[HossC]

The photo below comes with the following caption:

"This circa late 1910s photo from the Homestead’s collection shows employees of the Klein-Simpson Fruit Company, Los Angeles’ largest wholesale fruit and produce firm, in the warehouse."


The Homestead Blog

It's from an article about Klein-Simpson which also says:

"The company was originally two separate entities. Frank Simpson, a native of New York, operated a fruit company under his own name from about 1890 to 1910, and the firm was considered one of the largest produce and fruit businesses on the West Coast, according to a 1911 isue [sic] of California Fruit News.

Meantime, Arthur Klein, who hailed from Hungary, began his fruit retail and wholesale business on the historic Plaza about 1893. As the industrial area to the southeast expanded, Klein moved his operation to Ninth and Los Angeles streets by the end of the century.

The Simpson firm was one of the prime movers in the establishment of the Los Angeles Public Market Company, which built a large commercial structure on East Sixth Street near Alameda Street. A City of Los Angeles historic resources report also indicated that the Frank Simpson Fruit Company was instrumental in the creation of another public market at 9th and San Pedro streets. This was a massive six-acre project called the City Market of Los Angeles spanning from 9th to 11th and from San Pedro to San Julian and the facility exists today more than a century later."

The 1911 CD lists the address as "cor Produce and Mill", but by 1912 it's become "1338-1360 Produce". It then contracts to "1442-1360 Produce" before changing to "750 Market ct" in 1918.