[3] The main crop of the cannery was peas, and Empson received several patents for his pea-canning devices.

[4] He also developed an improved pea stock that was both sweeter and smaller.

[2][5] At the turn of the 20th century, the cannery was the largest employer in Longmont, having a considerable economic effect on the region.

[2][6][7] The warehouse is historically significant as the building symbolizes the final step in locally produced food preserving and processing.

It was the single largest building in the area, and it dominated the site on which it was constructed.