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Los Angeles Paving Company Records: Finding Aid
mssLA Paving Co records  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
This collection contains the business records of the Los Angeles Paving Company, an important business enterprise in 20th century Southern California. The collection chiefly dates from the 1910s to the 1960s and includes business and project files, correspondence, photographs, and some ephemera and additional files of the Werdin family, who owned and managed the company. The papers provide a unique perspective of 20th century California history and American business history and more specifically, a view of business practices in Los Angeles.
Background
The Los Angeles Paving Company, owned and managed by the Werdin family, was an important business enterprise in 20th century Southern California. Ernest R. Werdin was born in 1869 in Minnesota and moved to Los Angeles in 1886. In 1902, he was elected Superintendent of Streets of the City of Los Angeles, which probably gave him opportunities to establish extensive connections for his future paving business. In 1912, he started the Los Angeles Paving Company. After his death in 1932, his son E. Russell Werdin inherited and continued the business. Over the decades, the Los Angeles Company expanded and it accomplished paving tasks for many families, businesses, and governmental agencies in the region. The company paved many of the streets in Southern California, including Los Angeles' famous Sunset Boulevard.
Extent
8,477 items. 15 boxes plus one rolled item and 38 volumes.
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.