Pacific Coast \(/holesale Hardwood Distributors Association Celebrates 25th Anniversary

By Don F. \X/hite \X/hite Brothers, San Francisco

Early in 1922, Bayard "Bob,bie" Byrne, then of the Western Hardwood Lumber Company, made a visit to San Francisco and rvas invited to a luncheon at the Commercial Club, rvhere the San Francisco Hardwood Club met once a week.

The Los Angeles Haqdrvood dealers had a similar club and Bobbie suggested the forming of a Pacific Coast Association, taking in the San Francisco and Los Angeles clubs as a nucleus, and inviting all the hardwood dealers along the coast-San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver.

Bobbie Byrne and C. H. "Harry" White were named the committee to write the dealers, which they did and received enthusiastic responses from all. Plans 'ivere laiC for the forming of this association and a first convention rvas held at Del l\{onte i;1922.

A new vista in the hardrvood business rvas opened up by the acquaintanceship and real friendships rvhich developed. Mutual problems rvere discussed and the principals of the various Pacific Coast hardwood companies became fast and lasting friends, instead of names on letterheads.

At the next rneeting at Santa Barl>ara, Frank Fish, then secretary-treasurer of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, came out from Chicago and signed up practically 1@% of the Pacific Coast hardwood dealers as members. Shortly after a Pacific Coast member was placed on the National Hardrvood I-umber Association Board of Directors. C. H. White u'as the first director and after a six year term rvas follorved by D. J. Cahill of Los Angeles. The present \\rest Coast director is Dallas Donnan of Seattle.

At the first meeting, rvhich formed the association non' knorvn as the Pacific Coast Wholesale Hardwood Distributors Association, there were present frorn San DiegoJerry Sullivan, Sullivan Hardwood Lurnber Company, A1 Frost, Frost Hardrvood Lumber Company; from Los Angeles-Ed and Bob Taenzer, American Hardwood Company, D. J. Cahill and Bayard Byrne, Western Hardwood Company, Roy Stanton and Henry Swafford, E. J. Stanton and Son, Charlie and Clarence Bohnhoff, Bohnhoff Lumber Company, W. E., and Charlie Cooper, W. E. Cooper l-umber Company; from Oakland-George ,Brorvn, Strable

Hardrvood Company; from San Francisco-Gus Dieckman, Dieckman Lumber Company, Ed Howard, E. A. Horvard and Company, Ted Higgins, J. E. Higgins Lumber Company, Homer Maris, Maris Hardwood Company, Sam Forsyth, Forsyth Hardwood Company, Otto Wahlefeld, E. F. Niehaus and Company, Felix Richards, Richards Hardwood Company, Ray Ford, Cadwallader-Gibson Company,,C. H. White, White Brothers; from Portland-Ernie Hall and Jim Ahern, Nicolai-Neppach Company; from Seattle-Ken Hopey, Ehrlich Harrison Company; and from Vancouver. B. C.-J. Fyfe Smith, J. Fyfe Smith Company.

The second meeting, held the following year, sarv additional members including Bill Davis, Davis Hard'rvood Company, San Francisco, Norman Sawers, J. Fyfe Smith Company, Vancouver, Frank Connolly, lVestern Hardwood Lumber Company, Los Angeles, and a little later, Bob Kahn of Forsyth Hardwood Company and Roy Barto of Cadwallader-Gibson Company.

There have been many changes in the past tlventy-five years, with some firms going out of business and nerv faces appearing on the scene. At that first meeting it rvas decided to rotate the conventions from the Southern California Section to the Northern California Section and the North Pacific Section, rvith the.gronp in each section putting on the conventio4 as their turn occurred.

Throughout these trventy-five years the Association has continued to hold its meetings, rvith a few exceptions during World War II when conventions were frowned upon.

Thus it is that the founding of the Pacific Coast Wholesale Hardrvood Distributors Association coincides exactly with the founding of The California Lun-rber Merchant. Jack Dionne has ,been a speaker at a number of our gatherings and Bill Black is a constant visitor and is very u'elcome.

Hammond Retail Yard Mcrncrgers Visit Mills cnd Woods Opercrtions

Managers of retail yards of the Hammond Lumber Company in Northern Cdlifornia were guests of the company on a four-day trip to the sawmills, and logging operations at Samoa and Eureka, June 5 to 8, inclusive.

Those u,ho made the trip were the-.following: Harry A. $now, Boyes Springs and Sonoma; Lawrence A. Tibbetts; Calistoga; Mrs. Gladys Luebow, Clearlake Highlands; W. D. Raymond, Freedom; James E. Clarke, Healdsburg; Albert Adamo, Napa; Rutherford Rohland, St. Helena, and J. H. Heick, Watsonville.

G. B. Mcleod, president, H. E. Bailey, vice president, and F. K. Peil, San Francisco, accompanied the group.