Do You Remember \(/hen?

AnOld Timer* Looks Back on the Lumber Business in the Los Angeles o[ a Ouarter Cent.rry Aso and More**

All lumber deliveries in Los Angeles, and all of Southern California for that matter, were made by horses and wagons. A delivery to Hollywood was an all day trip for a team. Every lumber yard had its "pile behind .the barn" as Eugene Field so well puts it. and-the flies. That period is just as well behind us, if you know what I mean, but some of those pure blood percherons were beautiful animals. Some day some smart retailer is going to put a team of them into delivery service for advertising purposes; they will do him more good than the old reliable business getter of giving an extra 5/o.

Harry Jackson was secretary of the Los Angeles Retail Association.

W. J. Kengel had a retail lumber yard at Slauson and Vermont where Sears Roebuck is now. C. A. DeCoo had it later, but more about him later on.

Frank Reitz had the Los Angeles Mill and Lumber Co. at 6th and Utah Streets, and had a one cylinder Pierce Arrow Motorette to go calling on the trade, but kept a horse and buggy in reserve, in case he couldn't get the one cylinder working. My friend "Bud" was in knee pants at that time.

The Hammond Lumber Co. was called National Lumber Co., Ifarry Mcleod was Manager and Junius Brown was secretary.

Henry Patten had his office at 123 West Third Street and had lfis desk in the window up the short flight of outside stairs. "Friends of the Soviet" had their headquarters there later.

Pico Heights Lumber Co.'s (Old Man Guy) main yard was at 16th and Grover Streets with a branch called the Cahuenga Mill & Lumber Co.,'at what is now Beverly Boulevard and Ardmore Street.

Vernon Lumber Co. (the first of that name) was at 47OS Central Avenue.

Pioneer Lumber Co. was on Hollywood Boulevard and Mr. Patterson, the owner, had his one cylinder Tourist Automobile made at lfth and Main Streets, Los Angeles.

Holder Lumber Co. was at 37th and Vermont. George Walker later was receiver. George, where is that 1909 four cylinder Haynes you used to be so proud of, no doors in front and cranked by hand?

P. J. Leaver with his main oflice at 2nd and Main Streets, and yard at Z0th and Long Beach Avenue used the slogan "We Lower All Bids, City or Country."

W. W. Wheatley's famous party at the Ship Cafe. Venice, when everyone had to put on roller skates ! And n.ho broke his arm ?

Joe Means used to sell lumber, and in a big rvay. Agent for Clark & Wilson, Peninsula Lumber Co., Albion Lumber Co., etc. Joe used to be the Alpine Lumber Co. in those days, all by himself, and what a hustler he was.

Hollywood consisted of one store !

"Trackless Trolleys" that ran from the end of the carline in Hollywood to the top of Lookout Mountain.

Jimmie Schultz w;th his lumber yard at 29th and Hooper, and how he got mad at everyone one day, and hung a big banner on a job he was furnishing at 4th and Broadway, "Not In The Lumber Trust !" Was there some scurrying around to get him to take that down ! ! !

E. K. Wood's office was at 4th and Spring Streets.

R. W. Brown, the peer of all salesmen for all time, agent for Sudden and Christenson, had offices in the Central Building. Remember when he had a collision with a street car at 24th and Vermont, with his Havers 6? How many of you remember that car?

George Guy and his Pico Heights Lumber Co. His slogan painted on the side of the sawclust bin, "Let us figure your bill, we will not (a picture of a bird) you." The old man claimed it was a gull, but everyone else said it looked more like a goose. Read that over again-do you get it ?

Alameda Street beyond 25th u'as just a narrow road on the East Side of the tracks. The saloon on the corner, sure you remember that ! What an oasis that was rvhen the next nearest one was uptown.

Hans K. Koebig had his lumber yard on East Jefferson near main, and his slogan "We do it up brown." Brown car, brown suit and hat, and all that sort of thing.

F. L. Morgan, the friend of everybody, was manager for the Southern California Lumber Co. with offices in the Central Building, and the wholesale yard on Terminal Island. Let's not forget to mention his right hand man, Frank Crosier. Say, there was a fine man that none of us forget.

Consolidated Lumber Co. had their office at 6th and Main, W. W. Wheatley was manager.

Then our friend T. L. Ely had his headquarters as manager of the San Pedro Lumber Co. right across the street in the P. E. Building. Sure made it easy for the boys to make their calls in those days, a whole bunch of customers rvithin walk^ng distance of 6th and Main. Few salesmen had autos, so they either walked or took the street cars.

Chas. R. McCormick Lumber Co. office was in the P. E. Building. That's one for you "Wick."

C. F. Smith was secletary for the Retail Association. Let's not forget Hank Riddiford, while we are talking about secretaries. Say, wasn't he a real guy?

Remember Hicks Hauptman Lumber Co. ? Well, they used to sell a lot of lumber here from their mills. Don't forget John Cushing. St. Paul & Tacoma had their office here too.

George Duffy. Remember him and his yard at Jefferson and Main ? You old timers could write a book about "Old Man Duffy," couldn't you?

L. W. Blinn Lumber Co.'s office was on the second floor of the little Severance Bldg. at the northwest Corner of 6th and Main. Let's not forget our old friend of many years, Charlie Lynch. I can still see him in my mind's eye and remember his voice.

Blinn Robinson Lumber Co. marked the entrance of Chauncey W. Penoyer and the Pacific Lumber Co. into Southern Californ;a. Sold their retail business to the L. W. Blinn Lumber Co. Put in that whale of a redwood plant aiongside of the Consolidated Lumber Co. at Wilmington, ali iumber carried everywhere in the yard and shed by overhead monorail cars. Six or seven years later they junked the whole plant when the railroad was built into Humboldt County, and they could ship direct from Scotia. H. B. Worden was manag'er at first; later Junius Brown, was hired from llammond f,umber Co. How that boy could talk, remember ? Frank Lounsberry dismanteled most of the plant later on.

That reminds me of Lounsberry and Harris, first and 29th Streets where they are now; then rvith headquarters at Vermont and Santa Barbara Avenues. George and Walter each with a new 4-cylinder White Streak Buick, and proud was no name for it when "she would start on the spark" after standing for a couple of hours. That must have been gasoline we used in those days, to do that ! George and Walter, then as now, always were glad to see you come in and salesmen liked to call.

Montgomery & Mullin was at 5th and San Pedro Streets. A fine old reliable firm, another place salesmen liked to drop in for a chat. C. H. Griffen, manager, now retired, after selling out his yard at Artesia to Barr Lumber Co., is living here in Los Angeles again.

E. J. Stanton and Son headquatters 'ivere at Sth and Alameda.

Dad Lounsberry and his l\Iagnet Lumber Co. was at 25th and Long Beach Boulevard. His partner, Fred Lyon. and that is where Curt Teagarden got his start, later to go into the Vernon Lumber Co.

Stimson Mill Co. had a yard atDth and Alameda Streets and an office at 3rd and Spring. Bill Jordan was manager. Old Timer remembers hirn well, as he was the first customer he called on to try and sell lumber. Too bad Bill passed on.

Southern California Hardwood and Manufacturing Co', first at 8th and Koehler Streets. There they built the first two Moreland trucks, as R. H. Raphael was owner of both companies. f,ater they bought out the old Hughes Manufacturing Co. at 15th and Alameda Streets. Sheldon Morris, manag'er for a great many years, is still selling lumber and panels in Los Angeles.

Haywards still were in Colorado, but Charlie and Homer soon bought the Star Lumber & Mill Co. in Long Beach, as their first location in California.

J. R. Hanify Co. was at 508 South Spring Street. Wilfred Cooper was agent.

Ganahl Lumber Co.'s main yard was on East First Street. Joe Ganahl, manager, and H. W. Isham, assistant manager. That is the desk where Frank Gibbs got his early trainrng. Isham later bought Joe Means' wholesale business, the Alpine Lumber Co.

Well, if the boys like this, there is more lvhere it came from! ! !

* Name on request.

** All the statements are bel:eved to be correct to the best of Old Timer's knorvledge and belief, but no guarantee is made.