In spite of the difficulties the cannery continued to be open to the public. One of the main purposes of the center was to help keep alive the school lunches throughout the county. By August 1943, that first year, the cannery reported that food had been canned for all of these schools: Preston, Dayton, Weston, Clifton, East Side, Glendale, Mink Creek, Whitney and Fairview. The cannery urged all the schools to continue their canning programs so that there would be plenty of food for the children the following winter.

By October the canning center announced that they had passed the 50,000 cans having been used. Most of the seasonal vegetables had been preserved. Meat canning was underway with beef, pork, chicken, mutton. Other Fall products were hominy, sauerkraut, jams, relishes. Mrs. Ena Monson was available for instructions on these specialty items, along with steamed puddings. Families were interested in trying steamed plum puddings or other types of puddings in a can, particularly as being “something from home” that they could send to their young men in the Armed Forces, far from home, fighting in Europe during World War II.

Wardle contacted the school board and arrangements were made to move into the basement of the Oneida Academy, located on the high school campus. In order for it to be used for a food processing facility there was much to be done. “Water hookups, floor drains, lights installed, room cleaned and painted, more tables made, more equipment orders from Boise – such as pressure cookers, cooking pots, steam tables, washing and cleaning vats and small electrical sealers. A hand hoist was used to raise the cans from the pressure cookers to the cooling vats.” Help was found and the new location started being prepared for the 1944 season.”

A 1944 June edition of the Preston Citizen announced that the Franklin County Cannery would open at the new location in the basement of the old Oneida Stake Academy building the first part of July, or as soon as the peas and other local produce would be ready for canning. “ Remodeling operations which will give us one of the finest cannery locations in the state, are fast nearing completion under direction of the Franklin County Canning Center Advisory Board. The rooms have been entirely renovated, cement floor and celotex, ceiling added and plastering and painting are nearing completion. The plumbing and wiring is complete for all equipment which will include an additional cooking retort, steam table, etc. besides the equipment secured last year. Fluorescent lights are being installed. A rest room has been installed.”

Due to this being a joint effort between church and state members of the board were the Relief Society Presidents of both Oneida and Franklin Stakes, both Stake Presidents, the county superintendent of schools, the Chamber of Commerce, the County Agricultural Agent, and the superintendent of the Preston schools. Arland Wilson was appointed Acting Supervisor by the Committee and Mrs. Oretta Carlson and Mrs. Alice Merrill would be instructors. Mrs. Phebe Green would be in the position of a clerk.

“The primary purpose of this cannery, as of all state-sponsored community canning centers, is to improve the health of the people. Last year our cannery processed 68,000 cans of food for our community. With a year of operating experience behind us and our splendid new location and equipment the Committee believes that it is prepared to offer better service with greater ease and convenience than before. Plan to process winter’s supplies under expert supervision and with equipment the equal, or superior, of the average commercial cannery.“

By the end of the 1944 canning season the new location and the canning center itself had proven its worth, not only to people of Franklin County but to visitors beyond those boundaries who came to take advantage of the service. The price of cans had increased to six cents for a No. 2 can and 7 cents for a No. 2 1/2 can, but the price included the processing of the food. Cans were purchased by the truckload and hauled from the American Can Company in Ogden. Besides the produce of the past year a few more had been added: pheasant, venison, elk, pork and beans, fruit cake and candy along with the steamed puddings for overseas shipment. “Over 30 thousand cans had been processed with 1650 cans the largest number processed in any one day.”

Norval Wardle had moved from the county and the current supervisor was another Vocational Agriculture Teacher at Preston High School, William R. Craner. Craner was born in Oakley, ID in 1905 and had chosen the University of Idaho in Moscow for his college studies, then transferred to Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, UT. He taught for a few years in the area around Sugar City, ID, went on to get his Master’s Degree and when a position came open for an ag teacher in Preston in 1940, he and his wife Grace moved to Franklin County. After a couple of years in this position he was asked to be the County Agent. He missed the classroom and the students and was pleased when he was able to come back to the school system, which also included being the supervisor of the cannery for a few years.

Bill Craner and family stayed in Preston and his positive influence is still felt throughout this area. He passed away at age 100, in 2006. When a resident hears, or reads of “Craner Recreation Park,” which is Bill’s old farm, or the vocational agriculture building of Preston High named the “W.R. Craner” Building, even a couple of W.R. Craner awards at the county fair … this is the Bill Craner who is so honored by what he brought to this corner of Idaho.