The following story has been submitted by the Logan County History Center:
By: Mary E. Mortimer
The DeGraff Canning Co. was incorporated in April 1907 to process corn and tomatoes. Early operations were substantial; one report noted forty women peeling tomatoes and the facility processing 500 bushels in a single day, with only 84 bushels remaining by nightfall. Workers were paid four cents per bucket, and their checks were accepted as cash throughout DeGraff. At peak performance, the plant produced 18,000 cans of tomatoes in a day and achieved a test rate of 76 cans per minute. The company reorganized in October 1920 as The DeGraff Food Co.
In 1937, under Manager Ernest Thatcher, the plant prepared for a continuous, round‑the‑clock canning season. Operations employed 50–75 workers and managed 50 acres of peas, 800 acres of corn, and 175 acres of tomatoes. Students from DeGraff and Quincy vocational agriculture programs cultivated twenty of the tomato acres. Pumpkin acreage was also contracted for canning.
The Logan County Children’s Home farm reported in 1939 that they had 5,000 tomato plants in their garden and had delivered over 14 tons of tomatoes to the company. In 1941, the U.S. Government awarded the business $15,972 for canned tomatoes. The company was acquired in May 1946 by the newly formed DeGraff Packing Co., led by J.C. Swonger, Royin G. Hess, William B. Swonger, and W.H. Doane. The Swonger brothers were also affiliated with the St. Marys Packing Co.
In 1947, the plant conducted trial production of pre‑cooked Irish potatoes alongside pork and beans. At the time, potato canning remained largely experimental, with only a small number of U.S. canneries pursuing it. Manager Robert F. Ash estimated output at 50,000 cans of pork and beans and 70 tons of potatoes. They planned to hire approximately 75 additional employees, about half of whom would be women.
By January 1951, the DeGraff plant was operating as a subsidiary of the St. Marys Packing Co., packing peas, sweet corn, tomatoes, tomato juice, pork and beans, and hominy.
National civil‑defense concerns and military needs significantly increased demand for canned goods. Government contracts accounted for 60% of the company’s 1950 production and were expected to rise to 75% in 1951, prompting farmers to expand acreage from 350 to 1,100 acres.
The Springfield News Sun reported in April 1951 that, “A tin can may be your only safe source of food after an atom bomb has fallen in your area. This is one of the reasons why the canning industry has been asked to increase its production. Requirements for the enlarged armed forces are also necessitating greater efforts by canning firms and farmers”.
That year, the Logan County Children’s Home earned $800 from three acres of tomatoes and $736 from sweet corn grown for the plant. In 1952, the installation of a new corn line increased processing capacity by 50%, incorporating automated equipment that regulated cream‑style corn consistency and processed whole‑kernel corn for use as a natural cream substitute for dry starch. The plant employed approximately 225 workers at this time.
In July 1955, spraying of 2,4‑D herbicide along local highways damaged a substantial portion of the company’s crops, affecting 150 of 225 acres of tomatoes and 300 acres of corn, which required supplemental tomatoes to be shipped from Delphos. By 1957, the plant was placed on standby with no contracted acreage for tomatoes or sweet corn and was designated a reserve facility to be used only in the event of surplus production at the St. Marys Food Co. (formerly St. Marys Packing Co.). Consequently, all field and picker positions were eliminated. That same year, the DeGraff Packing Co. and two local farmers filed a $25,600 damage claim against the United Telephone Co. related to the 1955 losses; the case was settled out of court in 1962.
The plant eventually ceased operations. In January 1965, the six‑acre property and buildings formerly occupied by the DeGraff Packing Co. were purchased by the DeGraff Hatcheries Co.
Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County History. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday – Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.
