Image of Parker’s fruit grading machine in a packing house comes from his 1911 case against th

Image of Parker’s fruit grading machine in a packing house comes from his 1911 case against the El Ranchito Citrus Association.

Pulp Non-Fiction

We tease our Director a lot about her interest in the citrus industry in southern California.  But we have to admit, these are “juicy” images!  Both were taken from court cases that were a part of a rather fractious relationship between two Riverside area inventor-manufacturers: George D. Parker and Fred Stebler.  From 1908-1934, Parker, owner of the Parker Machine Works, and Stebler, owner of the California Iron Works, filed a series of patent infringement cases against each other and the growers and packers who were their customers. 

Image of George Parker’s crate stapling machine from his widow’s 1925 case against Golden Orange Groves.

These cases provide an in-depth look at the machines that revolutionized the packing and shipping of fruit including this fruit sizing sorter and crate stapling machine. Transcripts and exhibits provide a good look at not only the development of the machines, but also the development of the industry and the unique relationship between Parker and Stebler, who merged their companies in 1921 to form the Stebler-Parker Company.  To learn more about the history of citrus in this area, visit the California Citrus State Historical Park.