Joseph Campbell

Pantry Staples are on everybody’s minds these days, and it’s hard to think of canned food without thinking of Campbell’s Soup. Joseph Campbell, founder of Campbell Soup Company was buried in  The Woodlands  in 1900. This tour will take you through a brief history of Joseph Campbell and his innovative soup company, and lead you through The Woodlands to visit his gravesite in Section C, not far from the Hamilton Mansion

In 1869 Joseph Campbell bought half of Abraham Anderson's canning factory in Camden, New Jersey. The business produced a variety of canned goods, including soups, but the owners argued over the growth of the company. Campbell bought out Anderson's shares in 1876 and sought new partners to expand the company. By 1882, he had renamed the business the Joseph Campbell Preserving Company, thus establishing the Campbell name in the food industry. He acquired three new partners, including Arthur Dorrance. Dorrance's nephew, John T. Dorrance, invented the process for removing water from the canned soups. The condensed soup business allowed the company to ship and sell the soups at much lower prices than their competitors.

Campbell Soup Company has remained the iconic brand you recognize from childhood, while at the same time undergoing many changes since its founding in the mid 1800’s. Campbells has been in the news recently as the company refocuses its efforts on their flagship product - soup. You can listen to a radio story about this shift on WHYY's "The Why": 

 https://whyy.org/episodes/is-campbell-soup-staging-a-comeback/ 

You can learn more about other Notable Burials at The Woodlands on our website:  http://woodlandsphila.org/notables 

And learn more about Campbell’s Soup here:  https://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/about-campbell/ 

Our most vulnerable communities need help now more than ever. Please consider supporting your local food bank with a donation. Philabundance is working to ensure individuals and families have access to the food they need while preventing the spread of the COVID-19. Learn more and donate here:  https://www.philabundance.org/covid19/