The Monterey Bay Aquarium sits on the site that was once Monterey‘s largest fish packing plant, the Hovden Cannery.  Upon entering the Aquarium, visitors can learn about Monterey’s history, from the canneries that fed soldiers during both world wars to John Steinbeck who wrote about Cannery Row during its prime.

“Soldiers ate Monterey sardines during both World Wars, but demand fell afterward.  Europeans could catch their own fish again, and Americans just weren’t that fond of canned fish.”

This large, steel bucket was used to pull sardines into the assembly line that cooked, cleaned and packaged Portola Sardines. The Hovden Cannery opened in 1916 and was the largest on Cannery Row, employing 4,000 at its peak.  It closed its doors in 1973 after the sardine fishery collapsed.

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