Pioneer Lumbering in Los Angeles

By W. F. Montgomery.

Formerly President of the Montgomery & Mullin Lumber Co.

('Ihe writer thanks his old friends, Mr. Robert Cuzner and Mr. Charles Lynch, for their assistance in refreshing his memory.)

When I first came to Los Angeles, 45 years ago, there were eight lumber companies locatecl here. First came the J. M. Griffith Company, located on Alameda street, just north of the present Kerckhoff yard. This yard was one of the tlvo original yards established here during the 60's, Mr. Griffith previously having operated a stage line from Wilmington. They also operated branch yards at different towns in rvhat is norv Orange county. The business was under the direct management of Mr. J. M. Griffitl-r, assisted at different times by his five sons, only two of whom, I believe, Fred and Bob, are now living. Mr. Nichols of the Credit l\l[en's Association r,vas booli-keeper at that time. Mr. Griffith u'as something of a marionette, but was a business man of great integrity and was highly regarded by the lumber: dealers. He conducted the business until his death about 25 years ago, and as his sons did not seem to care to continue it, it was liquidated, the yards in Orange county being taken over by the Bowers interests.

Next came the Kerckhoff-Cuzner Company, rvhich moved to their present location in 1879 and have operated continuously at this present location ever since, establishing a record as the only yard operating on their original location at the present time. The business was in charge of Mr. James Cuzner and Mr. W. G. Kerckhoff, Mr. Robert Cuzner being located at the Pomona yard. This company also operated a number of branch yards in the San Gabriel valley.

Mr. Kerckhoff afterrvard retirecl to take uo hvdro-electric development and Mr. Cuzner also retired incl- became the "grand old man" of the California Club, and Mr. Robert Cuzner took active management which he has retained to this date, assisted by younger members of the two families.

A short distance south on Alameda street the Reard,:n Company of Flagstaff, Arizona, operated a small yard, in an endeavor to find an outlet for their common lumber. This venture. however, did not pan out well and r,vas discontinued after about a year's operation.

Next came the old W. H. Perry Company yard, the other of the two original yards, located on Commercial street near Alameda, Mr. Perry having graduated from operating a carpenter and coffin shop in the early 60's and branched out into the lumber business.

Mr.W.H. Perry and Mr. Stephen Mott were identified with the business which was under the active management of Mr. W. A. Morgan, a very competent and aggressive young Englishman and they were active factors in the business for a good many years until the death of Mr. Morgan about twenty years ago, when the business was liquidated, there being no young blood in the family to continue it. This company also operated a number of branch yards rn what is now San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

The C. Ganahl Company was located on First street, corner of Alameda. I rvill leave the hi5tory of their gperations for the moment and pass on to the Davies Henderson Lumber Co., located on First street, nearly across from the Ganahl yard. This yard was starte(l a6out the year 1885 by Mr. Davies. a capitalist from Topeka, Kansas, and uncle to Ed. and Will Davies, afterr,vards prominent in lumber circles. Associated with him r,vere C. F. Smurr of Cass & Smurr, and Mr. Henderson, and Mr. l\{arshall, who afterwards established the California Hardrvare Co, This company did a large and successful business for about ten years, being finally taken over by the L" W. Blinn Company.

Next came the yard located in an orange grove on Fifth and San Pedro, operating under the ambitious titleof Los Angeles Storage, Commission and Lumber Company, under the management of Mr. I{orace Hiller. This yard had been started under the joint olvnership of the Griffith-KerckhoffPerry interests to offset the competition of the Flagstaff yard and was supposed to handle only second grade material. They also dealt in lime and cement, rvhich rvas stored in the old Santa Monica railroad depot building on the premises, and at the time of my arrival Mr. L. E. Behymer, future impressario, was salesman in the lvarehouse, loading and.unloading barrels of lime and cement.

The business was afterwards acquired by Thos. Vigus, Sid Hiller and Captain Skinner, operated under the name of the L. A. Lumber Company. They ir-r turn sold to the South Western I-umber Co., rvhich rvas os'ned by the Perry-Nelson interests, with L. W. Blinn as manager. He was succeeded by Mr. W. T. Wheatley and the operation was continued until about the year 1910, when the South Western Lumber Co. was combined with the Nofziger Lumber Co., who operated a yard on the corner of Eighth and Main, nnder the name of the Consolidated Lumbei Co. This was the inception of tl,e Consolidated Lumber Co., r,vho have been a large factor in both wholesale and retail operations since that date. The South Western yard r,.'as disposed of to the Montgomery & Mullin I.umber Co. abr,ut 191O, who operated it until about 1918, rvhen it rvas sold to the Patten & Davies Lumber Co., .who still occupy a pcrrtion of the yard at the present time.

The writer worked as a day laborer for a short time in 1885 in this yard and therefore had the novel experierrce of 25 years later acquiring ownership of the business in u'hich he had worked in a menial capacity.

Located way out in the suburbs on San Pedro street near Seventh, rvas the T. Walsh Company with Mr. Gillas A. Clark as manager and Charlie Humphreys as book-keeper. They afterward acquired the yard and operated it during the boom days under the name of Clark & Humphreys. Nlr. Clark, a fiery young Irishman, was a very aggressive individual and the cause of much grief to ihe--other lumber

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