I am trying to find out more information about the Genesee Fruit
Company.  I'd like to find out it's origins and it's owners, etc.  I
work for Mott's Inc. (apple sauce, juice, etc.), we know that in 1890
Mott's "became" the Genesee Fruit Company, but haven't been able to
find anything out about how/why it became the Genesee Fruit Company
and who the Genesee Fruit Company was.  I think the Genesee Fruit
Company may have been from the Rochester NY area.

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Request for Question Clarification by claudietta-ga on 25 Sep 2002 14:08 PDT

Chris,

1. In your question, do you mean that Genessee became Mott, and not
the other way around?  In otherwords, Genessee either changed names or
was acquired by Mott.
2. It sounds like Genesee Fruit ceased to exist in 1890?

Claudietta

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Clarification of Question by chris1967-ga on 26 Sep 2002 05:43 PDT

Claudietta -

Our information states that Mott's began in 1868 in Bouckville NY and
in 1890 became the Genessee Fruit Company (with operations in
Rochester, NY).  Later in 1900, Mott's merged with the W.B. Duffy
Company to become the Duffy-Mott company.  I have a deed that states
that S.R. & J.C. Mott Company conveyed land to the Genesee Fruit
Company for the sum of one dollar on 9/22/1890.  It could be that the
Genesee Fruit Company was a shell company and this was done for tax
purposes

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Request for Question Clarification by guillermo-ga on 27 Sep 2002 23:06 PDT

Dear Chris,

As you've probably seen, I've been working on your question for a
couple of days, and I probably haven't found more information than you
so far. I came across John Taibi's article on railway history that
briefly mentions the Genesee Fruit Company, and then telephoned him,
who was very kind. He addressed me to a person called Chris from
Mott's who had already emailed him researching the same subject, and I
assumed it was you. If you confirm that my assumption is correct, to
keep following this lead would make sense for me only if you preferred
not to do further research for yourself. In that case, you may want to
post here whatever other sources Mr. Taibi gave you, if any. I didn't
want to ask him directly until I had posted this request for
clarification, not to be abusive on requesting the same information
for a second time. Still, I keep trying to get other leads on the net,
but the subject seems to remain obscure.

Please confirm if it was you who contacted Mr. Taibi, and if there are
any other sources you got from him, I suggest you post them here so we
can help you search further. Thanks.

Best regards,

Guillermo

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Clarification of Question by chris1967-ga on 30 Sep 2002 05:15 PDT

Guillermo - yes that was me who had contacted John Taibi.  He didn't
really have much information.  He directed me to a Garda Parker
(gparker@mail.colgate.edu), but we've been working with her on things
already.  She provided me with the following info:

Genesee Fruit Company-in the 1905/06 edition listed in New York City
and in
Rochester , under the headings for cider and for dried fruit. Also
listed in
Rochester in 1910 ed. of Thomas Register.
From the Rochester Images database, this company appears to have
existed
from about 1891 to 1909. However I also found it in the1915 and  1920
Thomas
Register in Rochester, and for Holley in the 1912 ed. and the 1913/14
ed.
Did not find a Duffy or Mott in this edition.
Genesee Fruit Co. was also listed in the First Annual Industrial
Directory
of New York State.

That's all I have.
Chris

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Clarification of Question by chris1967-ga on 30 Sep 2002 07:13 PDT

Thanks Guillermo, 

Anything that you can find would be of help.

Chris

Hello, Chris,

Thanks for your additional info. I'll keep trying to do some further
research, but it seems to me this is mostly an off line kind of task,
digging local archives mainly, what is out of my reach given that I’m
too far away. It’s a pity for me since I find the subject most
attractive, but I’ll encourage fellow researchers living in the area
to have their try.

Best luck!

Guillermo

The Genesee Fruit Company may have had some interstate outlets.
There's an 1897 listing for "Genesee Fruit Co., Cider, Cider Vinegar,
Evaporated Apples. Corner Beech and South, Lansing, Michigan.":

http://www.michiganhistory.org/museum/explore/museums/hismus/special/lans1897/grocer.html

A few snippets are provided in a booklet available from the Mott
Foundation, although there are no answers to your specific questions.
I include them in case they help you to "round out" your corporate
history.

In Memorium
A booklet detailing the life of C.S. Mott, our founder
Category: Special Publications
Program: General
Publication Code: MM
Published: 6/1/1973
http://www.mott.org/

Charles Stewart Mott was son of John Coon Mott, and went on to become
a Vice President of General Motors in 1616. In 1926 he formed the
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Here are a few excerpts:

John Coon Mott "had come off the family farm to pursue the cider and
vinegar business in the New York City area ... John Coon Mott, an
imaginative businessman, developed a successful beverage business -
even importing carbonic gas from Europe to put the sparkle in soda
water."

"After attending a number of public schools, Charles Stewart Mott
entered Stevens Institute of Technology to learn mechanical
engineering. At his father's request, he interrupted the course to
spend a year in Europe studying the science of fermentation.
Thereafter he returned to Stevens, being graduated as a mechanical
engineer in 1897. He entered business with his father in the family
beverage enterprise and a related company manufacturing a soda-water
carbonating machine."

"After the war [against Spain], he returned to work with his father in
the beverage and carbonating machinery companies. But on June 2, 1899,
which was C S Mott's 24th birthday, his father died. His interests
shifted and a few month later, Mr Mott went to Utica, N.Y. as
superintendent of the Weston-Mott company, manufacturer of wire
wheels. His father and uncle had purchased the company in 1896, but
the firm was struggling with financial losses in a declining wire
wheel market."

Chris,

I just wanted to tell you that I did search some old archives,
specifically those of the New York Times back to the early 1800s, and
nothing came up on the Genessee Fruit company. I did run into an
article on the Genesee River company, which I am assuming is not the
one that you are searching for, correct.

Good luck,
Claudietta