The brand traces its roots back to Indianapolis, where in 1861 Gilbert Van Camp and associates Calvin Fletcher and Martin Williams constructed what became the nation's first successful commercial cold storage warehouse.

[1] Primarily concerned with the preservation of fruits and vegetables, Van Camp quickly began experimenting with canning.

Shortly thereafter, Van Camp secured a lucrative contract to supply Union troops during the Civil War.

[3] In 1894, his son Frank Van Camp first produced the now-famous recipe for pork and beans in tomato sauce.

By 1909 Indiana, bolstered by the Van Camp family's company, became the nation's leading producer of canned baked beans.