Morehouse Mustard Co.

Morehouse Mustard was founded in Chicago in 1898 by father-son team Miles and Lou Morehouse who sold their product from a horse-drawn wagon.

When the family moved the business to Los Angeles in 1913, Morehouse became the first West Coast manufacturer of the growingly popular condiment.

Harold F. Latter, who was a salesman for Morehouse, helped expand Morehouse’s West Coast operation and began manufacturing their products in the East Bay in 1919. They built a second plant here at 4221 Hollis Street in 1925.

Horseradish was added to the product line and Morehouse became the first company to process and package horseradish for mass distribution in the West.

By 1969, the Latter family had complete ownership of the company and sons Harold Jr., George and David took control of the company.

Morehouse opened a new Southern California plant in the late 1970s and consolidated operations there a few years later.

The Emeryville building was sold and renovated for office space in the 1990s and has been occupied by a variety of companies throughout the decades including Muse Media, Ducks Unlimited and is currently occupied by environmental consultants WRA Inc.

The company is still owned and operated by the Latter family who are now in their fifth generation of family-ownership.

Dox, a brand that manufactured a cleaning product, also occupied space at the warehouse in the 1920s and the north side of the building is still adorned with a hand-painted “Ghost Sign” of the company’s logo.