Boston Sugar Refinery
Encyclopedia
The Boston Sugar Refinery was started in 1834 and is credited as the first refinery to create granulated sugar. It was the first manufacturing
business to set up shop in East Boston. Since sugar refining was a specialized process and required special machinery and knowledge John Brown traveled to London and procured plans for the building and Machinery there. The eight story brick building was built on Lewis Street from Sumner to Marginal street on two hundred and twenty square foot location purchased from the East Boston Wharf Company. Starting in 1834 it took two years to construct. The main operation was initially run by a twenty five horse power steam engine
and they employed eighty employees refining twenty five thousand boxes annually. In 1846 Fisher's National Magazine and Industrial Record listed the refinery as employing one hundred persons refining eight million pounds of sugar a year and using three thousand tons of coal to do so. Sugar refining required a great amount of coal and water – coal was shipped in but water was a consistent issue. The refinery dug many wells throughout East Boston to keep up the supply that they need to continue production. By 1852, they were refining 7000000 lb (3,175,146.6 kg). annually and an upgrade to the machinery in 1852 allowed them to increased to 25000000 lb (11,339,809.3 kg). and employ two hundred persons by 1854.
This was the first prosecution brought in front of the Supreme court under the Sherman Antitrust Act
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
business to set up shop in East Boston. Since sugar refining was a specialized process and required special machinery and knowledge John Brown traveled to London and procured plans for the building and Machinery there. The eight story brick building was built on Lewis Street from Sumner to Marginal street on two hundred and twenty square foot location purchased from the East Boston Wharf Company. Starting in 1834 it took two years to construct. The main operation was initially run by a twenty five horse power steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
and they employed eighty employees refining twenty five thousand boxes annually. In 1846 Fisher's National Magazine and Industrial Record listed the refinery as employing one hundred persons refining eight million pounds of sugar a year and using three thousand tons of coal to do so. Sugar refining required a great amount of coal and water – coal was shipped in but water was a consistent issue. The refinery dug many wells throughout East Boston to keep up the supply that they need to continue production. By 1852, they were refining 7000000 lb (3,175,146.6 kg). annually and an upgrade to the machinery in 1852 allowed them to increased to 25000000 lb (11,339,809.3 kg). and employ two hundred persons by 1854.
Sugar Trust
The Boston Sugar Refinery became a part of the Sugar Trust in 1887. The sugar refiners seized on the benefits of Tariffs levied on foreign competition as they had seen done in the oil industry. Through this trust 98 percent of the US sugar market was controlled. The trust was brought to court.The government decided to sue in Pennsylvania federal court, alleging that the combinations were designed to restrain trade and create a monopoly in the sale and manufacturing of sugar. But the lower court didn't agree and the government appealed up to the Supreme Court
.
This was the first prosecution brought in front of the Supreme court under the Sherman Antitrust Act