Gerber Tannery

Location: Water & South Streets at Tannery Hill, Douglas

Local tanning enterprises lasted only as long as the valuable hemlock tree bark used for ‘tanning’ leather remained plentiful. The Gerbers were early Douglas entrepreneurs who invested in leather tanning, fruit farming, basket making, and real estate. Daniel Gerber purchase what was an earlier tannery begun by the Wade family at Tannery Creek in 1864 and enlarged it and ran it as a business until it was sold in 1871 to the Wallin family who operated another tannery at Dingleville. The Gerbers are best known in Douglas for their supposed invention of what became known worldwide: Gerber Baby Food. The story goes that it was invented for grandma Gerber who had trouble chewing. They had a large Greek Revival house at Union/South street (still standing)—and were active in many civic affairs.