Cannery Row

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Cannery Row looking north toward the end of the row where the Monterey Bay Aquarium now sits next to the bay Line3012 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg
Cannery Row looking north toward the end of the row where the Monterey Bay Aquarium now sits next to the bay
Cannery Row at night Cannery Row at night.jpg
Cannery Row at night

Cannery Row is a waterfront street in the New Monterey section of Monterey, California, known for formerly being home to a number of now-defunct sardine canneries. The last closed in 1973. The street name, formerly a nickname for Ocean View Avenue, became official in January 1958 to honor John Steinbeck and his novel Cannery Row . [1] In the novel's opening sentence, Steinbeck described the street as "a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream." The street borders the adjacent city of Pacific Grove.

Contents

History

The first sardine cannery opened on Valentine's Day, 1908. Others joined it, and profited during the two World Wars, but a sardine shortage led to their failure. Entrepreneurs subsequently resurrected Cannery Row as a tourist attraction. [2]

Cannery Row was the setting of John Steinbeck's novels Cannery Row (1945) and Sweet Thursday (1954). Both were the basis for the 1982 movie Cannery Row , starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger. It is also mentioned in Bob Dylan's song "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands". Pacific Biological Laboratories, a biological supply house, was located at 800 Ocean View Avenue (now 800 Cannery Row) from 1928 to 1948, and operated by Edward F. Ricketts, who was the inspiration for several characters in Steinbeck novels. The laboratory is still preserved.[ when? ] Across from the laboratory still exists a Chinese-American-owned store mentioned in both Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday , as well as a vacant lot that was the "home" of some of the homeless characters in the novel.[ when? ] The former reflects Chinese American history in the area, starting with Chinese immigrants who entered the fishing industry, exporting seafood and abalone shells to China, Europe, and other parts of the U.S. [3] At 851 Cannery Row, across from Pacific Biological Laboratories, is the original building that inspired the bar from the novel named La Ida Cafe. [4]

The Pacific Biological Laboratories of Ed Ricketts on Cannery Row Rickettslabfront.jpg
The Pacific Biological Laboratories of Ed Ricketts on Cannery Row

Cannery Row was adjoined by a grand mansion owned by Montana mining tycoon James Andrew Murray. Known as "Casa de las Olas" or the Murray Hacienda, the mansion was demolished in the 1940s to make way for the expansion of more canneries. A historical marker is located on the site. [5] The canneries failed after the collapse of the fishing industry in Monterey Bay in the mid-1950s, which resulted from a combination of factors, including unfavorable oceanic conditions, overfishing, and competition from other species. [6] In his investigation of where the sardines had gone, Ed Ricketts finally concluded "They're in cans." Before the collapse, the fishery was one of the most productive in the world due to the upwelling of cold yet nutrient-rich water along the California coastline. [7]

Old Hovden Cannery steam boilers MontereyBayAquariumSteamPots.JPG
Old Hovden Cannery steam boilers

Today

Today the area offshore from Cannery Row is the Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area (part of the larger Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary) [8] and is home to a large resurgent population of California sea lions.

Cannery Row itself is now a tourist attraction with many restaurants and hotels, several of which are located in former cannery buildings, and a few historic attractions. Some privately owned fishing companies still exist on Cannery Row, housed on piers located a short distance from the historic district frequented by tourists.

In recent years, Cannery Row has become increasingly popular among sport fishermen due to extensive public fishing facilities. MacAbee Beach and San Carlos Beach, which bookend Cannery Row [9] are both popular spots for kayak-launching; San Carlos Beach is one of Monterey Bay's most popular scuba-diving spots. [1]

Front entrance of the Aquarium Monterey Bay Aquarium Front.JPG
Front entrance of the Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium (opened in 1984) is located at the north end of Cannery Row, at the former site of the major Hovden Cannery. Norwegian immigrant Knut Hovden founded Hovden Food Products Corporation which opened on July 7, 1916. By canning squid at the end of its life, Hovden Cannery managed to outlast its neighbors, finally closing its doors in 1973 when it became the last cannery on the row to close. [10] [11] The aquarium remains a very popular attraction today. [12]

In 2023, Cannery Row opened a pirate-themed ride called "Treasure Hunt: The Ride". [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Edward Flanders Robb Ricketts was an American marine biologist, ecologist, and philosopher. Renowned as the inspiration for the character Doc in John Steinbeck's 1945 novel Cannery Row, Rickett's professional reputation is rooted in Between Pacific Tides (1939), a pioneering study of intertidal ecology. A friend and mentor of Steinbeck, they collaborated on and co-authored the book, Sea of Cortez (1941).

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<i>Cannery Row</i> (novel) Novel by John Steinbeck

Cannery Row is a novel by American author John Steinbeck, published in 1945. It is set during the Great Depression in Monterey, California, on a street lined with sardine canneries that is known as Cannery Row. The story revolves around the people living there: Lee Chong, the local grocer; Doc, a marine biologist; and Mack, the leader of a group of derelict people.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Biological Laboratories</span> United States historic place

Pacific Biological Laboratories, abbreviated PBL, was a biological supply house that sold preserved animals and prepared specimen microscope slides, many of which were of maritime aquatic species, to schools, museums, and research institutions. It was located in a building on what is now Monterey's Cannery Row on Monterey Bay in Monterey County, California.

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Asilomar State Marine Reserve (SMR) is one of four small marine protected areas (MPAs) located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four MPAs together encompass 2.96 square miles (7.7 km2). The SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area</span> Marine protected area in California

Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area is one of four small marine protected areas located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four areas together encompass 2.96 square miles (7.7 km2). Within SMCAs fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited except the recreational take of finfish by hook-and-line and the commercial take of giant and bull kelp under certain conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovers Point State Marine Reserve</span> Marine protected area

Lovers Point State Marine Reserve (SMR) is one of four small marine protected areas located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four MPAs together encompass 2.96 square miles (7.7 km2). The SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area</span> Marine protected area in California

Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area is one of four small marine protected areas located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four MPAs together encompass 2.96 square miles (7.7 km2). Within the SMCA fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited except the recreational take of finfish and the commercial take of giant and bull kelp by hand under certain conditions. According to the Frommer's guide, the Marine Gardens area is "renowned for ocean views, flowers, and tide-pool seaweed beds."

Portuguese Ledge State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is an offshore marine protected area in Monterey Bay. Monterey Bay is on California's central coast with the city of Monterey at its south end and the city of Santa Cruz at its north end. The SMCA covers 10.9 square miles (28 km2). Within the SMCA fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited except the commercial and recreational take of pelagic finfish.

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Knut Hovden was a Norwegian canner, innovator, and businessman.

References

  1. 1 2 Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau: Cannery Row
  2. "The Canneries". Cannery Row. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  3. Van Tilburg, Hans; Moore, Elizabeth (December 2022). "In Search of Ancestors: A Scientist's Lifelong Search for Family, Fishing, and Fortitude along Monterey's Coast". NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
  4. "John Steinbeck's Cannery Row Literary Tour". 7 November 2019.
  5. Farley, Bill (2018-03-10). James A. Murray : Butte's radical Irish millionaire. Missoula, Montana. ISBN   9780878426829. OCLC   1019743586.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Food Watch Pacific Sardine Report (PDF). Monterey Bay Aquarium. March 11, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  7. "Upwelling", NOAA Ocean Explorer
  8. Guide to the Central California Marine Protected Areas: Pigeon Point to Point Conception (PDF). California Department of Fish and Game. September 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  9. Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau: Monterey Beaches
  10. "Introduction to California's wetfish industry" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  11. "Cannery Days: From the Bay to the Can (Monterey Bay Aquarium)". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  12. www.montereybayaquarium.org https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/ . Retrieved 2023-11-28.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. "It's a pirate's life for thee on Cannery Row's Treasure Hunt". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-10.

Further reading

36°36′59″N121°54′02″W / 36.6165°N 121.9006°W / 36.6165; -121.9006