Biography of Henry F. Fortmann of San Francisco
Henry F. Fortmann, born in San Francisco in 1856, was a prominent figure in the salmon canning industry as the president of the Alaska Packers’ Association. Under his leadership, the company, capitalized at five million dollars, became the largest salmon canning enterprise globally, employing eight thousand men and operating a hundred sea-going vessels. Fortmann, who had a thorough education in Germany, initially joined his father’s brewing business before co-founding the Arctic Packing Company in 1884. He also held directorial roles in financial institutions and owned ships in the coasting trade. Fortmann married Julia Schindler, and they had two daughters.
