A History of The hardwood business on t

woods, and the first hardwoods carried in stock were only as a part of the inventory of dealers in wagon and carriage builders' materials.

San Francisco

Among the first hardwood businesses in San Francisco in the 60s were Straut White & Co. Peter lVhite of Straut White & Co., severed his connections with that concern in 1872 and joined with his brother, Asa L. White, establishing the house of White Brothers. They bought out the firm of IValrath & Hunter and are the oldest existing hardwood ooncern on the Pa. cific Coast. Mr. Straut died some years later and his business was carried on by his widow for a number of years, but it finally failed and the stock was taken over by Edward F. Nichaus. John Wigmore continued his business. until he died in the 90s. The business was carried on by his son until finally the stock was bought out by White Brothers.

J. H. Dieckmann, an importer, opened a hardwood yard with a sawmill, for cutting up tropical woods such as mahogany, Spanish cedar, and prime vere, in the late 80s, employing Edward Nichaus, who a few years later branched out for himself by buying the bankrupt stock of Straut & Co. The Dieckmann Hardwood Co. went out of business in 1926.

The Allen '& Tuggle Lumber Co. was completelv destroyed by fire in 1885. Tuggle did not care to resume business and James E. Higgins, Sr. purchased his half interest in that year. Upon the death of Allen in 1902, Higgins purchased his half interest also, and the firm c.ontinued under the name of J. E. Higgins Lumber Co. In 1927, the J. E. Higgins Lum. ber Co. absorbed the Strable Hardwood Co. of Oakland. In 1925, they bought the stock of Cadwallader Gibson Co. in San Francisco as well as the stock of E. F. Nichaus & Co. and in 1929 purchased the remains of the Richard Hardwood Co.

Samuel Forsyth, who had been a salesman for E. A. Howard & Co.. for several years, started in San Francisco a hardwood lumber enterprise called Forsyth Hardwood Co. in 1917 with the help o,f Monsen Brothers, who were contractors and millmen. This business continued under his management until 1927, when he sold out his interest to Robert Kahn. who had been in his employ since 1921, and William Schiemann. who retired in 1931.

lOS ANGELES

In 1904, Joseph Ringemann, head of the Hardwood Lumber Co. of Den. ver, Coloradq established a branch in Los Angeles under the name of the parent company. In 1906, this concern was incorporated with the title of The Western Hardwood Lumber Co. D. J. Cahill was associated with Ringemann from the beginning and upon the latter's death in 1911, operated the business until 1918. when he purchased the entire concern and assumed complete control,

In 1917, Howell Baker, who for eleven years prior to that date was associated with the Western Lumber Co. in Los Angeles, established the California Panel and Veneer Co., dealing in plywood and veneer prod. ucts exclusively.

In 192I, the W. E. Cooper Lumber Co. of Los Angeles was established by W. E. Cooper and his son, Charles M. Cooper. Father and son had both been in the lumber business in Wisconsin prior to coming West.

In 1923, the Hammond Lumber Co,, large manufacturers of redwood and fir lumber in California and Oregon, established a hardwood department in their I-os Angeles plant and distributing yard, under the able control of Grover C. Gearhart.

Edward E. Taenzer, who dealt in