June 24, 2023
2023-06-24T00:00:00
Rosario Straits Packing Company
First salmon canned in Anacortes (1896)
Saturday, June 24, 2023
The first canneries in Anacortes – Fidalgo Island Packing Co., Anacortes Canning Co., and Rosario Straits Canning Co. – were built in 1896, but Rosario, the last to begin construction, became the first to successfully begin canning salmon on this date in 1896. A reported half a million cans had been stockpiled for the opening, enough to run the cannery at full capacity for an expected 8-10 days. In 1905 the cannery was purchased by Porter Fish Co., which also purchased the nearby Robinson Fisheries building in 1911. Fishermen’s Packing Corp. operated the plant 1938-1978, and Whitney Fidalgo operated it 1978-1985. Today Trident Seafoods Corporation operates on the site.