While Kent was once known for its hops (even pulling its name from a renowned hop-growing region in England), then later as “the lettuce capital of the world,” it was dairy that provided the area with its first main industry and an undeniable starting point for a brand that would go on to international fame and fortune.
The very first can of Carnation Evaporated Milk was manufactured at the Pacific Coast Condensed Milk Company on Sept. 6, 1899, in what is now downtown Kent.
This summer, the Carnation story is a major part of a special display at the Kent Historical Museum commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition.
As the Carnation brand grew in popularity, founder E.A. Stuart opened additional condenserys in Monroe, Mount Vernon, Forest Grove, Oregon and ultimately, throughout the United States. In 1909, Stuart bought 360 acres of land east of Seattle near a small town known then as Tolt. Stuart had long fancied this stretch of the Snoqualmie River and would eventually buy more farmland there so that he could raise his own “contented cows” — some of the world’s finest purebred Holsteins — for milking and research. In 1917, Tolt officially changed its name to Carnation.
In the first few weeks of production at the Kent plant, the canned milk went nameless until Stuart hit on an idea while walking down First Avenue in Seattle. Peering into a cigar shop, Stuart saw what he thought was an odd name for a box of cigars, but perfect for a product he wanted to position as safe and healthy: Carnation.
The Pacific Coast Condensed Milk Company changed its name to Carnation Milk Products Company in 1916, then again to simply The Carnation Company in 1929. In the early days, corporate offices were located both in downtown Seattle and Chicago — or wherever the well-traveled Stuart happened to be. In 1949, Carnation opened a new world headquarters in Los Angeles to be close to marketing and advertising opportunities that came with blossoming radio and TV industries. The company was acquired by Nestle in 1985. Today, Carnation and its wide variety of food products, is one of the most recognizable brands in the world with sales into the billions of dollars. And it all started in Kent.
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