THE

PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Volume 3, New Series Spring 1989 Number 1

HENDERSON BROTHERS COMPANY, INC. NINETY-THREE GOING ON ONE HUNDRED

By Joyce Boda

Henderson Brothers Hardware in Lodi, in the San Joaquin Valley, is exactly what you would expect of a near-one­hundred-year old neighborhood store. It has each tool, screw, nut, and bolt you might need; you'll lind worn oak floors and plenty of hardware clerks asking if they can help you lind something. There also is the comforting and invigorating smell that is reminiscent of childhood. It's the smell of oiled steel and countless other things that have been taking up space, probably for quite some time. It is, simply, the smell or a down-to-earth old-fashioned hardware store.

"Old-fashioned," as defined in The Random llousp Dictionary, is reflecting the styles, customs, or methods of the past. This seems to infer that Henderson Bro­thers Hardware is antiq ua ted or passe' Not so; they prefer to be known as old­fashioned. By choice they have remained carefully attentive to the needs of rural folk in the area, many whose ancestors were argonauts, pioneers, and colonials.

Hardware items for colonists included articles they had brought to the new world, European imports, and items made locally by blacksmiths. It wasn't until the middle of the seventeenth century that iron products were manufactured. Production increased steadily but did not exceed imports unti I about 1860. By the turn of the century American hardware exports far surpassed imports. There were few stores specializing in hardware during the eighteenth century; the main outlet for

hardware until the middle of the nineteenth century in America, especially rural America, was the general store.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century the wide variety of domestic and imported items the storekeepers stocked were purchased either directly or through local jobbers. These middlemen were known as urban commission merchants since they did not own the goods. They usually were acting in the capacity or agents of the producers. Gradually, spec­ialized hardware stores gained an in creasing importance during the nine­teenth century. They needed a larger variety of goods and services than were available through a commission merchant. This brought about the development of hardware wholesalers that continued to be the main source for hardware dealers. More recently, the advent of non-profit cooperatives such as True Value Ace and Sentry have created better pric~s fo~ the consumer.

After outfitting prospectors during the gold rllsh tapered off, local hardware stores played a vital part in the settling and cultivating of the valley Many thousands of acres of tillable lands in the Central California Valley were subdivided and developed by intensive farming­Lodi's growth can be wholly attributed to agriculture Some of the prominent hard­ware bu::;inesses in operation over the years but now closed for one reason or another include Lodi Hardware, Northern Hardware, New Lodi Hardware, and the

most recenlly, Turner Hardware. The original hardware of John J.

Collins is believed to have had ib start in Acampo prior to 1870. When Lodi, then Mokelumne Station, began its quick growth, Mr. Collins moved his business to Lodi, most likely with hopes of becoming a prosperous hardware entrepreneur. By 1883, pioneer businessmen John ,J Collins and E. Thorp had established lin and hardware stores in Lodi. Mr. Collins was in operation when the fire of October 11, 1887, almost de\'astated the business area of Lodi. Although ~tr. Collins lost his building and inventory in the fire, he rebuilt the hardware; however, another fire prompted his decision to sell the business to Torn and Woods Henderson in 1896.

At the time the Henderson brothers purchased the business, it was modish Iy situated at 9 North Sacramento Street just across Pine Street from the old Lodi Hotel. The railroad depot was the center of town; many commercial venturers had built near this focal point. After 1896, the company installed plumbing and heating systems in homes, hotels, and other businesses. They also installed water wells powered by wind and conducted a general hardware bus· iness.

Not long after the Henderson brothers acquired the hardware the telephone came to Lodi The first business to have a telephone was Robert L. Graham's Drug­store. He also had the first switchboard in­stalled and was tied in with a long distance line that could reach such towns as Sacra­mento, Oakland, and San Francisco. Shortly after this, Henderson Brothers Hardware put in the second business telephone and Dr. J.M Blodgett, a dentist, set up the third. Lodi's citizens were very fascinated by the new "talkaphone." They would visit the hardware or dentist just to use the telephone. It got so bad that the Henderson brothers, Mr. GI-aham, and Dr. Blodgett were constantly interrupted by inquisitive calls. Since there were only two other places in Lodi the people could call, it is easy to visualize their chagrin. How­ever, the telephone soon passed the curiosity stage in 1897 when the first regular exchange and central switchboard were created. Business for Ilenderson Brothers must have then returned to normal.

When the Lodi Chamber of Commerce was first organized on April 9. 1901, Woods Henderson took time out from the business to serve on the Board of Di rectors. The organization was formed with the purpose of encouraging newcomers to settle in Lodi, to cultivate the assets of the surrounding' area, and to promote business locally and countywide. When the idea for a festival to feature tokay grapes grown in

the area was first kindled in 1907. Woods Henderson was olle of the five bU::iiness­men to serve on the first carnival com­mittee. The Tokav Arch. still one uf Ludi's most noteworthy a::ipecL~, was constrllcLed from $500 in contributions for the 1907 carnival. or Mission Style Architecture, today's Tokay Arch spans Pine Street at the east side of the intersection with Sacramento Street, just one-half block from Henderson Bros. Cu, Inc :\(;w trdfTic signals of vintage design, ilower planters. and cobbled crossings ha"f' I'unher en· hanced the impressive beauly oethe arch.

An idea of the extent of the hardware business conducted bv the II ender-son Bro­thers can be found in an advertisement in the 1902 Lodi High School Annual.

HEN Dlmso:\ BROS. Ilardware Stoves Tinware Plumbing:TinwoA, Pumps: Pipes, Windmills, Tanks, Paints, Oils, Wall Paper

tOm, CAL

Then, on January 31, 1906, Articles of Incorporation of the Henderson Brothers Company were filed with California's Secretary of State that designated the corporation was formed for the purpose of carrying on business that included general hardware, general plumbing, and general contracting. The Lodi Sentinel, in its December 21, 1905 issue, ran the following front-page article:

The firm of lIenderson Bros. is to be incorporated and after the first of the year it will be known as the Henderson Hardware Com­pany. The stockholders of the new

THE SAN JOAQUIN HISTOIUAN 1989

SAN JOAQClN COUNTY IIISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.

P.O. Box 21, Lodl, Califllrt1m 95241

Robert W Clottu, Editor The San Joaljuin County Historical Society,

a non· profit corporation, meets the fourth Mon­day monthly exceptJuly, August and December. Membership indudes subscriptions t,) The San Joaquin Historian and the newsletter, News and Notes. Non-members may purchase indivi­dual copies from the S,)ciety. The Society directs the operation of the San Joaquin (:'lUl1ty Histori· cal Museum.

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Michael W. Bennett, Director Micke Grove Park

(11793 N. Micke Grove Road, l~odl ) P.O. Box 21, Lodi, CaliJornia 95241 Phone 120913689154 or 4634119

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concern will be \\. " Thos. Henderson. ( W.A. Spooner, T.II "

The tirsl four ri..:

connected with thl' ~. ber of years, thl (: capacity of owner" ..: employees. Mr. \1.\ l ber of the firm ,,:' Myers, Paperers "r. gers. W.W. lIender,;,_· in the capacity as Gtc' and his brother Th,·~ ... will look aft,,; interests which tL" Mr. Gerlach wi 11 hd, shop and plumbir,:;­Mr. Spooner will (": salesman in the st"r: direct charge uf department. \1r \1 charge of the pai~: department a :-:c ' store which will ;". improved. In tht :.:, paper department. " goods will be carr , meet the demanc: community like Le·G.

The Lodi SentiT]' reported that Lodi gressive move had close their stores at of the list of bllsinl'''~': petition was !lender",:

Photo of interior 0

unoccupied Rex P Wakefield and Luth

concern will be WW. Henderson, Thos Henderson, G.A Gerlach, W.A. Spooner, T.H. Myers.

The first four names have been connected with the store for anum· ber of veal'S the first two in the capacity of o~ners and last two as employees 1\11'. Myers was a mem· bel' of the firm of Lawsing and Myers, Paperers and Paper lIan· gers. W.W. Henderson will continue in the capacity as Genera! Manager and his brother Thomas Henderson ... will look after the farming interests which they own jointly. Mr. Gerlach will have charge of the shop and plumbing establishment. Mr. Spooner will continue as head salesman in the store and will have direct charge of the hardware department. Mr. Myers will take charge of the paint and wallpaper department. a new feature of the store which will be enlarged and improved. In the paint and wall­paper department, a large stock or goods will be carried in order to meet the demand of a growing community I ike Lodi ..

The Lodi Sentinel of January 11, 1906, reported that Lodi businessmen in a pro­gressive move had signed an agreement to close their stores at 6:00 p.m. At the head of the list of businesses that signed the petition was Henderson Bros.:

. Ilereafter the stores of Lodi will close every evening, except Sat­urday, at six o'clock. .. ;-,row that the r)usinessmen have started this early closing movement for the benefit of their employees as well as themselves, it is up to the public to encourage it by doing the necessary buying between the hours of seven a. m. an six p m. Closing the stores or Lodi at six o'clock is a reasonable hour for that purpose, those who do their trading after six o'clock no doubt are quite averse to laboring after that hour ... why expect clerks to work after that hour.

In 1909, Gustave A. Gerlach, William A. Spooner, Ii T. Myers, and r:dwin G. Steacy bought out Tom and Woods Henderson. Even though the brothers ended their association with the company at that time, the business name was retained. Edwin G. Steacy, an enterprising traveling salesman for the WY. Fuller Paint Company, left this position of selling Fuller products to the southern mines of the Mother Lode when he joined Hender­son Brothers Company He ran the paint department with GA. Gerlach and W.A. Spooner. After Mr Gerlach's death, Mr. Spooner and Mr. Steacy purchased his share::;.

The Stockton City and San Joaquin County Directory, 1909-1910 lists Hender­son Bros. Co. a::; having five plumbers and

Photo of interior of Henderson Brothers Hardware before 1909 (currently unoccupied Rex Pool Hall). From left to right: Woods Henderson, Julia Wakefield and Luther Brown, rear and W. W. Spooner.

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a tinner on its stafr. All these plumbers had a wagon and a horse that was boarded

22, 1928, Mr. Spooner was one of the four civic leaders that petitioned the San

In 1940, jU:'it before: the :'iecond world war, II

at night in a livery stable across from Sacramento Street. Just as today, labor costs at that time were high. Modern pickup trucks solved the problem of early

Joaquin County Board of Supervisors to hold a 1906 election for incorporation of the city of Lodi. John Pitcher Spooner, well-kr10wn pioneer Stockton photograph­

Company moved from 9 Street {today's The Rt:, present loca'tion oC 21 Street. I t was a hot Il1e

completion of jobsite work by crew mem­bers. With their advent it is no longer necessary to wail for the whole crew to finish before the wagon can return to the shop; each construction worker now eliminates idle time by independently driving from job tojob

[t is reported that Gustave A. Gerlach was a very good heating man, especially on hot waler systems. When the Masonic Temple was 'being constructed, Hender· son's bid on the job. The company didn't get the project because Mr. Gerlach would

er, was Mr. Spooner's uncle.

In 1928, ,James Gibbon::., a salesman and frequent bU:'iiness visitor with Thomp­:'ion Diggs of Sacramento, bought into the company upon 1\11' Sleacy's suggestion. Shortly befon; Mr. Gibbons entered the company, '\fr. Spooner exited l\;ames such as Art Goodwin, Sam Peightal, and Christine Jones were associated with the business. By the early 1950s these names were no more, they are now just a pleasant memory.

end when this took p moved lock, stock, anc help of four-wheeled Cc

the railroad, after clo:, urday. They worked r order that Mondav m·· business as usuaL T owned by Jack GrarY;; maker had been ru: During'the renovatiun:, dismantled and the b..; new front. Just as ill~' that the cost or uutfit:

not agree with the architect's plans for the system. II e refused to install the system as

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, lIenderson Ilardware's inventory

was very high (for 0.;

with dozens of drav.t-~: designed, he said it just wouldn't work. lie was right, it didn't work. After instal lalion by another contractor, who followed the architect's idea, the Masonic Lodge

was extremely good. There was all kinds of merchandise to buy but money for purchases was scarce. From about one o'clock in the afternoon to five p m. there

labor) When even·thing.,

displays were 'Cui 1.\ ~:-: crowded with itern~

ended lip paying a large slim of money to wouldn't be a single customer in the store merchandise was abu:-.c have it modified so that the system would heat properly.

The first big project for the firm was the Hotel Lodi in 1913-1914. Plumbers earned 75 cents an hour in those days. The

nor were there any people on the streets. One day during the depression the all time low sales was $4.67. Then, when IIender­son's was once again doing a thriving business, World War II came along.

changed all thal W<!, out, cutlery exhibi> empty, and table:, :'~. Bins literallv bh'ali',t- : W.P. Fuller', the ,:t· "

toilets for the hotel, the biggest order to come into Lodi by rail at that time, filled two railroad cars and had to be stacked on the sidewalk as not enough storage space was available. Quite a crowd came to see the latest "wonder" to hit Lodi.

could no longer ,;uP;';·: products as the g'-' \ ~ r

their only contract !: make many comprurr:., trying days

The 1940::; and I~:

Among other old existing buildings in downtown Lodi that have been plumbed and heated by Henderson Rros Co. are the City Hall and the former Carnegie Library located next to the City Hall on Pine Street.

bered as a lime V.r.e~. fire department Ilefe ~: Henderson Rro" C. volunteer fin,men. a r

had Ci ve employe€::, ': When the alarm W'.',:

Floor furnaces and gravity central air replaced steam heat around 1925; home installations constituted a large amount of the company's busines:'i at that time. Hun­dreds of Fraser furnaces were quickly installed. A hole could be cut in the floor,

men would head uL:~ ....

dard good-natur(,d ,,;:::: aisles, let the firemc:r: ~.

A big build ins :: changed times ,i:' :-'

Sleacy took OVer l:~:: the furnace dropped in, with gas easily connected. Thus, houses were simply and better heated than water or steam heated

president when hi:, a: r

,

retired. lie becan:t: .: jobs in plumbing

homes plus the cost was much le:'is than boilers.

In 1922 during William A. Spooner's association with Henderson Bros. Co., he became a citv councilman and attended many functio';'!!:; in that capacity lie was eJected Lodi's Mayor in 1927, the same year he sold his interest in the company and obtained a Frigidaire dealership for the first electric refrigerator. Ilis ::itore was a big success. While mayor he wel­comed the large gatherings of Illore than 2,000 people at the for'mal opening of Lodi's new $70,000 City Hall on February

Henderson Brothers Company, Inc., September 16, 1940, just prior to move.

conditioning--the ii1",: ,­

derson Rrothe rs (,:,:-:-.: about 1950 when a:, along. Hendersu!': b: employees to learn ::-.c of this "hurry u;.:o" universities in S,·..,:·.· Coleman Product:-: ir. 'S to other manufactLir<:;~

The first bu,,::-oc conditioning in L"c:." places such as n::'ta_:. parlors. Around 19:': became an affurGa

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In 1940, just before the trying times of the second world war, Henderson Brothers Company moved from 9 North Sacramento Street Hodav's The Rex Pool lIalll to its present loca-tion of 21 South Sacramento Street. It was a hot Indian summer week­end when this took place but the staff moved lock, stock, and barrel, with the help of four-wheeled carts borrowed from the railroad, after closing hours on Sat­urday. They worked round the clock in order that Monday morning it would be business as usual. The new building, owned by Jack Graffigna, a local wine­makeI', had been recently remodeled. During the renovations a second story was dismantled and the building was gi ven a new front. Just as it is today, records show that the cost or outfitting the new store was very high (for example, oak cabinets with dozens or drawers, tables, bins, and labor).

When everything was in place the wal! displays were fully stocked, tables were crowded with items, and all types of merchandise was abundant. World War II changed all that. Wall displays thinned­out, cutlery exhibits were practically empty, and tables showed many gaps. Bins literally became homes for cobwebs. W.P. Fuller, the store's paint ::;upplier, could no longer supply the store with its products as the government had become their only contract. It was necessary to make many compromises; those were verv trying days. .

The 1940s and 1950s can be remem­bered as a time when members of Lodi's fire department were still local volunteers. Henderson Bros. Co. had its share of volunteer firemen; during this time they had five employees that were firemen. When the alarm would sound these five men would head out the door to the stan­dard good-natured kidding of, "Clear the aisles, let the firemen out."

A big building boom in the 1950s changed times as if by magic. Hugh Steacy took over the reins as company president when his father Edwin G. Steacy retired. He became involved in bidding jobs in plumbing, healing, and air conditioning~-the main earnings for Hen­derson Brothers Company, Tnc It was about 1950 when air conditioning came along. lienderson Bros. Co sent their employees to learn the newest techniques of this "hurry-up" field to various universities in Southern California, to Coleman Products in Wichita, Kansas, and to other manufacturers in Arizona.

The first businesses to have air conditioning in Lodi were sil-down eating places such as restaurants and ice cream parlors. Around 1953 air conditioning became an affordable item for home

owners--this was big business. Henderson Bros. Co installed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of air conditioning in central heating units that could accom­modate the change during 1957 1958. Those who have lived in the valley during hot summers can certainly appreciate the birth of the air conditioner.

The very efficiently organized concrete building at 217 South Sacramento Street, now privately-owned by family members of the business, houses the heating, plumbing, sheet metal, and air condition­ing part of the business. Trucks are loaded quickly with material stored on pallets. The working area is conveniently arrang­ed, well-lit and spacious

Kenneth McConnell, the vice-presi· dent and major stockholder of the bus­iness, is the son -in-law of II ugh Steacy. He joined the firm in 1961 and promptly set about learning the mechanical side of the business. In 1972, after forty-four years with Henderson Bros., James Gibbons retired. An expert motion picture photo­grapher, Mr. Gibbons, in the capacity of their director-manager, recorded Ameri~ can Legion Dl'U1ll and Bugle Corps events on movie film as well as took photographs from 1936 of the American Legion pienics that were held at Micke Grove.

For the past few years Hugh Steacy has retired from active involvement in the business but is continuing his role as the company's president. [n 1964, M r Steacy became associated with the Farmers and !\lerchants Bank of Lodi and is an active annually-elected member of the Board of Directors today. In the 1940s Hugh Steacy was the purchasing agent of Shewan­Jones, a commercial winery. Retirement has now given him the opportunity to pursue an early love--the nurturing of grapes in the fertile Lodi area--just as Woods and Tom Henderson did when they sold the company to his father EG. Steacy and his partners eighty years ago

Henderson Brothers Company has had a long history of community involvement. Sponsorship trophies that adorn the store give an idea of the many athletic teams the company backs through the Lodi Recre­ation Department since its formation in 1945. In 1971, Henderson Bros. Co. recei ved the first sponsorship plaque to be awarded as a Booster of Boys Sports (BOBS) Some of the involvement in community affairs by other members of the business has been briefly mentioned. Today Kenneth McConnell and Michael Fyffe are continuing this tradition as enthusiastic members of Rotary Inter­nationaL

In the years since Miehael Fyffe began his full-time association with Henderson Bros. Co., Hugh Steacy feels the business

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HENDiRSON BROS. CO. .r:PLU n'''''''­

Pencil rendition of Henderson Brothers Company, Inc. store front in early 1980s by Mary Beth Preszler.

has been conducted bettel' than ever before. Sales for the retail part of the store have steadily climbed despite the ever­increasing amount of home improvement centers, Mr. Fyffe currently oversees all phases of the company's entire operation. In 1987 the hardware building at 21 South Sacramento Street was purchased and added to the company's assets.

Henderson Brothers Company has maintained its classic personality by JOYCfi~ BODAcontinuing to be an old-fashioned neigh­

In 1985, as a student atborhood hardware that stocks items with San Joaquin Delta College, which they are familiar--even many hard­

to-find articles such as washboards and Study of History Class, she galvanized tubs. Expert advice on tools placed fi rst in t he San and projects is still freely given to their Joaquin County Historical customers. The secret of their uniqueness Society'S "Award of Excel­is that they have never lost sight of the lence" competition for her fact that Lodi was, and is. primarily an versionof"Henderson Brothers Co.,agricultural community. This uniqueness Inc" Eighty-Nine Going On One Hun­has not only earned them the honor of dred." A native Californian from Hum­being Lodi's oldest hardware and plumb­

boldt County, she and husband Tibor Bodaing business under continuous ownership live in rural Stockton. Their daughterin California.

The aim and hope of the Henderson Carol Edwards and son Michael both live Brothers Company, Inc., having profited in Lodi. She is currently writing the by almost a century, is to do the best that history of Stockton's Pacific Tannery. is known today and still seek for a better tomorrow, to the end result that the high~ est possible type of service shall be gi ven to their valued friends and customers. The forecast is excellent for the 1996 centen­nial observation of Henderson Brothers Company, Inc. of Lodi. Watch for it.

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T

Austin Sperry cam.:: ing for gold like so llld

1850. Be came "arul;' after landing immedi;Jt.c fields with four friend". days and collecting ~II decided that mining We"

came to Stockton and Wt

as a grocer. During thi, that it would he proj'ito mill to feed the l1ljner~' as a partner a Mr. L:,,: do liars started ami:: Commerce and Main S';

The grist mill wa~ L:

en building 175 x 15;_' months of operation ~" barley for ani mal :'t:' graham flour milling c was seventy barrel,: , : hour work day. Prlv; supp ly of O()U rca fl ,: Richmond, Virginia 1 transportation, the barrel of flour wa" :'-: dollars and even t" c

Wheat was not grOWl': .' Lyons were tu gee '­Martinez and :\apa ' farmers begin to grc,., Joaquin Valley.

The flour mill bec". iness for Sperry and L: Baldwin purchased :>1; company. Mr. Bald \' ::-. capacity of the mill [. wheat grinding stOLe:::­and boiler with thE' c.::.: 125 barrels of fl,)Ur c

barley, Mr. Baldwin :0:

Alexander Burkett ;:. -: win's share of the C(,-r:-_: Sperry's first flour p:< Snow." In 1856 the :-;-,: full capacity produc The Sperry mill em:. and daily produced :~ twenty-four hour~ '. enjoying a huge ~',;(~ named Timothv Pc! z' would enter the 'nllt.;r S. a brick mill on t h.:: Levee Street::; He' _. machinery from Er.,;_.:: pered, and the bL:-,:rc purchased by Dan:", I

cisco.

THE SPERRY FLOUR MILLS OF STOCKTON

By Renee McComb

Austin Sperry came to California look­ing for gold like so many young' men in 1850. lIe came "around the horn" and after landing immediately went to the gold fields with four friends. After panning five days and collecting 500 dollars, Sperry decided that mining was not for him. He came to Stockton and worked for two years as a grocer. During this time, he observed that it would be profitable to start a grist mill to feed the miners' livestock lIe took as a partner a Mr. Lyons, and with 1,000 dollars started a mill on the corner of Commerce and Main Streets

The grist mill was a single story wood­en building 175 x 150 feet. The first six months of operation saw the gI'inding of barley for animal feed. In late 1852 graham nour milling began. Production was seventy barrels of nour pcr twelve hour work day Prior to this, Stockton's supply of Ilo'ur came from Chile and Hichmond, Virginia. Due to the cost of transportation, the price for an imported barrel of flour was from eight to twenty dollars and even twenty-two dollars. Wheat was not grown locally. Sperry and Lyons were to get their wheat from Martinez and Napa. Not until 1856 did farmers begin to grow wheat in the San Joaquin Valley.

The flour mill became a profitable bus­iness for Sperry and Lyons. In 1854 a Mr. Baldwin purchased Mr. Lyon's share of the company. Mr. Baldwin then increased the capacity of the mill by adding two run of wheat gri nding stones and a new engi ne and boiler with the capacity of producing 125 barTels of flour a day and ten tons of barley.

Mr. Baldwin retired in 1856 and Alexander Burkett purchased Mr. Bald­win's share of the company. The name of Sperry's first flour product was "Drifted Snow." In 1856 the mill was operating at full capacity producing 150 barrels a day. The Sperry mill employed eighteen men and daily produced flour and barley each twenty-four hours. While Sperry was enjoying a huge success, another man named Timothy Paige decided that he would enter the flour business. Paige built a brick mill on the corner of Beaver and Levee Streets. fie outfitted his mill with machinery from England but never pros­pered, and the business was eventually purchased by Daniel Gibbs of San Fran­cisco.

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In 1860 Mr. Willard Sperry, brother of Austin, bought into the Sperry and Bur­kett Company. The Franklin Mill was now purchased and joined to the Sperry and Burkett effurt.

The business was now named the Stockton City Mills. The mill was modi­fied until it could produce thirty barrels of nour and three tons of ground barley per hour or 700 barrels of flour and seventy­five tons of ground barley per 24 hours. The building was 50 x 100 feet and four stories high. The engine which ran the entire plant had a twenty-two inch bore and a forty-two inch stroke. The 185 horsepower engine was run by steam supplied by three tubular boilers each sixteen feet long and fifty-four inches in diameter and each containing 49-3! inch tubes. The fuel was Monte Diablo coal screenings. The mill consisted of four run of stone for wheat, one stone for middlings and one run for feed. I n fifteen hours sixty­five tons of wheat, twenty-five tons of barley and seven tons of coal were consumed. The mill employed twenty men and 500 dollars was spent each week for their wages.

The original Sperry wooden mill was abandoned in 1871 and the entire oper­ation was moved to the Stockton City Mills. The annual production rate between 1867 and 1871 was 70,000 barrels of flour or 7,000 tons and 500 tons of barley.

Alexander Burkett sold out after a 1874 downturn in business. Austin and Willard Sperry now each owned half of the business. The Stockton Mill had the capacity of 800 barrels of flour by 1882. The mill operated with part rolls and part stones. Sperry was shipping flour to Eur~ ope by 1873. In one month Sperry shipped over 5,000 barrels abroad. Sperry was becoming a very popular flour company.

[n 1878 wheat was priced at $1.55 to $1.60 per ton according to quality. Sperry began a new process for grinding flour called the Granulated Process. The demand for this new process of flour became larger than the supply. Sperry flour was in great demand all over the world. A promotional article boasted, "The flour of her mills commanded a premium in New York, and facilities were made to give her the control of the flour market." This, however, never happened.

mill's lighting and heaTHE FIR": OF THE STOCKTON CITY MILLS deep natural gas well ::;1

Austin Sperry died in 1881 and Willard Sperry continued the bu::;iness. The Stockton City Mills prospered until April 2, 1882. That day a fire ruined the entire mill and its machinery Around four o'clock in the afternoon, tillloke was seen coming from the direction of the Sperry mills. The Weber fire engine was the first on the scene, and the Eureka was next. The Babcock engine came and old Betsy, a chemical fire engine, was brought out or retirement and pressed into service. The whole fire department was there to fight the blaze. The Weber used the channel for its water supply, and the rest used the cisterns along the streets. During the fire, the Babcock had to return to its firehouse to be recharged. By nine o'clock the fire was controlled. A lumber yard and a personal house were also damaged in the blaze. The cause of the fire could have been a dust explosion in the smut room on the third floor, but it is more plausible that the fire started near the furnace on the lower floor.

The injuries from the fire were minor compared to its seriousness. One man was hit in the right eye by falling timber; another man had his hands badly burned. The Hook and Ladder horse took off with the truck alune through the lumber yard, but was stopped before it could do any serious damage. The most common in­juries that occurred wel'e bruises and singed hair. The firemen did a good job in keeping the fire from adjoining buildings of the flour mill. However, the fire equip­ment that was used was very inadequate and was the reason for the delay in extin­guishing the fire. Rotten hoses were a seriOlls problem to all engine companies. The hoses would fall apart when water was forced through them. It took many min­utes for them to be replaced. The ladders were too small for the big buildings, and the whole system was blamed for being ancient.

The financial loss of the flour fili II was between 120,000 to 150,000 dollars. The insurance coverage was for 90,000 dollars, $60,000 was for the mill and machinery that were destroyed. After the fire, Sperry leased a mill in Lodi and made contracts with other mills in the state so that orders could be filled. Immediately after the fire, Sperry decided to rebuild. The new mill was completed October 11, 1882. It em­ployed fifty men and could produce 1,000 barrels a day. The new mill cost 200,000 dollars to build. The mill was named the "Crown Mills" and was ready to begin operations in February 1883. Mr J.D. Peters named the mill.

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The foundation of the new mill had 2~ feet of cement. The building was three stories high and was 50 x 100 feet. The walls were thirty inches thick for the first two floors then one brick was deleted for the third floor. The doors were made of iron to keep the sections isolated in case of fire. The architects were Percy and Hamil­ton of San Francisco. All carpentry work was done in one day under the direction of Mr. Sperry. The mill's first floor was all cement in imitation stone /lagging. This floor contained the engine room with four tubular boilers each containing rortynine tubes - 3~ inches in diameter. The engine was a Corliss with extra heavy bed with a cylinder 26 x 48 inches. The horsepower was 350 with a capacity up to 500

The engine room was 50 x 50 feet and eighteen feet high. The smoke stack was 120 feet high and fifty-four inches in dia­meter. The machinery was driven by a twenty-six inch double leather belt pulley which was seventeen feet six inches in height and twenty-eight inches in dia­meter. The second /loor was the grinding section, and the upper /loor was a ware­house.

The Crown Mills was the largest all rolls mill on the Pacific Coast. The mill ran from 6 p.m. Sunday till 6 p.m. Salur day. The mill employed sixty men. It consumed 40,000 bushels of wheat per week. A new engine was installed with 700 horsepower by Tatum and Bowen of San F'rancisco. It had a four foot stroke.

By 1897 the mill employed seventy men. I t produced 1,800 barre Is of flour per day. Annually it consumed 720,000 sacks of wheat and produced 360,000 barrels of flour Ultimately, the Crown Mill expand­ed to four stories that covered 96 x 180 feet. The first /loor contained the boots and line shafting and the elevator. The second floor contained thirty-three stands of Allis rolls and eighteen pairs of Nordyke and Mormon rolls. The third floor contained twenty-two foot hexagon reeb, two centri­fugal reels and four brass dusters and five Smith's purifiers. The fourth floor contain­ed twenty-three hexagon reels, six centri­fugal reels, and five Smith's purifiers

Joining the mill was a long brick building with the first floor as the receiving are for the wheat rrom steamers and trains. The sacks were cut and the wheat was sent to the cleaners.

There were six separators, three mach­ines scouring grain, and three brush mach­ines for polishing the grain. The second floor of this building was the packing room for the wheat after it was ground. A 600 horsepower wheelock engine furnished the

of gas daily to run the r also had a 15,000 ton CUI

All wheat came to t sacks. This was becau" to handle than bulk gTui not brought onto ship harder to move if the heavy on one side. 1'1] sacks of wheat there \va, 'rhe waste consisted of :' caps, oats, barley, mu, sand adobe pocket k n and ~hunks ~f iron to in The wheat went thr ... brushes to clean it the: the grinding proces::;. Ti go through four pair crushed the wheat h, wheat was shaken tv inside the kerne I. T hc" ., six pairs of rolls six til shell and bran coverin~ ground a total of fifteen­shaken through silk :',; into "Sperry's Best Fan: It took 300 pounds of " barrel of /lour.

The Sperry Flour Ct successful that it Wd:'

1884. Two years later \1, and his sons continued 1890 production value"

Sperry Incorpord c,,: of /lour: Sperry':; Be:'·. Snow, Golden Cate. Sr.,. and Stocktonia. Spt: r!':, • to the community in :'.: called drays. The !' ;,

Sperry's /lour beed:;,,,.' was shipping flour v· Sc evening and ever:. :'.~, steamer was used tc' ::: 1900 Sperry Wd:; ~­Honolulu, Hong Kur.,; hama, Manila, Ala~hc American states. Cr.:r.• Philippines. Flour W.:l

Siberia. Sperry begun to:· ieX;:'

facilities in Stocktu~~ ; Sperry had plan:, drd"':­141 foot two-slori,,·,,· ~ . ..: that would be cum;:..",·.~ wheat crop Wd'; rt::'~:.' Rushforth designed ::-:e, Almost no wood Wd~ _~" tion. The warehouse ... ,,:, Crown Mills and S~,:,,:,,: cost of the building ... .;;.

mill's lig'hting and heating. A 1,260 feet deep natural gas well supplied 20,000 feet of gas daily to run the milL This building also had a 15,000 ton capacity warehouse.

All wheat came to the Crown Mills in sacks. This was because thev were easier to handle than bulk grain. Bulk grain was not brought onto ships because it was harder to move if the boat became too hea vy on one side. To every seventy-five sacks of wheat there was one sack of waste. The waste consisted of straw, sticks, white caps, oats, barley, mustard seed, rocks, sand, adobe, pocket knives, bolts, nails, and chunks of iron to increase the weight. The wheat went through screens and brushes to clean it then it went through the grinding process. The first step was to go through fOllr pairs of rolls which crushed the wheat kernels. Then the wheat was shaken to remove the dust inside the kerneL The wheat went back to six pairs of rolls six times to remove the she II and bran coverings. The wheat was ground a total of fifteen times before it was shaken through silk screens to make it into "Sperry's Best Family ~'Iour" product. It took 300 pounds of wheat to make one barrelofnour.

The Sperry Flour Company became so successful that it was incorporated in 1884. Two years later Willard Sperry died and his sons continued the business. By 1890 production value was over $2,000,000

per year. A slump in business came in 1892 but Sperry and Company and Incor­porated came out of this quickly.

An addition of another flour mill helped them come out of the business slump. A Mr. Horace Davis owned the Golden Gate Mills in Stockton. Mr. Davis decided to move and set up another flour mill in Martinez. He sold the Golden Gate to Sperry for 100,000 dollars. With the Crown and the Golden Gate Mills, Sperry could produce up to 5,000 barrels of nour per day.

In 1873 the farmers of San Joaquin Valley had organized the Farmers Union. Its function was the storage and handling of grain. In August 1890 it because a corporation. That same year it was decided to build a union milL In January 1892 the Union \-tills began operation with a capital stock of $500,000. The company's office was in San Francisco under the direction of W.B. Harrison and C.F. Hutchison. Their brand of flour was Stocktonia. The business never prospered and in 1894 was sold to Sperry Incorporated. The mill produced 1,500 barrels of nour daily but could produce 5,000 barrels. I t was seven stories high and was 15 q x 85 feel. A 150 x 100 two-story warehouse adjoined the mill. By 1896 the Union Mills were producing 3,000 barrels of flour daily. Stockton was becoming known as the "Manufacturing city of the Pacific."

EARLY 1900's SUCCESS

Sperry Incorporated had many brands of flour: Sperry's Best Family, Drifted Snow, Golden Gate, Snow Flake, Pioneer, and Stocktonia. Sperry would deliver nour to the community in horse drawn wagons called drays. The foreign demand for Sperry's nour became very large. Sperry was shipping flour to San Francisco every evening and every few days an extra steamer was used to fill the orders. By 1900 Sperry was shipping flour to Honolulu, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Yoko­hama, Manila, Alaska, Mexico, Central American states, China, Japan and the Philippines. Flour was even shipped to Siberia.

Sperry began to expand its warehouse facilities in Stockton. In the early 1900's Sperry had plans drawn to bui ld a 77 ~ x 141 foot two-stories-high steel warehouse that would be completed before the new wheat crop was ready. Architect George Rushforth designed the fireproof building. Almost no wood was used in the construc­tion. The warehouse was built between the Crown Mills and Stockton Channel. The cost of the building was $150,000. The

first noor had a capacity of 5,000 tons and the second noor had the capacity of 7,000 tons of wheat and flour. The floor was made of bitumen and the roof was made of iron. Steel pillars supported the weight of the building, and chutes were made so that the flour could be readily loaded onto the steamers.

By 1908 the company had warehouses totaling 20,000 tons in capacity. The company provided 10,000 tons of barley per month to the local market. Sperry expanded its empire until it owned a total of seventeen mills in the states of Califor­nia, Oregon, and Washington. These had the capacity to produce 10,000 barrels of flour a day. The total state consumption of flour was 2,000,000 barrels per year. Sperry supplied 1,200,000 barrels of this. Sperry Incorporated expanded its foreign markets to include North China, Tien Tsin, and Shang Tung.

In 1908 Sperry opened the Capital Mills. The Capital Mills was a cereal mill which produced table cereals, rolled oats, corn meal, oat meal, rolled wheat, and pearly barley. Nevertheless, the Sperry

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empire began to slowly decline in 1909. January 1, 1926 Sperry moved its entire The price of flour went up sixty cents in operation to Vallejo Sperry Mills as seen retail price. The cost for a sack of flour was The Union Mill was converted into a Photo courtesy of Th.now $1.80. The price per ton of wheat warehouse. The rest of the mills were left went up to five dollars. Sperry was get­ vacant. The reason for the move was thatting most of her wheat from Washington at Vallejo was closer to San Francisco, the$2.05 to $2.10 per 100 pounds. The wheat ocean, and deep water channels. In 1927 grown in the San Joaquin Valley was the Capital Mill block was bought by New steadily decreasing while the demand for York investors for $80,000. The CapitalSperry flour was steadily increasing. Mill block was previously owned by SanSperry had a major shake-up in employ­ Francisco investors. Later that year Mr. ment in 1910. Men in high salary posi­ Zuckerman bought the Sperry officetions who had worked for the company for building for 20,000 dollars. The purchasetwenty-five even thirty-five years were was purely for investment. The buildingsuddenly fired with no explanation. A new was left vacant for many years Sperryboard of directors came into power, and it Incorporated continued until it was finallywas headed by W.B. Crocker and J.B. bought out by General Mills in 1952.Rossiter. General Mills returned Sperry to the

The layoffs began in May 1909. In Stockton area between Stockton and June Sperry started to lease some of its French Camp by building a million dollar property. Sperry's warehouses were en­ feed mill. larged to a total capacity of 30,000 tons. The main reason for Sperry's downfallSperry Incorporated started to act ~s was the lack of wheal grown in this area.buying agents for Balfour and Guthrie More profitable crops such as fruit treesWarehouse Company, and Sperry started interested the farmer more than wheat.to lease some of these houses. In 1911 No wheat was grown in the valley, there­Sperry closed its mills in Chico and fore, Sperry had to import all wheat for.itsMarysville and their business was taken flour and this became a very expensiveover in Stockton and Port Costa. The process.reason for closing the mills was that Stockton had better shipping facilities and The Sperry empire started from a larger mills. To accommodate the influx. of small wooden building and led into the business, Sperry asked the Stockton City operation of seventeen mills in lhree stales Council if part of Monroe Street between employing hundreds of people. The Sperry the company's mills could be closed for empire lasted for one-hundred years apd better use. Late in the year of 1911 Sperry brought big business to Stockton With Sperry Mills - about If made plans for $60,000 worth of bins, two the five flour mills that Sperry owned and Photo courtesy of the steel sheds, and a carrying system near the with the people that had jobs with the vicinity of Van Buren Street. The reason company, Sperry will never be forgotten in was that hard gluten grain was not grown Stock ton History. locally and over half of Sperry's grain was now imported to make their first class flour. Most of their grain carne from San Francisco and the mill in Vallejo was less expensive to operate because of cheaper transportation fees. The new system was thought to save money for the Stockton ...Mills. -;

.~ • ill!The Capital Mills were operating at a RENEE McCOMB • .... --.." huge success. Running twenty-four hours

Renee is a fifth generation . -'

,~

a day the Capital Mills consumed 4,000 Stocktonian. She wrote .,. ~!~.;.. -., '" ~ ..sacks of grain and produced 2,000 bar~els

of flour and 100 tons of feed. The Capital this article during her first Mill was the largest cereal mill west of year at San Joaquin Delta Missouri. In one month it produced College. She graduated 1,213,376 pounds of flour and 3,979,355 with an A.B. degree in pounds of feed. It employed 200 men American IIistory from throughout the year. U.C. Davis in 1985 and currently resides

The year 1913 was very profitable ~or in Stock ton. Sperry. Near Christmas SpeIT): gave Its stockholders an extra twenty-five cents per dividend. During World War One, Sperry operated the Capital Crown, <l:nd Union Mills. However, by 1924 the nlllls were importing almost all of their wheat from Australia and elsewhere; and after

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Sperry Mills as seen across Stockton Channel Photo courtesy of The Haggin Museum

Sperry Mills· about 1910 Photo courtesy of the Haggin Museum

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Funding for the printing of this quarterly issue of the San Joaquin Historian was provided through a generous grant from American Savings Bank, f'.A.

AMERICAN SAVINGS Stockton 222 North EI Dorado Street south of Miner - (209) 9433355 1607 West March Lane west of Pershing - (209) 478-3188 343 East Main Street at Sutter - (209) 943-3365 902 East Hammer Lane at lIammertowll Center - (209) 952-0980

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Manteca 115WeslCenterStreet - (209)823·1741

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EDITOR'S CORNER The San Joaquin County Historical Society greatly appreciates

the contributions of Printing Services provided by THE AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK, FA.

It is this contribution which has made this issue possible.

Ed.

San Joaquin County Historical Society

P.O. Box 21 Lodi, CA 95241

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