Finding aid for People's Lumber Company records, 1890-1982. MVC041
Finding aid prepared by staff in 2013 and updated by Krystell Jimenez, 2021.
This finding aid was made possible in part through funding from the County of Ventura and the Heritage Fund at the Ventura
County Community Foundation.
Museum of Ventura County
2013
100 East Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001
library@venturamuseum.org
Contributing Institution:
Museum of Ventura County
Title: Peoples Lumber Company records
Identifier/Call Number: MVC041
Physical Description:
4.5 Cubic Feet
(4 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1890-1982
Abstract: The People's Lumber Company was a lumber and construction supply company established in Ventura in 1890. The company was the
main supplier of lumber and construction supplies until it reoriented its business to focus on real estate investments in
the 1960s. This collection contains the records of the People's Lumber Company in its various forms through the establishment
of the Real Estate Investment Trust of California. This includes by-laws, correspondence, meeting minutes, stock certificates,
and home plan sample books.
Physical Location: Stored off-site and advance notice required for timely retrieval. Please contact the Research Library reference desk prior
to your visit.
Language of Material:
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Open for research. All requests to access materials must be made in advance by contacting the
Research Library staff.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, have
not been determined. Contact the Research Library for further information: library@venturamuseum.org.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], People's Lumber Company records, (Collection MVC041]), Museum of Ventura County, Research Library,
Ventura, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection consists of several donations. Frank Sween; gift; 1988. Charles Spraggin; gift; 1990. Leslie Jones; gift;
1995. Donald G. Kelly; gift; 1996. Laura McAvoy (Nordman, Cormany, Hair and Compton); gift; 2001.
Processing Information
Processed by staff, 2013. Processing completed by Krystell Jimenez, 2021.
Our collections are being processed using MPLP so that we may prioritize access for users and identify potential priorities
for more detailed processing. If while using our collections you think there is something that should be added or amended
in the finding aid, we welcome your input. You can notify staff in the reading room or send us an email at library@venturamuseum.org.
Be sure to include the collection number and name and the box number you were working with in your email.
Biographical / Historical
The People's Lumber Company was incorporated in Ventura on September 30, 1890. The original board and principal shareholders
were C.D. Bonestel (Ventura), F.A. Foster (Ventura), J.M. Sharp (Saticoy), J.B. Robins (Springville), G.W. Faulkner (Santa
Paula), J.A. Willouby (Ventura), and F.A. Cook (Ventura). The company started business as a lumber cooperative. Prior to its
establishment boats would have to anchor as close to shore as possible to unload lumber onto a raft. Following the construction
of a wharf at Hueneme in 1871 and a wharf at Ventura in 1873, The Daly Bros. purchased a lumber boat to convey materials from
mills in Northern California.
C.D. Bonestel was the main force and served as the company's first president and manager. He later turned the business over
to his son, W.A. Bonestel, who oversaw the company until 1904. Adolfo Camarillo served as president between 1940 and 1956.
The firm's yards gradually increased to eight by the 1950s, including locations in Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Fillmore,
Ojai, Moorpark, Camarillo, and Santa Susana. The company had a strict policy of only doing business within the county and
they aimed to be one-stop service stations that provided materials for construction from the foundation to finish hardware.
Following increased competition in the 1950s due to transportation improvements, the company decided it was best to expand
its interests. In 1961 Sun Lumber purchased the People's Lumber Company's lumber and building inventories, authority to lease
their yards, and the firm's name. The remaining assets, lands, and buildings were retained and the company changed its name
to the Anacapa Corporation. It then began to focus on real estate management and investment. In October 1968 the company dissolved
Anacapa Corporation and formed the Anacapa Trust in its place. A year later the company adopted the name the Real Estate Investment
Trust of California (REIT-CAL). BRE Properties eventually purchased REIT-CAL in 1995. See the MVC Quarterlies Volume 3, No.1
and Volume 30, No. 2 for a more complete history.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains the records of the People's Lumber Company through its various forms through the establishment of
the Real Estate Investment Trust of California. This includes correspondence, notes, by-laws, minutes of directors', trustees'
and shareholders' meetings from 1890-1982 and stock certificates from June 1956-June 1968 for the People's Lumber Company.
It also contains the articles of incorporation and declaration of trust for the Anacapa Corporation. There are sample books
with home plans created by the People's Lumber Company.
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged at the folder level.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Real estate investment -- California -- Ventura County
Corporate minutes
Lumber trade -- California -- Ventura County
Building materials industry -- California -- Ventura County
People's Lumber Company -- Records and correspondence
Anacapa Corporation -- Records and correspondence
Box 1, Folder 1
Minutes: Directors' meetings (Peoples Lumber Company)
1959 March 16 - 1964 December 17
Biographical / Historical
The meeting on March 27, 1961 was the first held under the new name: Anacapa Corporation. Also included is the Stockholders
Annual Meeting (February 27, 1960) and the option for exchange and repurchase of stock (February 26, 1961).
Box 1, Folder 2
Letter: Edwin Duval re: applicability of federal securities regulations from 1933 Securities Act
1968 December 16
Box 1, Folder 3
Amended articles of incorporation of Anacapa Corporation
1961 March 30
Scope and Contents
The articles of incorporation were revised in 1915 and further amended March 24, 1948, April 2, 1956, March 16, 1960 and March
20, 1961. Cover reads: The following has been edited and consolidated for quick reference purposes, and is not to be relied
upon as being a true copy of the originals.
Box 1, Folder 4
Minutes: Directors' meetings and annual stockholders' meetings (Anacapa Corporation)
1965 January 21 - 1968 December 10
Box 1, Folder 5
Minutes: Regular trustees' meetings and declaration of trust for Anacapa Trust
1968 October 29 - 1969 December 9
Scope and Contents
Paper on front reads: Waiver of Notice and Consent to Holding of First Meeting of Trustees of Anacapa Trust, an unincorporated
investment trust.
Box 1, Folder 6
Minutes: Trustees' meetings, shareholders' meetings (Real Estate Investment Trust of California)
1970 January 13 - 1982 January
Box 1, Folder 7
Declaration of Trust (Anacapa Trust) and amendments
1968 October 29
Box 1, Folder 8
Minutes: Directors' meeting of Peoples Lumber Company
December 21, 1953 - February 28, 1959
Box 1, Folder 9
Transfer minute book (Peoples Lumber Company)
1946 January 22 - 1953 October 19
Scope and Contents
This book includes directors' and annual stockholders' meetings.
Box 1, Folder 10
Minutes: Directors' and annual stockholders' meetings
1932 February 15 - 1945 December 11
General
This book includes the by-laws of the People's Lumber Company.
Box 1, Folder 11
Minutes: Directors and annual stockholders' meetings
1920 January 24 - 1932 January 23
Scope and Contents
Many of the meeting minutes were kept in binders similar to this one. However, they were in poor condition and so the contents
have been foldered. This binder is in good condition and has been left intact.
Box 2, Folder 1
Minutes: People's Lumber Company meetings
1905 January 28 - 1917 May 9
Additional Material
Minutes are handwritten and include an affidavit of publication stating notice of meeting in the
Ventura Free Press newspaper. Various notes and letters on address changes, auditing, and salary raises, as well as balance sheets and list
of stockholders, were also in the book. They have been foldered and are in the same box.
Box 2, Folder 2
Minutes: People's Lumber Company meetings
1890 September 13 - 1905 January 28
Scope and Contents
This ledger includes a list of stockholders as of December 12, 1916.
Box 2, Folder 3
Minutes: People's Lumber Company meetings
1917 July 11 - 1920 March 4
Box 2, Folder 4
By-laws of People's Lumber Company
1902
Box 2, Folder 5
Cash book
1902-1909
Scope and Contents
The names of persons involved are usually included with each listed transaction and this book includes stock transactions.
This book is cataloged with the call number 657.2 and barcode number R0021540439.
Box 2, Folder 6
Stock certificates
1890
Scope and Contents
This book contains 196 stock certificates issued from October 2, 1890 to March 3, 1894, all cancelled, and many reissued.
This item is also cataloged with the call number 658.1 and the barcode R0021540594.
Box 2, Folder 7
By-Laws and Directors' Manual
1948 February 28
Box 2, Folder 8
Tax bills and receipts
1897-1899, 1903-1904
Box 2, Folder 9
Articles of Incorporation (partial)
undated
Scope and Contents
This item is very fragile. It includes a list of names.
Box 2, Box 3
Capital stock certificates
1956-1968
Box 2, Folder 10
Book 0: No. 1-100
1956 June 15 - July 27
Box 2, Folder 12
Book 2: No. 201-300
1956 July 23 - July 24
Box 2, Folder 13
Book 3: No. 301-400
1956 June 15 - September 20
Box 2, Folder 14
Book 4: No. 401-500
1956 September 20 - December 16
Box 3, Folder 1
Book 5: No. 501-600
1956 November 20
Box 3, Folder 2
Book 6: No. 601-700
1956 November 20
Box 3, Folder 3
Book 7: No. 701-800
1956 November 20
Box 3, Folder 4
Book 8: No. 801-900
1957 January 30 - 1958 May 6
Box 3, Folder 5
Book 9: No. 901-1000
1958 May 6 - 1969 June 2
Box 3, Folder 6
Book 10: No. 1001-1100
1960 June 6 - 1961 December 20
Box 3, Folder 7
Book 11: No. 1101-1200
1962 January 16 - 1964 May 26
Box 3, Folder 8
Book 12: No. 1201-1300
1964 June 9 - 1966 October 24
Box 3, Folder 9
Book 13: No. 1301-1400
1966 October 25 - 1968 June 16
Box 3, Folder 10
Book 14: No. 1401-1500
1968 May 27 - December 30
Box 4, Folder 1
"Certified Home Plans" (Service Department, People's Lumber Company)
circa 1928
Box 4, Folder 2
"Homes of Character: submitted for your consideration" (People's Lumber Company)
circa 1932
Scope and Contents
This book includes a Sunday edition of the News-Feature Section of the
Los Angeles Examiner, dated March 20, 1949. It has been foldered and included in the same box. Pages 22-23 cover real estate news.
Box 4, Folder 3
Loose pages from ledger
1895 - 1897