C.B. Foods, Division of Curtis Burns Inc., Alton

History - Sodus

C.B. Foods, Division of Curtis Burns Inc., Alton

The Charles F. Burns Co. had its beginning at the turn of the century in the heart of the fruit belt of Wayne County packing fresh and dried apples. In 1925, Edward Burns joined his father and in 1927, the firm changed its name to C.F. Burns and Son.

At one time many fruit farmers dried part of their apple crop in small operations on their farms for their own consumption and for sale. It has been said that in 1904 there were 400 dry house operations in the town of Sodus. The farmer then sold his dried fruit to a local packer who would sell the product to markets outside the area. As improvement in crop yields were made, the individual farmer could no longer handle his own evaporatingj and marketing of the dried apples. By the early 1890's commercial dry house operations became common. An early commercial apple drying firm in Wayne County was run by Charles F. Burns in Alton, New York between 1900 and the late 1920's.

In the late 1920's the dried apple business showed signs of fading from popularity and the firm decided to enter the canning field. The first year of expansion they packed cherries (frozen in barrels), peas, beans, pears and applesauce. Today the product line includes beets and beans. A major portion of the production line is sold under buyer labels such as Blue Boy.

In 1960 the firm combined its various corporations into two, with the canning and sales portions to be known as Burns-Alton Corporation. About 1976 the firm became known as C.B. Foods, Division of Curtis-Burns Inc. Within the past few years, Comstock Foods with operations in Newark, Red Creek and Egypt was purchased from Borden's and is now a division of C.B. Foods.

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