Mariposa Apples Crate Label Tote Bag

Mariposa Apples were packed and shipped out from California by Otis, McAllister & Company whose main office was in San Francisco, California. Growers first started using fruit and vegetable crate labels in the late 19th century. Labels were glued on the ends of wooden crates to identify the contents, place or origin, and the packer's name. Packers made an effort to display their produce with colorful and attractive labels in order to generate more business at the local market. These colorful labels were pasted onto wooden crates and shipped all over the nation for nearly 70 years. In the late 1950's labels were no longer used because pre-printed boxes replaced the older wooden crates. The leftover labels were gathered up by collectors, dealers, and old orchard owners. These unused labels make up the trading stock that exists today.