Saturday, May 4, 2013

Jordan's, Kirschner, and more!




 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 and 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.

Jordan’s along with the Kirchner brand were sold in to Tyson Foods in 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 June 1992 The Joseph Kirschner Company purchased long-time rival Jordan’s Meats in Portland who continued the brand as a separate entity.  The Kirschner brand was then sold to Tyson Foods in February 2001. 

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.

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment and check out my blog's other pages.

Later Readers!!

46 comments:

  1. Best hotdogs anywhere! Wish they were available here in Chicagoland!

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  2. try sams club if they exist in your area

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  3. HI, I HAD A TV COMMERCIAL DONE AT MY CABIN IN THE 1980S FOR JORDANS, IT PLAYED IN MAINE BUT I NEVER SAW IT. DO YOU KNOW HOW I CAN FIND THIS? TOM

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  4. Hi Mike, Do you know were I could find an old Jordans commercial?. I had one filmed in my cabin in the 80's and never saw it. It was shown in Maine and N.H. Tom

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  5. Off the top of my head I don't. But I'll do some research and see what I can come up with.

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  6. Hi, Are there living members of the Jordan family still in the area? I heard one of the boys was still around, was maybe selling his house in Falmouth?

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  7. My name is Joe Jordan and live in Cumberland. I'm the third generation of the Jordan Meats Family. My fathers name was Chet.

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    1. Mr Jordan,
      thanks for your kind comments on my page.
      I was wondering if you could tell me if you retained any interesting memoribilia from the Jordan's meat plant like signs or neat novelties that you could share pictures of to post on this blog?
      thanks again!

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    2. Hello - Maine(r) here. Did not know if anyone can tell me about a barn find I came across recently. It is a Jordan's 32" delivery pig in overalls, delivery hat and a sales pad tucked in his overalls. It is on a metal square stand. Maybe it use to be on the rural delivery trucks??? from my research, I know Jordan's had a standing Red Hot dog character but I cannot find any info on this little Pig that went to market. Maybe from the 60s - 70s? really good condition. Did the pig have a name? if so, what was it. Any history on the cute wee pig?? Thank you

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    3. Was just wondering if u ship Kirchner hot dogs out of state

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    4. Anonymos Maine(r) please email me if you still have the pig! ChetJord@gmail.com

      Yes the actually use to go on the tops of delivery trucks!

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    5. how can i get maine hot dogs shipped to me in kansas

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    6. My husband worked with Chet
      Great man and Family
      Have fonds memoried of trips to Shin Pond

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  8. Hi Joseph, Do you know were I could find the tv commercial filmed at my cabin for Jordans Sausages ? Tom

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  9. I'm not sure as to what commercial you might be looking for. Do you have a date when that might have been done or where the camp was?

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    1. Hi Joseph, It was filmed in Boxford, ma in the 80's. The production co. was from Portland and Boston. Tom

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  10. Hi Joesph, It was a commercial for Jordans sausages filmed at my cabin in Boxford ma. The production crew was from Portland Maine and Boston. It was in the 80's. it was on tv in Maine. I never saw it. It was a father and son cooking eggs and sausage on my wood burning Kitchen stove. There was 15-20 people there. They flew in at least 1 actor from new York. Tom

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  11. you can buy kirchiner hot dogs at marcouxs meat shop in Sidney maine

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  12. Hello, my name is Jill Jordan, I am the youngest daughter of Joseph Chester Jordan. You can still buy Jordans hotdogs at shaws in Maine, I will forever love them and miss my dad and his guidance. !

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  13. Hi Jill, Can you find the commercial filmed at my cabin in Boxford, ma? thanks tom

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  14. Do you know of anyone who ships these. I live in Alaska and no one carries them

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  15. Jamie - If you want I can look into what it would take to ship them, probably overnight I would imagine. If you would like to email me about it I can be reached at superstarreview@gmail.com

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  16. I would like to know if these can be shipped?

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  17. Looking for shippers of red linked winners.Contact me at Robert Evans 120 King st. Apt.4-A Houma, Louisiana 70363. evans364@outlook.com.(985)364-6165 please and thank you.

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  18. I'm from maine and I'm in florida know. Omg no good hot dogs here. I need me some maine hot dogs kirschners would be aqesome. U need ro start shipping?? Please

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    1. Kirschners ships the hotdogs & side cut buns.

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  19. The only hot dog manufacturer in Maine, Beans Meats, ship their red hot dogs and they offer overnight and 2nd day.
    http://www.beansmeats.com/order-meat-online/category/122-hot-dogs-rolls-and-other-maine-favorites.html

    If you are truly interested and specifically want Jordan's or Kirschner hot dogs, I can freeze them, put them in a priority mail ($12.65) flat rate box or a priority express flat rate box ($44.95). priority express shows 1 day and standard priority is 2 - 3 days. I guess I wouldn't need to freeze them for express. I would line the boxes with Styrofoam and frozen gel packs, but this would all be at your cost.

    I'm not looking to make money on this, but if people are interested and want to put up the dough I'll do it.

    Feel free to e-mail me, Superstarreview@gmail.com subject line Hot Dogs.

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  20. Can anybody tell me if I can have them shipped to north Carolina. They are my favorite hoy dig and no one sales them here.? Stephen

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  21. I was brought up on Kirschner franks in Augusta, Maine. Since Kirschner was sold to Tyson Foods, they have not been the same since. We had them for our evening meal tonight, my husband and I each ate just one, and the rest went in the trash. I don't what has happened to the Kirschner recipe but it sure isn't that now. We have tried all the different brands and none come close to the old Kirschner hot dog.

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    1. I agree, the Kirschner's natural casings I grew up with in Maine were the best, and we miss the original recipe dearly. I hope someone will start making them again, nothing else holds a candle to them! The newer ones i bought from Tyson foods were awful. I'd bought them at shaw's the last time i visited. We threw them out after trying them at home. 10 lb.s of dogs in the trash. Please someone, bring back the original recipe for those and sell/ship them to us once again!

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  22. Sure wish I could get product west of the Mississippi, i.e. Laughlin, NV

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  23. I lived in Carmel Me when I was a kid & was bought up on Red Dogs. I now live in New Jersey & would love tp be able to buy some of these hot dogs. I'm always ordering coffee pots from Bangor. they're the best also.

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  24. Do you ship red hot dogs

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    1. https://www.boxofmaine.com/product/order-2lbs-of-maines-famous-red-hot-dogs/

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  25. Where can I find kirschner hot dogs? I can not find them anywhere.They are the best hotdogs . I live near Bangor, Maine

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    1. They have them at Most all grocery stores down in the Augusta area.

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    2. Thank you. That is a long way for me to travel. Why are they not in Bangor, Maine area?

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    3. Kirschner's had a plant in Augusta and was popular in this area. Bangor has Rice's and WA Bean's & Sons. So I'm guessing it's a regional thing. Kind of like you can't find Houlton Farm's Dairy products down this way.

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    4. Thank you for your input. I just want to know why we do not get them anymore? We used to get them in Bangor/Brewer area. Can we get them back?

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  26. I found them while vacationing in Eastport, ME at the IGA this past week and brought some back home to FL with me. They are so good.

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  27. what happened to kirschner bologna

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    1. Same place the hotdogs went.. I would like the balogna back too. Loved both.

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  28. Loved the red dogs but now live in Arizona.had some shipped from Maine lobster will see if they are as good

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  29. Good morning.
    We distributed Jordan’s hot dogs in Lewiston for Joe Jordan for 25 years on a hand shake deal between my grandfather and Joey that started in 1926.
    Our Mailhot’s Sausage triuck had one of the well known little pigs on top of the cab as we drove around with deliveries.
    The pigs name was fondly known as “Little Joe”

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  30. I have 2 old tins that say Jordan on them. May be meat tins. Looking for info on them please

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    1. Can you send me a photo of them? Superstarreview@gmail.com

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