n. K. lTood Lumher Cotnpilny Celehrilto$ [iftieth Annivor$ilry

E. K. Wood Lumber Company, nationally and internationally known manufacturers and distributors of West Coast woods, will celebrate the firm's Golden Anniversary on February 5,1945.

The company was incorporated in San Francisco on February 5, 1895. The incorporators were: Edwin K. Wood. Clarence A. Thaver, Marian S. Wood, Orson M. Kellogg' and Fred J. Wood.

The Founder

Edwin K. Wood, founder and first president of the company, was one of the great pioneers of the country's lumber industry. He was born in Eagle, Wyoming County, New York, February 17, I84O. His boyhood was spent on a farm at Gainesville, New York. In 1861 he entered the Civil War as a private, was wounded at Hanover Court House, and was mustered out as Corporal in June, 1863.

He taught school for a time after the war, and in 1865 went to Stanton, Michigan, where in partnership with Giles Gilbert he took a contract to build a State road extending five miles north from Stanton through the pine forest. He built a shingle mill at this 'time and traded shingle bolts for groceries from the general store he had established. When the contract was finished the partners built a lumber mill at Derby Lake, near Stanton. Mr. Wood married Miss Marion Thayer in 1867. He built and operated lumber mills at several other Michigan points and his business prospered. Clarence A. Thayer, Mrs. Wood's bro,tlrer, started to work in Mr. Wood's store in I874, and Orson M. Kellogg started working in one of the mills in 1880.

Between 1884 and 1886 Mr. Wood made several trips to the Pacific Coast and invested heavily in fir timber in Washington. In 1885 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the Michigan State Legislature. Following his term in the Legislature he and Clarence Thayer were associated in the operation of a sawmill at McBride, and a branch store under the name of Wood & Thayer. His son, Fred J. Wood, entered the business in 1BB9 and operated the Townline Lake mill until 1891, and then came to San Francisco with his father.

Mr. Wood bought the Hoquiam mill in 1892, rebuilt it, making it the first band mill on Grays Harbor. O. Xf. Kellogg was made manager. The Bellingham mill was built in 1901, and was put in charge of Fred J. Wood. This mill was destroyed by fire in 1925. After this the mill that was built in Anacortes, Washington, in 1923, was run on a double shift.

Mr. E. K. Wood passed away in July,1977. He and Mrs. Wood had celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in January of that year. Of all the messages of sympathy received by Mrs. Wood at this time the following paragraph from a resolution by the Douglas Fir Club of San

Francisco indicates the high regard in which Mr. Wood was held in the industrY:

"In the varied relations of his active life he earned the esteem of his associates by his quiet gentleness and reserve force, his fairness and generosity. He translated into the terms of everyday life his ideals of justice, faith, duty and honor."

Fred J. Wood succeeded his father as president and held that office until his d'eath in 1937.

Walter T.'Wood, also son of the founder, began his service with the company in 1900. He served as vice president in charge of the head office of the company at San Francisco. Walter passed away after a short illness in tgD.

Upon the death of Mr. Fred J. Wood he was succeeded as president by his son, 'Warren B. Wood, grandson oi the founder, who had attended the University of Washington, and had started to work for the company in Bellingham in 1916. Mr. Wood remained at Bellingham until 1928, except for the period of. l9l7 to 1919.when he was in the U. S. Army. He was at Los Angeles from 1928 to 1942, when he moved to the San Francisco office.

J. B. Wood, vice president in charge of sales, makes his headquarters at Oakland. He is the son of Walter T. \Mood, and grandson of the founder. He graduated from the University of California in 1934 and started with the company in 1935.

The Califqrnia Operations

Soon after the incorporation of the company in 1895 a wholesale yard was established in Redondo Beach, Calif. by E. K. Wood and Robert Dollar. In connection rvith this they operated the steam schooner "Newsboy."

Later yards were opened at San Pedro and Los Angeles. The Los Angeles distribution yard occupies a site of 27 acres. J. A. Privett is manager.

The Oakland distribution yard was opened in 1908 with James Wadell as manaegr. The present manager is James McNab. The Oakland yard site is 17 acres in extent.

A line of 12 branch yards is operated in Southern California. Harry Call is manager of line yards.

E. K. Wood Lumber & Supply Co., San Pedro, Caiif., is in charge of Marco De Nicolai.

Sawmill Operations

A few years ago the company bought and rebuilt their present sawmill at Reedsport, Oregon. This mill produces around 40,000,000 feet of lumber annually, practically all Douglas fir. Clarence E. Elliott is manager.

Recently completed and ready to operate is a new remanufacturing plant at Roseburg, Oregon. This has a daily capacity of 125,W feet, and was designed to handle the product of a number of small mills in the district.

C. R. De Vaney is manager.

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E. K. Wood Lumber Company

Celebrates Fiftieth Anniversary

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The Portland office of E. K. Wood Lumber Company is in charge of Max Smith.

The San Francisco Office

The head office of E. K. Wood Lumber Company remains in San Francisco. The present offrcers are: President, Warren B. Wood; vice president and general manager, H. F. Vincent; vice president, J. B. Wood; vice president, George G. Kellogg; treasurer, H. W. B. Taylor; secretary, Raymond W. Thayer; assistant secretary, O. C. Kellogg.

Harry F. Vincent, general manager, who makes his headquarters at the San Francisco office and keeps a watchful eye on all the firm's operations, is now in his 37th year of service, having started at Bellingham in the office in 1908. His first job in the lumber business was making grain doors for the Cable Lumber Company of Davenport, Iowa, in 1898. He came to the Pacific Coast in l9M and worked in sawmills for several years. He opened the company's Portland office in 1919, and remained there as manager until NIarch, 1922, when l-re came to the San Francisco ofifice as general manager.

Sailers Replaced by Steamers

It is interestirig to recall that starting in 1890 when they built the schooner "E. K. Wood" in Hoquiam, the E. K. Wood Lumber Company operated a large fleet of sailing schooners, carrying cargoes of lumber and other merchandise to the Orient, Australia, South America, South Africa and many other countries, also to the California yards. The sailing vessels were sold in 1923 and 1924, when most of them had been replaced by steamers.

The E. K. Wood Lumber Company has been engaged to the fullest extent possible in work connected with the war effort for the past several years. The mill at Reedsport has made a specialty of cutting boat lumber for the Government, the ordinary lumber being supplied for crating and construction.

A great quantity of lumber has been shipped to the yards at Oakland and Los Angeles where it has been prefabricated into houses, packing cases for all kinds of wal material, and other items for war use.

\(/ar Manpower Commission Classes Logging and Lumber Jobs "Critical"

Logging and lumber production, previously rated essential, have been reclassified as critical activities in a new listing issued January 16 by the War Manpower Commission. This assures workers in the woods and mills equal draft status with men in shipyards, aircraft and munitions plants.

Under a directive recently issued by War Mobilizatior, Director Byrnes, men in the 26-D not engaged in critical activities are to be called for military service before those who are so employed. This is the age group presently being reviewed by draft ,boards.

Specifically included in the new list as critical activities are timber tracts and logging camps, cutting of pulpwood, wood for tanning extract, sawmills, and veneer, planing and plywood mills. Production of wooden parts of aircraft, ships, and other military equipment is also classed as critical.

Cooperage-stock mills, fire prevention, pest control, forest nurseries, and reforestation services are in,cluded in activities listed as essential, but not critical. Also included in this class are production of portable and prefabricated buildings, box shooks, wooden boxes and containers, and excelsior.

Clyde Vernon With U. S. Plywood Corp.

Clyde J. Vernon, who was formerly assistant to Leo G. Opsahl, sales manager, Red River Lumber Co., is now rvith U. S. Plywood Corp., Los Angeles, as office manager.

Fruit Growerr Supply Company Announces Appointments

T. K. Oliver, resident manager of the Fruit Growers Supply Company mills at Susanville, has been named assistant general manager of the Supply Company, according to an announcement by general manager P. E. Simpson at Los Angeles.

The son and grandson of pioneer lumber operators, Mr. Oliver majcired in forestry at the University of California. Upon graduation in 1921, he went directly into the production end as a timber cruiser. After well rounded experience in all phases of lumber production, he became general manager of the Feather River Lumber Company.

In 1939 Mr. Oliver joined the Supply Company stafi as resident manager of the Susanville operation. He will continue to make his headquarters in Susanville.

S. W. Macdonald, formerly with Red River Lumber Co., has been appointed assistant resident manager at Westwood.

Member oI Industry Advisory Conimittee

An advisory committee consisting of twelve members whose companies produce prefabricated homes has been appointed by the Office of Price Administration. The industry advisory committee will consult with and advise OPA on pricing problems within the industry, and discuss provisions of a proposed new price regulation for prefabricated homes.

Martel Wilson, president of the Central Lumber Company, Stockton, Calif., has been appointed a member of the committee.

E. M. Lowther Buys Associcrte's Interests in Two Compcnries

E. M. Lowther, president of the Acme Blower and Pipe Co., Inc., and Acme Associates, In,c., Los Angeles, has purchased the interests of B. B. Ramsey, vice president, in both companies.

The offices of Acme Associates. Inc. have been moved back'to the plant at 8655 South Main Street. Telephone number is Pleasant I-3747.

H. Erikson is vice president and general manager of Acme Associates, Inc., which specializes in the manufacture of the Acme Water Wash Paint Spray Booth, and also manufactures blower systems.