E.K. Wood Lumber Company - Oakland

c.1912 Cheney Photo Advertising ¹

The E.K. Wood Lumber Company was a large West Coast lumber business started by Edwin Kleber Wood. His brother-in-law, Clarence A. Thayer, was his business partner. E.K. Wood died in 1917, and his son, Frederick John Wood took over.

E.K. and Thayer purchased a lumber mill in Michigan in 1874, which became one of the largest lumber businesses in the state. In 1888, they moved to San Francisco and opened a wholesale lumberyard there. ² The business was headquartered in San Francisco. It's unknown when the Oakland lumberyard at King and Frederick Streets opened.

1911 Sanborn excerpt1931 ad

C.A. Thayer was the namesake of one of the company's ships, used for transporting lumber from the north. The 3-masted schooner was built in 1895, and after service in the fishing industry, was purchased by the state of California and restored. It opened to the public in 1963, and is on display at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park at Aquatic Cove. ³

C.A. Thayer in 2017. ³

In the 1930s, the company had a baseball team in the Industrial Athletic Association League. They played against other company's teams, including PG&E. ⁴

In 1949, the company built a stylish new office building at 727 Kennedy Street. It appears the building was torn down and is where the large Bargain Line Wholesale warehouse building now stands.

1949 ⁵
1949 ⁵1949 ⁵1950 Sanborn excerpt