Will and Joseph Hunt established the Hunt Brothers Cannery on this site in 1896, and the industry and loyalty of Hayward's people made it a success. By the mid 1940's, Hunt Brothers Cannery had become the world's largest cannery. After merging to form Hunt-Wesson Foods Inc., Hunt's closed the Hayward plant and moved to Fullerton in 1978, ending the era of the tomato for Hayward. As Hayward's principal employer, Hunt's provided employment to generations of Hayward residents.