Crescent Foods

Crescent Foods, Inc. was a Seattle, Washington spice and flavorings company founded in 1883 that was bought by McCormick & Company in 1989.

Earliest history

Crescent's earliest incarnation was a spice business operated in a Seattle store. Six years its creation came the Great Seattle fire, and then the economic depression of 1893 which the company struggled through.

Business recovered in 1897 with the discovery of gold in Alaska. Seattle became the jumping off point for the Klondike Gold Rush as the last city between the continental US and the gold fields of the north.

Crescent produced Mapeline, a flavoring sold to consumers to make home-made imitation maple syrup that became popular during the Great Depression.

Centennial, 1983

When the company's centennial was near, the owners hired Archie Satterfield to produce a book based on interviews with the owners and longtime employees. "Archie produced exactly what we wanted: A conservative chronicle that we used for gifts and public relations," said Dick Weaver, Vice President.

Sale

In 1989, the retail spice business of Crescent Foods was purchased by McCormick & Company.

References

• Crescent Manufacturing Company at HistoryLink.org

External links

• McCormick & Company
• Archie Satterfield
• Crescent Mfg. Co. in 1916 at 93 Yesler Way. Seattle Municipal Archives.