Oregon Sugar Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sugar beet cultivation and processing |
| Founded | February 12, 1898 |
| Founder | David Eccles, Charles W. Nibley, George Stoddard |
| Headquarters | La Grande , United States |
Key people | David Eccles (president), Thomas R. Cutler (board member), Charles W. Nibley (board member), George Stoddard (board member), William Eccles (board member) |
| Products | Granulated sugar |
The Oregon Sugar Company was a venture focused on cultivating and processing sugar beets, founded by the same individuals behind the Amalgamated Sugar Company located in Utah.
Formally established on February 12, 1898, by David Eccles, Charles W. Nibley, and George Stoddard, the corporation convened its initial shareholder meeting on February 26, 1898, in Baker City, Oregon. Shortly thereafter, a processing plant was erected in La Grande, Oregon. Eccles took on the role of president, supported by a board comprising Thomas R. Cutler, Nibley, Stoddard, and William Eccles. The factory’s construction was carried out by the E. H. Dyer Construction Company from Cleveland, Ohio, designed to closely replicate the Amalgamated facility in Ogden.
Alongside the establishment of the company in 1898, the sugar beet refinery in La Grande was developed concurrently with the creation of the company town of Nibley, Oregon, where Mormon farmers grew beets specifically for processing.
By 1904, due to local farmers’ hesitance to cultivate beets, Oregon Sugar began growing crops directly after acquiring a substantial tract of land. Nevertheless, sugar beet yields in this area were disappointing, leading management to seriously contemplate shutting down the plant by 1907. An independent expert conducted a thorough evaluation and concluded that productivity prospects remained poor despite possible adjustments. In 1908, operations lasted only 28 days because of inadequate harvests, prompting intentions to dismantle the factory. Ultimately described as "a mistake from the beginning," the plant ceased operations in 1912; however, removal was postponed to allow time for relocating equipment.
An 1898 report from the La Grande Daily Chronicle detailed the factory’s workings: its main structure contained 320 tons of steel and over 1500 tons of machinery. Beets were conveyed through channels of water for washing and slicing before juice extraction using steam-heated diffusion cells—a technique akin to extracting flavors from coffee or tea. The resulting juice was chemically treated with lime, with anticipated production reaching six million pounds of granulated sugar during that season.