. Blueprints, correspondence, articles, and photographs make up the bulk of the collection.

Biographical / Historical:

American Can came to Geneva in 1901, buying the Empire State Can Manufacturing Company, a business that had developed to support the active food preserving industry. During its early years, the North Genesee Street company employed 50 persons, with a payroll of $50,000 during its first year in business.

Prior to World War I, the company manufactured tin cans, but they switched to the production of brass shell cases from 1914-1918 to help with the war effort. In 1923 American Can became a machine shop, making various types of machines such as the ones for putting lids on cans. The company doubled in size in 1925 and further expanded in the 1930s and 1941.

In the early 1940s the company again turned its efforts to war-time production, this time manufacturing parts for torpedoes. The average employment numbers in 1951 were reported to be 700, with an annual payroll of $2,600,000.

Blamed in part on the changing of technology as well as the worsening national economy, American Can’s growth gradually slowed in the late 1960s. In 1961, the plant’s future was temporarily secured with the union approval of a new contract that reduced wages. The company’s Cincinnati, Ohio plant was closed and two more wage reductions were accepted in the coming year.

During the same period, the industry began to make cans in two parts rather than the traditional three and the Geneva plants manufacturing of machines for the three part cans quickly led to lay-offs. Eighty were laid off in 1980-1981 and 242 in 1982. By the time of the closing of the plant in 1989, only 91 were employed.

Indexed Terms

Names:
American Can Company
Places:
Geneva (N.Y.)

Access

LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
Geneva History Museum
543 South Main Street
Geneva, NY 14456, United States
CONTACT:
315-789-5151
archivist@historicgeneva.org