Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company Records: Finding Aid
mssKC
Finding aid prepared by Mitchell W. K. Toda, May 14, 2002.
The Huntington Library
© 2002
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Note
Finding aid last updated on September 4, 2024, by Kahlee Leingang.
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company Records
Identifier/Call Number: mssKC
Physical Description:
2.42 Linear Feet
(2 boxes, 1 volume)
113 pieces
Date (inclusive): 1883-1933
Date (bulk): 1883-1908
Abstract: This collection consists of
correspondence, business records, and maps of the Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company
of Los Angeles, California, with the bulk dating from 1883-1908. The majority deals with the
purchase of Boschke's Island in the Port of Los Angeles harbor.
Language of Material: English.
Access
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Publication Rights
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necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company Records, The
Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Provenance
Gifts of William G. Cuzner, August 7, 1958 and August 27, 1973.
Historical Note
The Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company was originally the Los Angeles, California,
branch of the J. G. Jackson Lumber Company. James Cuzner was managing it when in 1879
William George Kerckhoff (1856-1929) approached him about purchasing a partner stake in the
company. Cuzner and Kerckhoff each purchased a quarter stake in the company and it then
became the Jackson, Kerckhoff & Cuzner Lumber Company. In 1883 the company incorporated,
and Kerckhoff became president and Cuzner became vice-president of the renamed
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company.
As business grew they acquired branch yards in Pasadena, Pomona, Lamanda Park, San
Fernando, Hollywood, Brawley, Calexico, Imperial, and also purchased Boschke's Island (or
Smith's Island, as it was also known) in San Pedro and established a wholesale mill and
lumber yard there.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of correspondence, business records, and maps; the majority of
which deal with the purchase of Boschke's Island (or Smith's Island) by the Kerckhoff-Cuzner
Mill & Lumber Company from Albert and Martha Ellen Boschke. There were subsequent legal
complications regarding this purchase with the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and the
Banning Company, primarily Joseph Brent Banning and William Banning (1858-1946). The dispute
between the various parties dealt with the purchase of the island and of how much of it
belonged to the respective parties. A small part of the collection deals with a bridge the
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company wanted to build from Boschke's Island (or Smith's
Island) across the Wilmington slough or inner bay of San Pedro to the mainland.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in the following manner:
- 1. Correspondence and business records – Arranged chronologically – Box 1
- 2. Oversize folders – 15 folders
- 3. Ledger (account book) – 1 volume
General
Former call number: mssKerckhoff-Cuzner
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The ledger's binding is partially detached and fragile.
Bibliography
O'Melveny, H. W. (Henry William), 1859-1941.
The Story of
William G. Kerckhoff.
U.C.L.A. magazine, Jan. 1941, v. 15, no. 10.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Harbors -- California -- Los Angeles
Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- California
Land titles -- California -- Los Angeles County
Land titles -- Registration and transfer -- California -- Los Angeles
County
San Pedro (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Description and travel
San Pedro (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- History -- Sources
San Pedro (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Maps
Articles of incorporation -- California -- Los Angeles
County.
Business records -- California, Southern.
Contracts -- California -- Los Angeles County.
Deeds -- California, Southern.
Ledgers (account books) -- California, Southern.
Letters (correspondence) -- California -- Los Angeles
County.
Maps -- California -- Los Angeles County.
Box 1
Correspondence and business records
Box 1, Folder 1
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company. Articles of
Incorporation.
1883.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 2
Pacific Coast Company. To Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber
Company.
1884.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 3
Los Angeles County (Calif.). Board of Supervisors. To William George
Kerckhoff, 1856-1929.
1885.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 4
Kerckhoff, William George, 1856-1929. To Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber
Company.
1885.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 5
Wilmington Transportation Company. To Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber
Company.
1885.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 6
John F. James and Ina L. James. To William George Kerckhoff,
1856-1929.
1885-1886.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 7
Joseph Brent Banning. To Albert Boschke.
1885-1888.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 8
William George Kerckhoff, 1856-1929. To Albert Boschke and Martha Ellen
Boschke.
1888.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 9
Albert Boschke. To William George Kerckhoff, 1856-1929.
1888-1895.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 10
California (State). Surveyor General. To Albert Boschke.
1889-1891.
Physical Description:
3 Items
Box 1, Folder 11
Boschke, Albert. To "Messrs. Kerckhoff & Cuzner".
1890-1895.
Physical Description:
4 Items
Box 1, Folder 12
Boschke, Albert. To James Cuzner.
1891.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 13
Carter, Thos H.. To United States. Bureau of Land Management. California
State Office.
1891.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 14
United States. Bureau of Land Management. To Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill &
Lumber Company.
1891.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 15
Hyde, F. A. To Albert Boschke.
1891-1894.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 16
Southern Pacific Company. To Albert Boschke.
1892.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 17
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company. To Banning Brothers.
1893, undated.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 18
William Banning, 1858-1946, and Joseph Brent Banning. To Albert Boschke and
William George Kerckhoff, 1856-1929.
1894.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 19
William George Kerckhoff, 1856-1929. To William Banning, 1858-1946, and
Joseph Brent Banning.
1894-1898.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 20
Axman Improvement Company. To H. W. (Henry William) O'Melveny,
1859-1941.
1895.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 21
Albert Boschke. To Southern Pacific Railroad Company.
1895.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 22
Albert Boschke and Martha Ellen Boschke. To William George Kerckhoff,
1856-1929.
1895.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 23
Martha Ellen Boschke. To William George Kerckhoff, 1856-1929.
1895.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 24
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company. To Axman Improvement
Company.
1895.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 25
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company. To L. W. Blinn.
1895.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 26
San Pedro Yard. To Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company.
1895.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 27
Southern Pacific Company. To William George Kerckhoff, 1856-1929.
1895.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 28
Southern Pacific Railroad Company. To William George Kerckhoff,
1856-1929.
1895.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 29
Southern Pacific Railroad Company. To William George Kerckhoff,
1856-1929.
1895.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 30
Chambers, D. A. To Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company.
1897.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 31
William George Kerckhoff, 1856-1929, and Louise E. Kerckhoff. To
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company.
1897.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 32
Armes, C. H. To "Messrs Graves, O'Melveny & Shawkland".
1898.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 33
Banning Company. To William George Kerckhoff, 1856-1929.
1898.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 34
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company. To Los Angeles County
(Calif.).
1898.
Physical Description:
3 Items
Box 1, Folder 35
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company. To San Pedro Lumber
Company.
1898.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 36
The First National Bank of Los Angeles. To H. W. (Henry William) O'Melveny,
1859-1941.
1899.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 37
Banning Company. To Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company.
1902.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 38
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company. To Banning Company.
1902.
Physical Description:
3 Items
Box 1, Folder 39
Bicknell, Gibson & Trask. To James Cuzner.
1903.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 40
California. Superior Court (Los Angeles County). To Banning Company,
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company, and Pacific Electric Railway
Company.
1908.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 41
Los Angeles County (Calif.). To Joseph Brent Banning.
1920.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 42
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company. To Certificate of Amendment of
Articles of Incorporation.
1933.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 43
[Kerckhoff, William George, 1856-1929]. To Pasadena (Calif.). City
Engineer.
Undated.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 1, Folder 44
Manuscript notes.
1883-1900,
undated.
Physical Description:
14 Items
Box 1, Folder 45
Maps, cadastral maps, engineering maps, and manuscript maps.
1894-1895,
undated.
Physical Description:
8 Items
Box 1, Folder 46
Photographs.
1921.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 1, Folder 47
Receipts and bills.
1889-1897,
undated.
Physical Description:
6 Items
Box 2, Folder 1
Certificate of official filing of articles of incorporation of the
Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company.
1883.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 2
Map to accompany application of C. & F. J. Ganahl
for Wharf Franchise
.
1892.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 3
Channel in Front of Smith's Island Wilmington Harbor,
Cal. 1893
.
1893.
Physical Description:
2 Items
Box 2, Folder 4
O.A.P. of Wilmington Harbor California Showing Proposed
Harbor Lines
.
1893-1894.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 5
Certificate, acreage of land held by Albert Boschke.
1894.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 6
Blueprint of proposed San Pedro Bridge, with attached certificate from the
United States, War Department.
1897.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 7
Map of the City of San Pedro Compiled from Official
Records and Personal Surveys 1903
.
1903.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 8
Drawing to illustrate a correction in the deed for Smith's Island, with
attached letter from Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company to the Banning
Company.
1903.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 9
Copy of Map in U.S. Land Office San Francisco
Cal.
, shows parts of Rancho Palos Verdes, Rancho San Pedro, Dean Man's
island, Smith's Island, and Mormon Island.
Undated.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 10
Drawing showing the wharf of the Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber
Company.
Undated.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 11
Map of Smith's Island (1).
Undated.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 12
Map of Smith's Island (2).
Undated.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 13
Map of Smith's Island (3).
Undated.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Box 2, Folder 14
"Vicinage Sales and Leases," map of San Pedro and Wilmington
Districts.
Undated.
Physical Description:
1 Items
Item Volume
Ledger (account book), M. Kerckhoff, Cuzner, M. & L. Co. [516
pages].
1892.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Binding is partially detached and fragile.
