The Edgett-Burnham Company - Newark NY 14513

History - Newark

The Edgett-Burnham Company

Canning of fruits and vegetables began its history in Wayne County in 1863 with the opening of the Edgett firm in Newark. Wayne County food processors were always in the forefront of the development of the "art of food preservation."

Edgett-Burnham, Newark:

The first canning in upstate New York was done by two Edgett brothers - A.S. and Ezra A. - in Camden, NY in 1851-52. Ezra Edgett moved his operation to Newark, NY in 1863 and operated under the name of Wayne County Preserving Co. In 1866 he opened a factory on the banks of the Erie Canal.

Mr. E. K. Burnham came into the organization after Ezra Edgett's death in 1889. The corporate name was eventually changed to Edgett-Burnham Company. The firm remained one of the five packers of vegetables until 1973 when it closed its operation.

The firm of Edgett-Burnham canned a variety of crops - asparagus, beans, corn, beets, peas, pumpkin, cucumbers, blackberries, carrots, strawberries and apples. In the later years the firm concentrated on processing beets, green and wax beans, corn and peas. Their produce was sold under the label of "Faultless".

Edgett-Burnham Co. was one of the three original members of the New York State Canners and Freezers Association which was formed in 1885.

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