Maine's Hot Dog History

THIS PAGE IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS

The bulk of my research for this section is from the Internet and a booklet produced by the Newcomen Society in 1992 entitled “Jordan’s Meats: A Thriving Business in its Third Generation…Built Primarily on Hot Dogs.

It was in this booklet that I discovered that there was numerous small sausage making company’s through-out the state that either went out of business or were acquired by larger companies and as you will read almost all of them were bought out by the same company.

I’ve included what I like to think are the major players and those that remain in production today.  In the first section you will learn the reason why we have red natural casing hot dogs in Maine.  During the course of my research I asked current manufactures Old Neighborhood, Kayem, and W.A. Bean & Sons Meats and none of them new why but they all had their guesses.    

Schonland Brothers

Charles and Richard Schonland Brothers started Schonland Brothers in 1891 on Fore Street and later moved to Union St in 1895.  They originated the Red Natural Casing Hot Dogs to differentiate their product from the competition. 

In 1935 Joseph Jordan purchased Schonland Brothers and the Schonland Brothers Brand continued as a separate product line until 1943 when the WWII meat shortage forced operations to be merged.

Not to be confused with their father’s company Schonland’s Franks and Sausages that was opened in 1883 in Lawrence, Massachusetts and sold to Kayem Foods Incorporated in 1987.  Kayem continues to produce natural casing hot dogs with the Schonland original recipe.  

For more information about Schonland's Franks & Sausages follow this link to Cow Hampshire. 

Jordan’s Meats

Jordan’s Meats founded by Joseph F. Jordan in Portland, Maine

Joseph started working for the Schonland Brothers as a sausage maker in 1919 and in 1925 he and Max Ruelke opened a sausage plant at 131 – 133 Commercial St Portland the Jordan & Ruelke Company.   The company failed after only a year.

In 1927 Joseph and his wife Emma opened Jordan’s Ready-To-Eat-Meats.  Business thrived to the point where in 1935 they purchased the Schonland Brothers.   The Schonland Brothers Brand continued as a separate product line until 1943 when the WWII meat shortage forced operations to be merged.  Jordan’s continued the Schonland tradition of producing the Red Hot Dog due to popular demand.

Also because of the war Sheep intestines, used as the natural casings for sausage products could not be imported from New Zealand and Australia so Jordan’s turned to making skinless hot dogs.

In 1949 Joseph F. Jordan passed away unexpectedly and his son at age 22 Joseph “Chet” Jordan took over the company.

In 1962 Jordan’s Meats moved to their most modern facility on India Street in Portland also that same year they purchase hot dog competitor C.H. Rice Company of Bangor building them a new plant in Bangor and keeping the company running. 

In June 1992 Jordan’s purchased long-time rival the Joseph Kirschner Company of Augusta and Shultz Brand Products in New Hampshire.  Kirschner was maintained as a separate entity from Jordan’s.

In 1997 Jordan’s was sold to the Corporate Brand Foods America, then in January 2000 to the Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) and then to Tyson Foods in February 2001.

The Jordan’s Meat plant in Bangor was closed in September 2001.

The Jordan’s Meat plant in Portland was closed on February 1, 2005 although Tyson continued to produce the Jordan’s line of meats.

A press release dated May 20, 2008 stated that Kayem Foods Incorporated purchased Jordan’s, & Kirschner brands as well as several others from Tyson Foods and continue to manufacture Jordan’s Meats brand.

On May 6, 2010 during remodeling of the old plant it caught fire and was destroyed.

Joseph Kirschner Company

Joseph Kirschner opened his first meat market and sausage shop on Cony Hill in Augusta in 1916 and moved it to Water Street in 1917.  In 1960 Kirschner moved into the plant at 193 Riverside Dr in Augusta where the company remained for the next 44 years.

On January 6, 1986 Joseph Kirschner Company signed a 5 year deal to become the official producer of Fenway Franks for the Boston Red Sox.

An article in the January 11, 1989 edition of the Bangor Daily News reported that Kirschner was sold to two private businessmen who formed a Delaware based company Katina Foods.   

In June 1992 The Joseph Kirschner Company was purchased by long-time rival Jordan’s Meats in Portland who continued the brand as a separate entity.  The Kirschner brand was sold in 1997 to the Corporate Brand Foods America, then in January 2000 to the Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) and then to Tyson Foods in February 20001 

On Monday February 2, 2004 the plant in Augusta was closed.

A press release dated May 20, 2008 stated that Kayem Foods Incorporated purchased Jordan’s, & Kirschner brands as well as several others from Tyson Foods and continue to manufacture Kirschner brand meats.

The Kirschner Plant was demolished in 2010 to make room for and expansion of O’Connors Car Dealership.

Shields Natural Casing Hot Dogs

Schultz Hot Dogs open in 1933 by Ted Bettcher and Carl Schultz in the Seacoast area of Portsmouth, NH.  Purchased by Jordan’s Meats in June 1992 and maintained as a separate entity.  Ownership of the Shultz brand name was transferred to in 1997 to the Corporate Brand Foods America, then in January 2000 to the Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) and then to Tyson Foods in 2001 when they purchased Jordan’s Meats and they continued to be made until early 2004 when Tyson discontinued the line.

Shortly thereafter Ken Bettcher, son of co-founder Ted Bettcher worked with Shields Meats of Kennebunk, Maine to re-produce the Schultz.  Although the original recipe was lost in a fire in 1990 that destroyed the Schultz business this new hot dog under the name of Shields Natural Casing Hot Dogs is a close match to the original Schultz flavor that the locals loved and have missed.