When Lincoln Fay introduced the Concord Grape to Chautauqua County in the late 1850s, most people would have been hard pressed to predict that the 60-mile-long, three-mile-wide strip along the south shore of Lake Erie would come to be the oldest and largest Concord grape growing region in the world.  At the time, the area between Silver Creek, NY, and Harborcreek, PA, boasted vineyards featuring a number of grape varieties—primarily utilized for making wines.

But as it happened, however, the bitter winter of 1872-73 destroyed most of the region’s vineyards.  But the Concord plants proved themselves capable of resisting Western New York’s harsh cold.  With much of the local wine business reeling from the disaster, growers sought other economic opportunities—and those included the Concord grape.  In 1870, there had been a mere 500 acres planted with Concord vines.  Yet a mere decade later, that number had grown to more than 14,000 acres. Not surprisingly, the supply of Concord grapes quickly outpaced local demand, and growers began to seek markets farther afield.  

One of the chief obstacles to long-range shipments of Concord table grapes, however, was the lack of a suitable container that would preserve the fruit during its journey.  Enter Orrin Stray.  In the late 1860s, this Ohio vineyard owner and basket maker had begun to experiment with a grape basket that would be an improvement over the coffee containers that had proved unsuitable for grape transport.  The result of Stray’s efforts was the Climax basket. This short, elongated basket featured a solid bottom, veneered sides and handle, a reinforcing band around the top and a veneer lid attached by wire clips. The basket’s handle did not collapse, but by alternating the direction of the baskets, the sturdy design allowed them to be safely stacked several baskets high without risking damage to their contents.

Stray’s basket, combined with increased interest in the table grape trade on the part of the railroads that served what had become known as the Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt (led by the Nickel Plate Road), resulted in a significant increase in table grape shipments from the region that would last for the next 60 years. With a basket capable of protecting the grapes on their journey to distant markets, shippers needed a way to distinguish their product from that of others.  And so not only did the Climax basket provide the region with a solid economic solution, it also gave rise to a plethora of colorful—and highly artistic—labels. What better way to brighten up the dreary winter months than with a gallery of these brightly colored labels?

Want to know the rest of the fascinating history behind the Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt?  Then be sure to check out the newest special publication from Western New York Heritage: John Thomas Slater’s Legends of the Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt.  Visit our website (wnyheritage.org) or scan the QR code to get your copy while they last.  In the meantime, we hope you will enjoy this unique edition of the Old Photo Album.

Anne Conable is manager of community engagement at the downtown Central Library and serves on the boards of both The Buffalo History Museum and Western New York Heritage. She is an avowed Lincoln fan and no less of one of several of Buffalo’s significant figures, including Julius Francis, Samuel Wilkeson, Seth Grosvenor and Chauncey Hamlin.