Leslie-California Salt Co.

Product Details

Historical Context

In 1903, C. E. Whitney, a dredger by trade, bought 200 acres of land south of Alvinza Hayward’s property, east of the railroad tracks in San Mateo, California and developed a salt-evaporating business. The railroad that ran through San Mateo was ideal for transporting the bulky material to the market and there was a cheap, abundant labor supply in the area that would work for the $5.40 he paid for the six-day workweek. The work was demanding. A large workforce was needed because everything was lifted with shovels and moved in wheelbarrows. It was backbreaking work and mainly Japanese were used for this business in San Mateo.

The company started by C. E. Whitney was named the Leslie Salt Refining Co., but changed to Leslie-California Salt Company in 1924 after many consolidations occurred with other companies.

The company later became the Leslie Salt Company with production headquartered in Newark, Alameda County. Leslie Salt operateed approximately 50,000 acres of concentrating ponds through which salt water from the ocean flowed in a never-ending cycle. The function of these ponds, through evaporation, was to increase the salinity of the slowly-flowing brine to the point where salt would crystallize. At this point, the heavy, reddish brine was transferred to crystallizing ponds where the winds and heat ofsummer finished the evaporating job and deposited salt crystals in a five-inch layer - making the salt ready for harvest.

In late September each year, huge harvesters would go to work night and day in the crystallizing ponds, loading salt into the washing plants. Operating six harvesters, Leslie was able to stockpile over 20,000 tons daily of crude salt about 99 percent pure.

Toward the end of December, the harvest was finished, and the vast stockpiles became a familiar sight to anyone traveling in the area - both on land and by air.

The company was purchased by Cargill in 1978.

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