On Nov. 23, 1922, a canning company in Camden gave itself a new middle name, figuring its future was in soup.
The Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company initially specialized in canned tomatoes, vegetables, jellies, soups, condiments and minced meats. It turned to soup after a 24-year-old employee invented an easy-to-ship condensed version of the stuff that allowed to Campbell undercut the competition.
So it became the Campbell Soup Company.
The invention on condensed soup allowed Campbell to eliminating most of the the water in its canned soup, lowering the costs for packaging, shipping, and storage.
Campbell's cans of condensed soup expanded sold for a dime. The competition typically sold its soup for 30 cents.
-- The New Jersey Historical Commission contributed to this report.