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| E. Waldo Ward & Son :: History |
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in 1891, a man named Edwin Waldo Ward Sr. moved to Sierra Madre, California
with a dream. He first purchased 10 acres of land from the town's founder,
Nathaniel Carter, and planted the land with Navel oranges. He acquired
20 more acres a few years later totaling 30 acres of land. At the time,
he was a salesman for James P. Smith & Co., a New York importer of
luxury foods. Ward became the company's western representative. He married
in 1900 and built the beautiful home and the red barn on Highland Avenue
in 1902. Both buildings are still used today. |
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 Ward
certainly knew the fine-food business and made important contacts over the
years. And these were all advantages in later years when he started his
business. His dream was to make English style marmalade. An English friend
was traveling to Spain and Ward gave him money to purchase two trees of
the special variety of the orange tree that was needed. These trees arrived
in America and became the grafting stock for a grove that numbered over
600 trees. Those two trees thrive today, however, they are no longer on
Ward land. The Ward ranch is around 2.5 acres today.
Ward's big dream was to produce his own marmalade here on the ranch. In
1915 he retired as a salesman and for three years experimented with marmalade
making. By 1918, satisfied he had the recipe he was seeking, he began his
preserving business.
The business thrived, and for years, when dining was a fine experience on
trains crossing America, Ward's marmalade was the only one served on several
trains. WWI also cut off food imports from overseas and Ward was ready to
supply the market here. Other products have been added since then and today,
marmalade is only 10% of the fine foods we produce.
Behind the home, barely visible from the
street, is the Ward canning factory building. Today, about 10 to 15 people
are employed. Many are long-time employees. But the company will always
remain small in order to preserve the high quality which is the Ward standard.
Our products are made using the best ingredients and methods possible.
For example, we use only pure cane sugar, not corn syrup as in most jams.
This gives the best flavor. We sell only the finest imported olive oil,
from the first pressing of the olives. And our marmalades are still made
directly from fresh citrus (not canned peel).
Carrying on this idea of "the best" today is Richard Ward, the
third generation, and Jeff Ward, the fourth. We hope you enjoy this web
site and please let us know what you think.
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