University of Washington Libraries, Special CollectionsPH0724Halferty, BarbaraDamon and Barbara
Halferty photograph collectionapproximately
1912-191619 black and white photographic
prints and 3 color photographic prints (2 folders) ; various sizesCollection materials are in
English.Photographs of
Peter Halferty's clam canning company, Sea Beach Packing Company, and its
operations at Grayland and Copalis, Washington and at Cordova,
AlaskaPeter F. Halferty began his business of canning razor clams during the
financial panic of 1893, in a small beach town near Warrington, Oregon. He
conceived the idea of mincing, canning, and selling the clams that were
extremely plentiful along the beach as a means of supporting his sick wife and
five children. By 1900, Halferty had relocated his business, the Sea Beach
Packing Company, to Markham in Grays Harbour, Washington. He soon opened
additional plants in Westport, Aberdeen, Copalis, Moclips, Washington and
Cordova, Alaska. Management of the company was later passed to his sons, Guy P.
Halferty (1882-1960) and Damon James Halferty (1888-1939).
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.
Photographs of the clam canning company, Sea Beach Packing Company,
and its operations at Grayland and Copalis, Washington and at Cordova, Alaska.
Includes 3 color photographs of the company's crate and can labels. The company
was started by Peter Halferty and some Halferty family members are pictured in
some of the photos.
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selections from the collection in digital format .
The collection is open to the public.
Request at UW
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication.
Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for
details.
Donor: Karen Halferty Davis; received March 5, 2006.
Processed by Solveig Ekenes, 2006.
For more information on Pioneer Minced Sea Clams, please refer to the
Pioneer Minced Sea Clams Album, PH Coll 721 in the repository.
Halferty, BarbaraHalferty, DamonCopalis Beach (Wash.)--PhotographsCordova (Alaska)--PhotographsCanneries--Washington (State)--PhotographsCannery workers--Washington (State)--PhotographsClam fisheries--Washington (State)--PhotographsClam industry--Washington (State)--PhotographsPhotographic printsPhotograpVisual Materials Collections (University of Washington)Fishing and CanningWashington (State)PhotographsAlaska
11Damon James
Halfertybetween 1912
and 1916? 12Guy P.
Halfertybetween 1912
and 1916? 13Halferty Cannery at
Grayland, Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916? XH54Panoramic photograph of Sea Beach Packing
Works, plant number 2, Copalis, Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916?Known locally as "Halferty Brothers Cannery on the Copalis River."
Right to left: Main facility, warehouse and company boarding house. Bridge at
left crosses Copalis River.
XH55Panoramic photograph of
employees outside Sea Beach Packing Works, plant number 2, Copalis,
Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916?Messegee's Studio, Aberdeen16Three cannery workmen
sitting on cases of canned clams at Sea Beach Packing Works, plant number 2,
Copalis, Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916? 17Three clam diggers in
wagon pulled by white horses, Copalis, Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916? 18Two clam diggers beside
horse-drawn wagon, Copalis, Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916? 19Weighing in clams at
Sea Beach Packing Works, plant number 2, Copalis, Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916? 110Hauling clams up to
cannery at Sea Beach Packing Works, plant number 2, Copalis,
Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916? 111Cannery truck at Sea
Beach Packing Works, plant number 2, Copalis, Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916? 112Damon Halferty and his
dog "Bob" standing near horse-drawn wagon loaded with several cases of "Pioneer
Minced Sea Clams"between 1912
and 1916? 113Part of Sea Beach
Packing Works, plant number 2, Copalis, Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916? 114Corner of Sea Beach
Packing Works, plant number 2, Copalis, Washington, showing company store and
post office in the background
1912? 115Company store, Sea
Beach Packing Works, plant number 2, Copalis, Washingtonbetween 1912
and 1916? 116Company boarding house,
Sea Beach Packing Works, plant number 2, Copalis, Washington, with Guy P.
Halferty, Jr. on boardwalkbetween 1912
and 1916? 117Guy Jr. and others
standing in front of the pool room at Copalis, Washington1912 118-19Pioneer Packing
Company, Cordova, Alaska
1916? 120-21Crate label for Pioneer
Minced Sea Clams, designed after the company was taken over by Guy P.
Halfertybetween 1912
and 1916? 122Pioneer Minced Sea
Clams can labels, designed after the company was taken over by Guy P.
Halfertybetween 1912
and 1916?