Humble Beginnings
The Howard story begins with the birth of its founder, John F. Howard, in 1854 in Stowe, Maine. After growing up in New Hampshire, Howard left home at the age of 14 to make his fortune in the west. A few years later, minus the fortune, he returned to the East Coast, and settled in the town of Haverhill, Massachusetts. He tried various ventures in the next few years, and in the early 1890s became the proprietor of two hotels, one in Haverhill, and the other in the town of Bradford across the river. He married, and with his wife Margaret, working in the barn behind their house in Bradford, began what was to become Howard Foods. Inspired by the success of his hotel restaurants, and after much experimentation in their kitchen at home, he and his wife devised recipes which were so good that in a short time they were inundated with orders from all over the world. In 1900, Howard products were awarded the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition in Paris for purity and quality.
