San Francisco County
Biographies
HUNTINGTON-HOPKINS
COMPANY
HUNTINGTON-HOPKINS COMPANY.--This house, which is associated
with early history of California,
and more then any other with the inception and construction of the first
overland railroad. Was founded by C. P. Huntington, at 54 K street, in the city
of Sacramento, in 1849, at a period when the mining industry was laying the
foundation of California` s future Prosperity; was associated for a time with a
Mr. Massoll and Henry Merwin.
Early in the ‘50s he formed a partnership with Mark Hopkins (who, previous to
that time, had been engaged in the wholesale business with Edward H. Miller,
Jr.), under the firm name of Huntington & Hopkins.
At that time, although the business in their line was the most extensive on the
coast, the premises occupied had a frontage of but 25 feet and a depth of 100
feet. It steadily increased in volume, however, until in later years the firm
occupied 80 feet on K street
by a depth of 160 feet, and 140 feet on L street
by a depth of 160 feet.
On
January 1, 1868, Albert Gallatin, Charles Miller, W. R. S. Foye
and H. H. Seaton, who had been employes
of the firm for several years, were admitted into partnership, and the business
was conducted under the name Huntington, Hopkins & Company until February
23, 1888, twenty years afterwards, when the present corporation was organized.
In connection with the organization and growth of this house, the reader is
referred to Charles Nordhoff`s book on California,
Published by Harper Brothers, New York, in 2878, Chapters III and IV., on the
Central Pacific Railroad. In 1872 the firm purchased the business of the
Russell & Erwin Manufacturing Company; and established a house in San
Francisco at the junction of Bush and Market streets.
A few years later they purchased the adjoining lot, corner Front and Market
streets, and erected a handsome four-story iron-front building. It was thought
at the time that this would accommodate them permanently, especially so as many
staples were stored in a warehouse and yard on First street near, Market, where they
afterward erected a Commodious brick structure called the “Sacramento
Building,” and in which they
continued to carry the heavier class of goods.
Business
still increasing beyond all expectations, and finding their Market
street stores becoming too crowded, this company
purchased the lots extending from the Sacramento
building through to Fremont street;
and in 1889 erected a handsome five-story building. It is built of granite,
iron, San Jose sandstone and Ransome
patent brick, and is considered one of the most imposing structures in San
Francisco.
The
new quarters have a frontage on Fremont
of ninety-two feet, on First street
of 137 1/2 feet, and a total depth of 275 feet, making it the most extensive
hardware and iron establishment in the country, and as complete in all its
appointments as money and ingenuity can make it. The building is divided by a
brick wall running from ground to roof into 30 and 60 foot stores, with
connecting archways on each floor, thoroughly protected by fire-proof doors
when not in use.
Entering
the 60-foot store on the main floor is the office of the manager and assistant.
Immediately in the rear are the headquarters for the salesmen. Scattered
throughout the room in convenient localities are desks for the use of the city
salesmen and other clerks of the establishment. At the right is a hydraulic
elevator for the use of salesmen filling orders, by the side of which is a
package elevator, also run by hydraulic power, capable of carrying 300 pounds.
At the rear of these, and running along the entire north wall, are the sample
rooms with large plate glass windows, affording a fine view from the store room
of a complete line of builders’ hardware, mechanics’ tools, etc.
Opposite
this room is a line of counters covered with glass show-cases, containing
samples of fire-arms, cutlery of all kinds, fine machinists` tools, etc. while
counters and platforms, covering almost the entire floor, are used to display
of larger and more bulky goods. On either side from floor to ceiling, entire
length of room, is shelving, with galleries. At the rear of
this main office for the use of the office manager, cashier, bookkeeper,
accountants, etc.; also the Private office of the corporation president.
These offices are, without doubt, superior to anything in the mercantile line
on this coast being fitted up in solid oak, with plate glass and coppered
bronze grill trimmings, two story vault with stairway,
and have every convenience for the prompt transaction of business.
On
the second floor is the packing -room, nearly the entire space being required
for this purpose. The upper floors are used for the storage of case goods,
shovels, wheelbarrows, trucks, etc.
On
the main floor, in the 30 foot section is a drive-way, extending from Freemont
through to First street.
At the right of the entrance is an elevator for receiving goods, and near by
the receiving clerk’s office. Further on is an
elevator for shipping and another package elevator, convenient to the shipping
clerk, whose desk is connected by speaking tube with the packer.
In
the center of the Block, between the First and Fremont
street stores, is the
iron warehouse, with an iron and glass roof. It contains a two-story bar-iron
rack built from the cellar floor up, an elevator of great capacity for hoisting
from the cellar, while on either side of the driveway running to first street
are racks reaching to the ceiling filled with iron pipe, casing and boiler
tubes. In the cellar, the entire floor is made of the Ransome
patent cement. Here is where the heavier stock, consisting of nails,
horseshoes, plate iron, grindstones, barb wire, handles, etc., are stored,
while a large space is devoted to the machinery necessary for use in this
establishment.
This
consists of a Dundon patent compound boiler of
seventy-horse-power capacity, three large accumulators or air compressors to
furnish pressure for the nine hydraulic elevators, two powerful steam pumps, a
50- horse power steam engine, a machine for corrugating sheet iron, two
machines for cutting and threading iron pipe from one-fourth inch to eight
inches, emery machine for grinding and polishing, upright drill, tumbling
barrel for restoring rusty goods, and a Thompson-Houston dynamo of sufficient
capacity to furnish 300 lights of sixteen-candle power each, the building being
lighted by electricity throughout.
In
1891 the company, for economic reasons, closed the original house at Sacramento,
which had for several years been far out stripped by its San
Francisco offspring.
In
early days and even as late as 1865, Sacramento was considered to be the best
distributing center for general hardware, but with the development of Southern
California, the coast counties and “the great northwest,” this condition of
things changed and San Francisco is
and will likely remain the great distributing center of the future. Fully
realizing this fact and further owing to a large increase of business, it was
not considered advisable to maintain the great establishments in such close
proximity with duplicate stocks of goods and employes;
as under the present conditions of rapid transportation, communication and more
modern system of conducting a large business it is more economical and easier
to accomplish the end desired by placing the business under one head, one
management. Their patrons realize that in centralizing their business they are
directly benefited, owing to the reduction in the cost of management, etc., as
above stated. Oregon, Washington,
Southern California and the coast counties having water communication are
greatly benefited by this change, and even Central and Northern
California, but in less degree, share the benefits also. No other
concern on the coast carries so large a line of heavy and shelf hardware, iron,
steel, mill, mining and railway supplies, etc. Their trade extends over the
entire Pacific coast, British Columbia, Mexico
and the Pacific islands.
The
officers are; Albert Gallatin, President; W. R. S. Foye,
Secretary,-- who reside in San Francisco; Charles Miller, Vice-President, and
C. P. Huntington, Treasurer,--who reside in New York. Strangers visiting San
Francisco cannot spend an hour to better advantage
then inspecting this immense establishment.
Transcribed by Kim Buck.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages
498 -500,
Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Kim Buck.
California Biography Project
San Francisco County
California Statewide
Golden Nugget Library