In 1869 in Camden, New Jersey, Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson set out with a simple idea: make good food more accessible.
It was a moment of transformation in the United States. Cities were growing, railroads were expanding, and households were beginning to rely on new ways of feeding their families. The earliest food we sold—canned fruits and vegetables—met that moment, helping extend shelf life and bring greater convenience into everyday life.
A defining moment came in 1876, just across the Delaware River in Philadelphia at the Centennial International Exhibition. There, emerging innovations in food signaled a new direction. Among them was canned soup.
Joseph Campbell saw its potential immediately. He pushed to expand into canned soup, but his partner disagreed. The difference in vision led to their split in 1877. Campbell moved forward on his own, reshaping the company’s direction and bringing in new investment from Arthur Dorrance, who would play a key role in guiding the business.
The shift toward soup production did not happen overnight. It required experimentation, capital, and a willingness to rethink the business. The transition also coincided with a leadership change: after Joseph Campbell suffered a stroke in 1894 and left the company, Arthur Dorrance took full ownership. Still, the Campbell name remained, reflecting the trust and reputation the company had built over our first 25 years.
By 1895, Campbell’s® had introduced its first ready-to-eat soup—an important step, but not yet the breakthrough.
That breakthrough came two years later.
In 1897, Dr. John T. Dorrance, Arthur Dorrance’s nephew, joined the company and addressed one of its biggest challenges: the cost of shipping a product that was mostly water. His solution was both practical and transformative—remove the water and let consumers add it back in at home. With that idea, condensed soup was born.
The impact was immediate. By reducing weight and volume, we could lower costs, expand distribution, and reach more households. What had been a regional product quickly became a national one.
In the decades that followed, we grew alongside the country. As highways expanded and supermarkets spread across the nation, American families increasingly looked for food that was convenient, consistent and delicious. Campbell’s met that demand, becoming a familiar presence in kitchens across the country.
As Campbell’s grew, so did a new generation of food entrepreneurs.
By the 1930s and 1940s, food innovation was increasingly shaped by economic hardship, health concerns, and changing consumer habits. During the Great Depression, new ideas emerged in response to economic and nutritional challenges. In 1933, W.G. Peacock created a vegetable juice designed to deliver nutrition which became V8®.
A few years later, Connecticut mother Margaret Rudkin turned the simple act of baking for her son’s health into what became Pepperidge Farm®. And in Texas, a syrup business struggling due to nationwide sugar ration would pivot into something new, becoming Pace Foods ®.
During WWII, we supported the war effort by producing military rations and holding employee war bond drives. Swanson also produced military rations, adding canning capabilities that later helped reshape its business.
After World War II, the pace of change accelerated. National distribution systems expanded, supermarkets became central to American life, and convenience became a defining factor in how people chose what to eat. We adapted again, scaling production and acquiring V8, Swanson, and Pepperidge Farm. These brands were introducing new innovations including the Swanson TV Dinner, Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish®, and Pepperidge Farm’s distinctive cookie collection.
As American’s eating habits changed, new businesses formed to meet their needs. Kettle Brand, founded in 1978 by Cameron Healy, and Cape Cod Potato Chips, founded by Steve Bernard in 1980, reflected renewed interest in authenticity and craftsmanship.
In 1992, the renowned New York City restaurant Rao’s, under the leadership of Frank Pellegrino Sr. began offering people at home an opportunity to experience their sauces, through Rao’s Homemade®.
By the early twenty-first century, newer brands such as Late July® and Snack Factory® Pretzel Crisps responded to growing demand for unique and flavorful reinvention within familiar categories like tortilla chips and pretzels.
These stories reveal more than the history of individual brands. They tell a broader American story of entrepreneurship, innovation, and resilience. From New Jersey to North Carolina and Connecticut to Texas, founders turned practical ideas into enduring brands by recognizing the needs of their consumers.
