Article published May 29, 2007
A TIE TO A VANISHED TOLEDO INDUSTRY
Gavel to fall on lumber firm's stock
The company on Starr Avenue in East Toledo was founded in 1894 by a Civil War veteran as East Side Lumber.
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THE BLADE/JETTA FRASER
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By GARY T. PAKULSKI
BLADE BUSINESS WRITER
Started by a Civil War veteran, Reuben Kimball, in the early 1890s, Starr Lumber & Millwork Co. over the years supplied wood for prominent building projects such as Westfield Franklin Park.
It is one of the area's last ties to an era when Toledo was a lumber-making center.
The 113-year-old East Side business quietly closed this year, 10 months after the death of its longtime president. Battered by competition from national chains, the firm's sales had dwindled significantly in recent years, said Thomas Beach, an owner.
Equipment, furnishings, and remaining lumber will be auctioned June 9 at the business at 1701 Starr Ave.
Some of the wood, including plywood and white pine, was damaged by rainwater that poured in through holes in the roof of the building. Lucas County records indicate the structure was built in 1882.
"The roof is badly damaged," said Ken Belkofer, auctioneer. "Some of the inventory and equipment is water-damaged. … There's lots of odds and ends. There's some good stuff."
Do-it-yourselfers were the firm's biggest source of customers, one of the owners says.
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THE BLADE/JETTA FRASER
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The building, which resembles a set from a Hollywood period film, will be sold separately.
Lawrence Beach, Jr., who operated the business for many years after the death of his father in 1968, died in March, 2006. His son, Gary, took over after his father became ill six years ago. The business closed in January, Thomas Beach said.
Although do-it-yourselfers were the lumber yard's biggest source of customers, Mr. Beach said it was hurt more by chains like Carter Lumber, which attracted a larger number of home builders, than by Home Depot and Lowe's.
Lawrence Beach, Sr., bought the business in 1936, during the Great Depression, from the original owners, the Kimball family. "It was a labor of love for my father," Thomas Beach said.
The older man developed and supplied lumber to the Beachwood Estates subdivision off Corduroy Road in Oregon, according to his son.
Starr Lumber began as East Side Lumber in 1894, according to records at the Toledo Lucas-County Public Library.
In that era, Toledo was a lumber-making center because of its position along lines of the Pere Marquette Railroad Co., which provided a direct link to the forests of northern Michigan, according to local historians.
Shipments came and went by rail on tracks adjacent to the lumber yard, which once spanned two acres, according to the present owner. Advertisements boasted that the firm could "ship by rail in any direction." Employment reached 50 at one point.
Founder Reuben Kimball came to Toledo in 1893 from his native New England, according to his obituary. There are conflicting reports about whether he was born in New Hampshire or Maine.
He continued to operate the business until his death at age 72 in Saginaw, Mich., while on a lumber-buying trip.
His son Lawrence continued to operated the business until its sale to Mr. Beach in the 1930s.
East Side Lumber became Starr Lumber Co. in 1908 and later operated as Starr Lumber and Coal Co. for many years. The firm dropped coal from its name in 1970, more than a decade after the fossil fuel faded as a way of heating homes.
Contact Gary Pakulski at:
gpakulski@theblade.com
or 419-724-6082.
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