Female employees label cans at LaPorte's Heinz pickle factory. Photo courtesy of LaPorte County Historical Society Museum (click to enlarge)

   Every time you eat a Heinz pickle product, think of LaPorte County with pride.

   Henry John “Harry” Heinz (1844-1919) was the son of John and Anna (Schmitt) Heinz. Born in Birmingham, PA, he was the first of nine children. His mother had a garden envied by all. This may have been the beginning of Harry’s vegetable business; he was immensely interested in his mother’s garden and enlarged upon it at the early age of 12.

   Harry “H.J.” Heinz kept a personal diary — in fact, 18 of them — covering the years of 1875-1894. According to biographer Robert C. Alberts, to whom the diaries were made available, Heinz was driven by the third of his “Important Ideas”: To improve the finished product that comes out of the bottle, can or crock, you must improve it in the ground, where and when it is grown. To that end Heinz drew up agreements in April 1880 with pickle growers around LaPorte.

   Heinz contracted with the growers to supply them with seed and to buy their entire harvest, produced under specified conditions, at a price agreed upon at the time of the planting and noted with this diary entry:

   “September 11, 1880, LaPorte, Indiana: I began at 2 p.m. today to receive signers for the growing of pickles the coming year and had signers for 25 acres by 6 p.m. at 45 cents cash or 50 cents one-half cash, one-half January 15, 1881. This is ten cents more than last year.”

   But Heinz’ business in LaPorte soon extended beyond the pickle growers.

   According to local newspaper accounts, in the summer of 1880, the first venture in the establishment of salting stations outside of Pittsburgh, PA, was made by securing an unusual railroad shop in LaPorte. The shop was fitted with 15 tanks to care for the first season’s crop. LaPorte was also the first venture in outside packing of finished goods.

   Then a LaPorte factory was erected in 1892, the oldest among branch establishments, as well as one of the most complete. The venture employed about 150 between the factory and the gardens. The factory site comprised about 6.5 acres, situated between the then tracks of the Lake Shore and Erie railroads, with siding leading to each. The buildings consisted of the three-story processing plant, which contained about 18,000 feet of floor space, and a separate power house containing the boilers and a 40 HP engine. There were also two salting houses, together covering about 22,000 feet, and a stable accommodating six horses. The entire salt stock from 14 Indiana stations was handled here in LaPorte, converting it into sweet and sour pickles for direct shipment to various branches throughout the U.S.

   Here are some of H.J. Heinz’s other entries in his diaries regarding the LaPorte operation, some of which show the tribulations that come with such a business:

   “August 6, 1884: … anxiety in money affairs … and our bankers cannot extend us our usual loan at this season to pay for the pickle crop at LaPorte and Walkerton, Indiana …”

   “September 8, 1884: Lice destroyed 40 acres of cabbage at LaPorte, one full car load (remaining) in 1.4 million heads planted and which looked splendid three weeks ago.”

   “August 17, 1887: “,,, installed a machine at LaPorte for cleaning onions and horseradish roots.”

   “August 25, 1887: Pickle cucumbers are coming in at the rate of 15,000 bushels a week at Walkerton and 7,000 at LaPorte, the product of 12,100 acres.”

   The “57 Varieties” slogan came about in or about 1892 when Heinz was riding in an elevated train, where he noted an advertising car card for “21 styles” of shoes. Although there were more than 60 Heinz products at that time, for some reason he chose the number 57. He immediately layed out plans for using the green pickle with the “57 Varieties” on billboards and other media.

   On Jan. 15, 1905, the LaPorte plant was destroyed by fire, causing a loss figured at $75,000, with insurance of $38,000. The origin of the fire was not known. This was a severe blow to LaPorte’s industrial interests, and the plant was not rebuilt.

FERN EDDY SCHULTZ is LaPorte County’s official Historian. Visit the LaPorte County Historical Society Museum, 2405 Indiana Ave., and its website, www.laportecountyhistory.org, to learn much more about LaPorte County’s history.