Maine is the only State in the Union in which lobsters have been
canned. The following account of the inception and early history of
the industry, taken from "The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the
United States," is very complete:
Lobster canning was first attempted in the United States at
Eastport, Me., shortly after 1840, and was made successful in
1843, the methods finally employed having been borrowed from
Scotland, which country is said to have learned the process from
France. For the successful introduction of the process into the
United States we are indebted to Mr. Charles Mitchell, now of
Charlestown, Mass., a practical canner of Scotland, who had
learned his trade of John Moir & Son, of Aberdeen, the first
Scotch firm, it is claimed, to put up hermetically sealed
preparations of meat, game, and salmon, their enterprise dating
back to 1824. Mr. U. S. Treat, a native of Maine, appears,
however, to have been most active and influential in starting the
enterprise and in introducing canned goods into the markets of the
United States. Mr. Treat was, at an early period, engaged in the
preparation of smoked salmon on the Penobscot River, and in 1839
removed to Calais, Me., where he continued in the same business.
About 1840 he associated with him a Mr. Noble, of Calais, and a
Mr. Holliday, a native of Scotland, who had also been employed in
the salmon fisheries of the Penobscot River, under the firm name
of Treat, Noble & Holliday. This firm moved to Eastport in 1842,
for the purpose of starting the manufacture of hermetically sealed
goods, and began experiments with lobsters, salmon, and haddock.
Their capital was limited, their appliances crude, and many
discouraging difficulties were encountered. The quality of the
cans furnished them was poor, causing them often to burst while
in the bath, and the proper methods of bathing and of expelling
the air from the cans were not understood. The experiments were
continued for two years with varying success, and in secret, no
outsiders being allowed to enter their bathing room. Though fairly
successful in some of their results, they could not always depend
upon their goods keeping well.
In 1843 they secured the services of Mr. Charles Mitchell, who was
then residing at Halifax, and who was not only well acquainted
with the methods of bathing practiced in his own country, but was
also a practical tinsmith. He had been employed in the canning of
hermetically sealed goods in Scotland for ten years, and came over
to Halifax in 1841, where he continued for two years in the same
occupation, exporting his goods to England. After Mr. Mitchell's
arrival at Eastport, no further difficulty was experienced in the
bathing or other preparation of the lobsters, and a desirable
grade of goods was put up, but they found no sale, as canned
preparations were comparatively unknown in the markets of the
United States. Mr. Treat visited each of the larger cities with
samples of the goods, and endeavored to establish agencies for
them, but he was generally obliged to send on consignment, as few
firms were willing to take the responsibility of buying on their
own account. A patent was also applied for, but the claim was not
pressed and the patent was never received.
The success at Eastport led to a rapid extension of the business in
other parts of the State. The second cannery was located at Harpswell
about the year 1849. A cannery was started at Carver Harbor, Fox
Islands, in 1851, and another at Southwest Harbor in 1853. In 1857
a cannery was started at North Haven, and at Gouldsboro two were
started in 1863 and 1870, respectively. From this time the number
increased rapidly for several years. After 1880 the number operated
fluctuated considerably, depending on the abundance of lobsters.
Some canneries had to suspend operations at an early stage, owing to
the exhaustion of the grounds in their vicinity. At most canneries
lobsters formed only a part of the pack, sardines, clams, fish, and
various vegetables and fruits being packed in their season. Most of
the canneries were built and operated by Boston and Portland firms.
At first the lobsters used for canning ranged in weight from 3 to 10
pounds. Gradually the average weight was reduced, until at last it
reached as low as 3/4 pound, or even less. This was caused principally
by the high prices paid for large lobsters for the fresh trade, with
which the canneries could not compete.
As the supply of lobsters on the Maine coast began to decrease shortly
before 1870, while the demand for canned lobsters increased at an
enormous rate, the dealers began to establish canneries on the coasts
of the British provinces. As the decline in the supply was attributed
to the canneries, a sentiment against them was gradually formed, and
laws were enacted regulating the time in which they could operate and
the size of the lobsters they could put up. Prior to 1879 they were
permitted to pack lobsters at any season of the year, but they usually
operated only between April 1 and August 1, and again between the 10th
or middle of September and the 1st of December, the length of the
season depending very largely upon the weather and the abundance of
lobsters. In 1879 it was enacted that no canning of lobsters should
be allowed from August 1 to April 1 following. In 1883 it was made
illegal to can lobsters less than 9 inches in length. In 1885 the
canning season was fixed from April 1 to July 15. In 1889 the season
was fixed from May 1 to July 1, and the minimum length of lobsters to
be canned placed at 9 inches. In 1891 this act was so amended as to
make the season from April 20 to June 1. After 1880 the number of
canneries gradually declined, until in 1895 the last one suspended the
canning, of lobsters, owing to the passage of a law fixing the minimum
size at 10-1/2 inches. This law went into effect July 1, 1895. As they
could not afford to pay the high price demanded for this size they
were compelled to give up the business.
The following table shows the number of factories in operation, the
quantity and value of fresh lobsters used, and the number and value of
cans of lobsters put up, in the years 1880, 1889, and 1892:
1880 1889 1892
------------- ------------- --------------
No. Value No. Value No. Value
--- ----- --- ----- --- -----
Number of
canneries 23 20 11
Lobsters used,
fresh lbs. 9,494,284 $95,000 5,752,654 $72,092 9,494,284 $95,000
Canned
One-lb cans 1,542,696 999,521 126,577 1,228,944 195,114
Two-lb cans 148,704 85,520 16,036 3,096 839
Other sizes 139,801
--------- ------- --------- ------- --------- -------
Total cans 1,831,201 238,280 1,085,041 142,613 1,232,040 195,953
Part of the lobsters used in the Eastport factories come from New
Brunswick. It is impossible to separate them.