Cresent Lumber Co. ond the FTOO D

HEN THE Good Friday tidal wave hit Crescent City" Ray Schach was down at 2nd and N Streets trying to batten down the hatches at Crescent Lumber Company and get his merchandise ofi the floor. But as the water switfly rose, Ray's mind understandably turned from that chore to another with higher priority self preservation.

Making a fast exit out the back way, he jumped into the company pickup which almost immediately flooded out. Being a resourceful type, Ray then sought higher ground on a nearby logging rig (compliments of McNamara & Peepe Lumber Co.) and there met a mechanic who was also getting a little uncomfortable with all that water around. Together they fired up M&P's trusty diesel and ground the rig out of deep water to higher ground.

Schach, who operates Crescent Lumber along with Ben Spalding of Grants Pass

Lumber Co., took it on the chin like most of the merchants in the low-lying downtown area. His store was wrecked and ended up over 100 feet out in the street, some of his lumber inventory is probably ofi Baja California by now, and his rolling stock (including the balky pickup) was ruined due to salt water damage.

The next few days were spent retrieving inventory scattered over a half mile radius. Heavy five-gallon cans of roof coating were found a quarter of a mile away and, of course, lighter yard and store items (Ray had bought heavily since March lst for a sale after F,aster Sunday) were gone for eood.

But, like most Cresoent City businessmen, Schach and Spalding have their roots in the community (since J945), so they salvaged what they could and set up tem' porary quarters in the Dickson Concrete building in the 100 block of N Street.

That's where you'll find Schach today, still doing business and planning rebuilding of his 2nd and N Street yard. Incidentally, Ray would very much appreciate receiving information on new store and yard layouts; information on storage and handling of Iumber, plywood, doors, sheetrock, roofing, pole type construction, etc.

In other words, he wants to build the next one so it won't float!