Who knew?
Replica schooner COLUMBIA off Beauport Hotel 9/2/2018
[photo by Phyllis Bezanson]
In 1927 the original schooner COLUMBIA was lost with all 22 hands near Sable Island. COLUMBIA had been launched in 1923 in Essex and was on a salt cod trip, likely for Gorton’s, for her previous trip was taken out there. Gorton’s was canning fish cakes – ‘Ready to Fry’, they were called, and there was great demand for such a convenience food. When I went to work for Gorton’s in 1964 ‘Ready to Fry’ was still popular but fish sticks were gaining fast in popularity.
There is a movie at the Cape Ann Museum showing the smiling crew of COLUMBIA as she departs on her fatal trip to the banks.
Also in 1927, at the site of this new hotel, Clarence Birdseye, who came to Gloucester the year COLUMBIA was launched, patented a process for rapid ‘indirect freezing’ of fish. His patents led to the birth of the frozen food industry and to the creation of fish sticks. His company, then General Seafoods, was purchased by Marjorie Merriweather Post, aided by E F Hutton and Goldman Sachs, becoming General Foods. The Birdseye brand today is known worldwide.
Birdseye’s plant stood here until just a few years ago when it was replaced by Beauport. The plant had a distinctive tower that housed an elevator to carry salt cod to the roof for drying in the sun.
Al Bezanson
Good Morning Gloucester 
The last voyage of COLUMBIA
https://goodmorninggloucester.org/2017/06/30/are-fishcakes-obsolete-__-no-12-from-al-bezanson/
Al Bezanson
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Gorton’s salt cod helped make Gloucester known throughout America. Then, along came Clarence Birdseye. Fish sticks were a result of his work and eventually took the place of Ready to Fry.
A wonderful product. I miss it.
Al Bezanson
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Great article and what a source here for the history books. And the cans above remember the cod fish cakes I miss a lot of the food back then even had Sam the fisherman in his Cushman truck serving the customers from his truck on his route. Think there was a method where hung something out for fish he would stop be horn go down the stairs to Washington street tell him what you wanted he would fillet it wrap it up all set for the cook…
Great Job Joey and AL!! Dave:-) & Kim 🙂 .
P.S. Good thing is we do have a very large selection of Gorton’s seafood here in South Korea at our installation commissary!! 🙂 Dave
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