Before moving to the United States, William Underwood (1787–1864) worked as an apprentice at Mackey & Company in London, bottling food and exporting it to South America.

In 1836, Underwood shifted from glass to steel cans, coated with tin on the inside, because glassmakers in the Boston area could not keep up with product demands from the canning company.

[7] The National Billposters' Association, based in Chicago, center of America's meat packing industry at the time, then banned its members from posting bills with devil images[why?]

[9] From its beginning, the company encountered the problem of cans swelling, causing a great deal of product loss.

[11][12] These studies prompted similar research of canned lobster, sardines, peas, tomatoes, corn, and spinach.

[16] At the Institute of Food Technologists Northeast Section (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) meeting at Watertown, Massachusetts, in April 1961, the William Underwood Company dedicated a new laboratory in honor of both Prescott and William Lyman Underwood.

[19] Three MIT faculty have held this professorship since its inception: Samuel A. Goldblith,[19] Gerald N. Wogan,[19] and since 1996, Steven R.

[21] B&M had purchased canned clams and tomatoes from Underwood in the late 1860s for resale, before producing these products on its own.

[23] B&M Foods was included as part of the sale, and the Underwood headquarters building in Westwood, Massachusetts, was closed as a result.

The red devil that debuted in 1895 and started as a demonic figure evolved into a much friendlier version when compared to the original.

The older version, in use during the first half of the 20th century, can be seen in many old magazine advertisements, such as one from Woman's Home Companion, August 1921.

The lettering in the logo and on the can spouting small flames, reinforcing the spicy devil concept.

The pitchfork became black, and small amounts of yellow were added in the tail and horns, along with shading to add depth.