San Diego’s waterfront shaped by early 20th-century fish canneries

San Diego’s waterfront was once a hub for the commercial fishing industry, with fishing boats delivering tons of fish to local canneries. According to the Times of San Diego, workers at these plants cleaned, processed, and packed fish into cans that were then shipped across the country.

The fish-canning industry began on a small scale in 1909 when Alex J. Steele and Edward Hume established a sardine cannery at La Playa. The first sardines were canned there in October of that year, marking the start of San Diego’s commercial fish-canning industry.

Tuna soon became the dominant product, with the Pacific Tuna Canning Co. starting operations at the foot of F Street in 1911. This plant was capable of producing thousands of one-pound cans daily, distributing its products to Eastern markets.

These canneries played a significant role in transforming San Diego’s waterfront during the early 20th century. They helped create a network of factories, docks, and businesses along San Diego Bay, making commercial fishing a major local industry.