Document G6Y20kNBeDy53J3bGBMOg6qOm

0007 -SWP-000005330 Our Diamond Anniversary T IS inspiring, upon this occasion of our celebration of the Seventy-fifth I Anniversary of John Lucas 6? Co., Inc., to look backward for a few moments upon the history of the grand old House of Lucas. Seventy-five years ago--in 1849--at a time when many of the things were unknown which we of today count as necessities, John Lucas, who had recently come to America from England, organized the business which still bears his name and which has grown to be one of the great paint and varnish producers of the world. Many things have happened since then. In"! 849, a few miles of experimental railroad track were being laid. Just a few years before that date, the first steamship crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The first telegraph line was built only five years before 1849. Not until eleven years afterward was the first trans-Atlantic cable put into successful operation. The factory, system of production was in its infancy at that time. Modern farm implements, sewing machines, matches, vulcanized rubber, illuminating gas, and newspapers were roughly contemporaneous with the House of Lucas in their beginnings. Texas was an independent republic in 1849, and it was still undecided whether chat portion of what is now the United States lying west of the Rocky Mountains should belong to the United States or to Great Britain. In March, 1849, John Lucas commenced business in Philadelphia .as an importer of white lead, paints and colors and the raw materials used in their manufacture. Shortly after starting in business, Mr. Lucas engaged in the manufacture of paint, his plant being located in an old grist mill on the bank of Silver Lake, where the well-equipped factory at Gibbsboro, N. J., is now located. In 1852, John Lucas was joined by his father-in-law, James Foster, who was. succeeded in 1857 by William H. Lucas, a brother of the founder. William H. Lucas with' drew from the firm in 1878 and the business was continued by John Lucas under the name of John Lu# ens ^ Company. The death of John Lucas oc curred on August 7, 1901, after which the business was continued fn I8<9. when gold'ser^ert were m.t/nnj over the Covered Wegon Trod. John . 0007-SWP-000005331 by his brother, William H. Lucas, and Albert Lucas, a son, who operated the organisation under a declaration of trust. At the time of the death of Albert Lucas, April 10, 1906, William U. Lucas..became the surviving, trustee, but his death occurred on July 1 of the same year, and under a provision in the will of the founder, William E. Lucas and H. Spencer Lucas, sons of V.v. John Lucas, became the successor trustees. Upon the death of H. Spencer Lu OU copy of John Liu'iit & Co. biUhead. Auyiut 13. f95J cas on April 16, 1909, William E. Lucas became the sole surviving trustee, and in that capacity he sold the assets of the company pn November 15, 1912, to John Lucas & Co., Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, of which corporation William E. Lucas was President until his death on March 24, 1913. Joseph W. Lucas then became President and held that office until September 9, 1922, when he was elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Ernest T. Trigg was elected President of the Company, Mr. Trigg having been General Manager of the Company since 1908 and Vice-President and General Manager since 1912. In 1872, John Lucas produced the "Original Pure Linseed Oil Liquid Paine.---He also introduced into this country the English system of color grinding, which enables the paint manufacturer to grind pigment perfectly fine-without the danger of overheating. It was he who first produced nonpoisonous green. The history of Lucas has been one of forward steps in the technique and art of paint and var nish manufacture. Discriminating users of paint and varnish materials have liberally re warded the progres sive Lucas policies which have made A Reproduction of * Early Color Chip Card--aboul 1S72 ^hc business what it , , J fa 0007-SWP-000005332 is today. John Lucas opened his first retail store in Philadelphia in 1849, at the corner of Front and Arch Streets, later removing to 141*143 North Fourth Street and 322-330 Race Street, the present location of the Philadelphia office and warehouse. In 1869, the New York branch was opened at 122 West Broadway and was later removed to 89 Maiden Lane. A few years later the business was transferred to the present location, 521 Washington Street, where a large export business is conducted in addi View of Second Street Worth from Market Street about (900 tion to the domestic business of metropolitan New York and vicinity. In 1900, constantly increasing business throughout the Middle West made necessary the establishment of a warehouse and office in Chicago at 1521-33 South Morgan Street. In March, 1908, the growing demand and inadequate shipping facilities from the East made necessary the opening of a factory at Chicago. Within five years the factory facilities then avail able were entirely outgrown. A new location became necessary, where a thoroughly modern and up-to-date building was erected at 1336-1362 West Thirty-seventh Street, in the Central Manufacturing District, which pro vides space both for the office and warehouse as well as for the factory. The New England warehouse and office was established in September, 1908, at 73 Sudbury Street, Boston. From this point shipments have stead ily increased in volume until today Lucas is one of the best-known lines of paint and varnish in the New England states. Pittsburgh was selected in 1910 as a distributing point, at which time an office and warehouse was established at ____ 890-902 Second Avenue. On August 12, 1919, W. W. Lawrence & Co., West Car- son Street, Pittsburgh, became a part of the great Lucas organization. The prod ucts of W. W. Lawrence & Co. have been favorably known for many years. The business on the Pacific Coast made necessary, in May, 1914, the opening of a branch office and warehouse at 425 First Street, Oakland, which later was trans The Giant Painter Well Euakhthtd at i/ic Trd-ma^ (or Luv Productt Since (910 ferred to 368 Twelfth Street. The con stant increase of business in this section made it necessary, a little later, to purchase a factory at West Berkeley, a few miles from Oakland, which supplies the trade of the Pacific Coast and adjacent territory. In 1922, John Lucas Co., Inc., assumed control of The Cleveland Yarnish Company, located on East Eighty-seventh Street, Cleveland. The Cleveland Varnish Company has one of the finest equipments in the United States for the manufacture of varnishes, enamels and related products. , ,. .. ,, In closing, it is appropriate to say a lew words about Our Great Grand Parentt Wert Usm Utu Product* Gibbsboro, where this celebration is being held. The orig- inal purchase at Gibbsboro covered about four hundred acres, and these acres were anything but attractive, excepting, perhaps, in the springtime, when the laurels and the swamp magnolias bloomed in the underbrush. More recently about six hundred additional acres were added to the holding, including the neighboring station on the Camden and Atlan tic Railroad, to which the name of Lucaston was given. The first step taken to create a community of social interest at Gibbsboro began in a little schoolhouse in the neighborhood, where questions of cur rent moment were discussed. In the course of time, a movement was begun by which many of those living at Gibbsboro have been enabled to own their own homes. JOVC* .-!>- 4 co. ItfiUl an law MU ---T*n * i -s-r Fabrics;-* ansuwo. New Jemy BABSnCSS cocos mooi_r c m ac s t t s . ft s>* .u bOMWk atUM Today, Gibbsboro is a self-contained community of workers who, for the must part, arc engaged in the pro duction of Lucas Paint and Varnish Products. The anniversary which we are celebrating today is in recognition of three-quarters of a century of remark able achievement based upon the sound business policy of service to the public. Each of us may well be proud of our association with the House of Lucas. Evidence of Lucas Products i>t forsijn Tied*, m 1880 "Loo\ Well to ihc Cud'' The original ttade-mar\ used by John Lucas, ttitiil 1010 ti-hen the Giant Painter >ui adopted 0007-SWP-000005334