Damon and Barbara Halferty photograph collection, approximately 1912-1916

Peter F. Halferty started selling clams to the residents of Astoria, Oregon in 1893, and over the next ten years developed new canning processes and distribution models, as he moved from glass jars to tin cans. He began by processing four dozen jars in a wash boiler and peddling them from house to house in Astoria, the nearest large town. His success there was encouraging at first, but he encountered some difficulties when it became apparent that his clams would not keep. He remedied the problem by adding salt to the water, creating a denser liquid that boiled at a higher temperature. This allowed the clams to keep in their jars.

Once he had perfected his canning process, Halferty began to expand his business. He bought larger equipment, hired diggers and cannery helpers, and began to can in tins. He named his business the Sea Beach Packing Company, and the name of his product Pioneer Minced Sea Clams. In 1900 the Sea Beach Packing Company relocated to Grays Harbour, Washington and established its cannery at Markham. Other canneries were built at Westport, Aberdeen, Copalis, and Moclips, Washington, and Cordova, Alaska.