GEORGE XAVIER WENDLING

San Francisco County

Biographies

GEORGE XAVIER WENDLING

WENDLING, GEORGE XAVIER, Lumber, San Francisco, California, was born in New York City, September 12, 1861, the son of Joseph Wendling and Mary Josephine Wendling. He married Inez Cross at Elk City, Kansas, December 17, 1886, and to them there was born a daughter, Martha Florence Wendling.

Mr. Wendling’s parents transferred their home from New York to Keokuk, Iowa, when he was very young and he received his education in the common schools of the latter city and at Montobella, Illinois. At the age of fifteen Mr. Wendling went into the lumber business in the employ of C. W. Goodlander Lumber Company at Weir City, Kansas, and this has been his field of operations ever since, a period covering more than thirty-five years of active work.

He remained in his first position about three years, and at the end of that time became Assistant Manager of the retail yard of the Long-Bell Lumber Company at Cherry Vale, Kansas. At the conclusion of two years he was transferred to the same company’s yard at Caldwell, Kansas, and remained there until he moved to California which he did in January, 1888.

Locating at Fresno, California at that time, Mr. Wendling associated himself with Prescott & Pierce, a retail lumber firm, but at the end of two years embarked in the business on his own account at Hanford, California, where he incorporated the Wendling Lumber Company for $100,000. He began active operations on a small scale, later establishing yards throughout the fruit growing region of California, supplying a large part of the lumber used in the manufacture of fruit boxes, which alone constituted a large business.

The demand for these boxes became so great that on February 22, 1897, Mr. Wendling assumed the management of the Pine Box Manufactures’ Agency, San Francisco, where his knowledge of the lumber and fruit business proved of great value to the organization. He not only handled the business of the agency, but worked out its tariffs and other problems, resigning in November, 1899, after he had placed the organization on a firm, practical basis.

Mr. Wendling then reorganized the Wendling Lumber Company increasing the capital to $500,000, and expanded his business, making a specialty of carload shipments of California redwood, redwood shingles, California pines and northern fir lumber. Later the Wendling-Nathan Lumber Company was formed to succeed to the business of the Wendling Lumber Company. The business has steadily grown from that time (1900) and is now one of the most extensive enterprises of the kind on the Pacific Coast, distributing lumber and its products thought out the entire United States and Canada.

From 1900 to 1904 Mr. Wendling acquired several other lumber interests, among them the Weed Lumber Company which was organized in 1903. Mr. Wendling now serves as President of this latter corporation and also holds office in various others, whose combined activities form an important part of the lumber business on the Pacific Coast. Among them are the California Pine Box & Lumber Company, of which he is President; the Napa Lumber Company, of which he is president; Big Basin Lumber Company, President, and the Stanislaus Lumber Company, of which he is Vice President.

Aside from his lumber holdings, Mr. Wendling is engaged in several other important enterprises, the chief of these, being the Klamath Development Company, in which he serves as Vice President. This Company is engaged in the development of a large stretch of territory in Southern Oregon, its operations including land, lumber and railroads.

Mr. Wendling, who devotes a part of his time to the affairs of all the companies in which he is interested, is, in addition to the companies named, a Director of the Anglo & London Paris Natl. Bank.

From the time of his arrival in California Mr. Wendling has taken an active part in commercial development and as a member of the California State Board of Trade was one of the most enthusiastic workers for the upbuilding of the State and the development of its resources. He takes no part in politics, but has devoted a great deal of effort to the betterment of San Francisco and was one of the first to advocate the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, in 1915.

Mr. Wendling is a member of the Pacific Union Club, Bohemian Club, Family Club and Transportation Club, of San Francisco; the Sutter Club of Sacramento, Cal.; Sequoia Club of Fresno, Cal., and the Jonathan Club, of Los Angeles, Cal.

Transcribed by Pat Seabolt.

Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 573, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.

California Biography Project

San Francisco County

California Statewide

Golden Nugget Library