Volkert Oluf Lawrence (Philadelphia, PA)

The V.O. Lawrence family in 1924 prior to traveling on a globe circling trip. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence are shown with their daughter Miss Ruth Lawrence.

Volkert Oluf Lawrence (Mar 20, 1864 – May 6, 1933)

Biography

A 1919 advertisement for the Lawrence Warehouse Company of Sacramento and Oakland.

In June 1922, the Californian, largest American-built motorship in service pulled into Lawrence Terminal on its maiden trip from Boston to Oakland. The vessel was 461 feet long, displaced 14,000 tons and was powered by two four-cycle marine Diesel engines. American-Hawaiian line inaugurated a weekly intercoastal schedule for the ship. Pictured, Captain William Lyons of the Californian explains the compass to V.O. Lawrence (left) and Fred A. Hooper, Pacific Coast traffic manager (right).

V.O. Lawrence, founder and owner of Lawrence Terminals, in 1925.

• Name: Volkert Oluf Lawrence
• Birth: March 20, 1864 Island of Fohr under Danish rule at the time
• Death: May 6, 1932 Alameda County, CA (buried Oakland, CA)

Early life and family

V.O. Lawrence came to the San Francisco Bay Region as a boy of 16 in 1880 from the Island of Fohr in the North Sea where he was born. Of Frisian parentage, his seeking a livelihood on the docks of San Francisco was natural for his forefathers for generations were captains of ships, engaged in whaling in the Arctic Ocean and in the trades with countries of the Orient. His maternal grandfather father was Capt. Volkert Olufs and his great-grandfather was closely allied with the rulers of Denmark and was an admiral in the Danish Navy. Lawrence's first job was a "marker" in loading sailing ships with wheat bound from San Francisco to ports of the world. But Lawrence had visions of more important work and he enrolled in night School in San Francisco to prepare himself for the business world. From "marker" he graduated to a position in an insurance office, later leaving the Bay Region to travel to other Pacific coast cities where he entered the furniture business.

In 1924, Lawrence, accompanied by Mrs. Lawrence and by their daughter Ruth, traveled on a five month tour around the world. On March 20th, his sixtieth birthday, he would be in Calcutta, home for many years of his father. Long ago he had determined that he would live to sail around the world in luxury. "Now I want to spread Oakland's fame as the great port of the west American coast. I want to tell others who long for opportunity that opportunity sits at the feet of the Piedmont hills...". The Lawrences planned to start home on September 13th, 1924, according to word received by Mrs. Lawrence's brother, Howard Schaefer, secretary of the Oakland Rotary Club. Their plans were altered when Mr. Lawrence contracted malaria while in India. By the time they reached Lucerne, Switzerland, he was seriously ill and was ordered by physicians to the American hospital in Paris where he recuperated sufficiently to plan the trip home.

Deciding he needed to know more about his new country, he went to Washington, DC and found a government position. From Washington he went to Philadelphia where he became connected with a large chemical manufacturing company and eventually its owner. He sold his interest in this business and returned to California in 1912, locating in Oakland. He saw in Oakland a city of opportunity, convinced that the Eastbay Harbor was the natural shipping point for products of California's valleys.

The Lawrence Warehouse Company was a public warehouse company operating both its own warehouses, and operating field warehouses on the property of manufacturers. The company was founded by V.O. Lawrence in 1912, and grew rapidly during the World War I years as producers started taking more responsibility for selling their production throughout the year instead of immediately selling to wholesalers. By 1920, the company operated in San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, and the San Joaquin Valley. The company experienced serious growth in last seven years and in 1922, Lawrence relinquished control to A.T. Gibson.

The Lawrence Warehouse Company originated the idea of field warehouses in California and at one time was operating 35 different plants all the way from Beach, Washington to San Diego, California. Loans secured by Lawrence Warehouse receipts were prime paper, re-discountable at the Federal Reserve Bank, and had become very popular with the banks as well as the canning industry. It was estimated that a good many million dollars were loaned this way to the canners on the Pacific Coast through this method of financing, worked out by Lawrence Warehouse Company.

By the 1920's, the company appears in records taking over the warehousing of dried and canned fruit packers in the Santa Clara Valley. The Hyde Cannery in Campbell and Higgins-Hyde dried fruit pack in San Jose both used Lawrence to take control of their products so they could borrow against unsold goods.

A 1954 list of bonded wineries and warehouses shows many operated by Lawrence Warehouse in the Santa Clara Valley.

Banking career

The newly formed Textile National Bank of Philadelphia would begin business on Wednesday, February 1, 1905, at the northeast corner of Kensington Avenue and Letterly Street in the People's Theatre building. The following were the officers and directors: Henry Ruetschlin, president; William S. Leib, first vice president; V.O. Lawrence, second vice president; Charles F. Kolb, Jr., cashier; Henry Ruetschlin, William S. Leib, V.O. Lawrence, George S. Cox, John B.S. Rex, Harry Brocklehurst, Joseph N. Ruch, James D. Kelley, Joseph G. Hitner, Frank D. Williams, Edward T. Flood, William Kommer, Hiram Livezey, and Charles F. Kolb, Jr., directors. J.M. Maylone, one of the tellers, was formerly cashier of the Peoples National Bank of Newark, Ohio. A large number accepted the invitation of the directors to be present at the opening and the quarters were crowded throughout the day. The total amount of deposits received was $123,663.08, representing 94 accounts.

In 1910 Volkert O. Lawrence remained second vice president of the Textile National Bank, and in January 1911, he was re-elected as a director of the bank.

Other career highlights

In December 1902, the George W. Lord Company of Philadelphia was chartered with capital $50,000. The directors were G.W. and Lulu M. Lord, Haddonfield, New Jersey; and V.O. Lawrence, Philadelphia. The chemical company operated at 2238 North 9th Street. Mr. Lord was the inventor and manufacturer of a valuable boiler compound and owned a large Factory on Ninth Street.

In November 1913, Lawrence, owner of the Standard and Adams Wharf warehouses and local representative of the Luckenbach Steamship Company, was planning to launch a new freight and ferry service, likely by spring. He intended to build a 160-foot diesel-powered vessel (with a 32-foot beam) that would carry freight on weekdays and transport passengers and automobiles to San Rafael and Sausalito on weekends and holidays. The vessel would be the first of its size registered in Oakland, potentially making the city a regular port of registry. Lawrence had marine engineers prepare plans and expected to award the construction contract to a local firm. He planned to operate the boat continuously, employing 24 men. According to Lawrence, "I have watched with considerable interest the progress on the Oakland waterfront and believe, that this section of the bay will without doubt gather in a majority of the trade to come with the opening of the [Panama] canal."

In September 1914, V.O. Lawrence was elected a director of the Oakland Commercial Club and was a prominent Rotarian.As the president of the Rotary Club of Oakland, he sponsored the first Boy Scout Troop in Oakland, and in 1917, the club collected 7,000 pairs of shoes and sent them to France for victims of World War I.

During 1925, over 540 large vessels loaded and unloaded at V.O. Lawrence Terminal, passing a quarter million tons across the municipal quay wall. At a time when Oakland's estuary was the classic graveyard of the marine world, V.O. Lawrence agreed to assume the responsibility of turning the quay into a civic asset and began to hunt cargo. He established service to London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Continental harbors. On the east coast of America, Oakland vessels were discharging California produce daily at Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, New Orleans, Mobile or Galveston. The Mexican Gulf ports supplied rosin, sulfur, molasses and cast iron. From the Lawrence Terminal, a daily exchange occurred via the McCormick Line between Portland, Seattle, Astoria, Vancouver, Tacoma, Los Angeles and Wilmington. As a signal of victory in the fight to establish a deep water port, the old British Furness Line and the great American steamship lines not only moved their cargo across Oakland wharves, but they placed Oakland's name on their iron bound schedules and letterheads. The old American-Hawaiian Company which began an uninterrupted service to the Pacific in the days of rounding the Horn, now sent a fine vessel every five days to the Lawrence Terminal. A prosperous trade flowed to Oakland by stubby San Joaquin River vessels piled high with vegetables. Plans were underway for a cold storage warehouse. More interior produce came to Oakland this year than ever before in the shape of canned and dried fruits, ore, copper, magnesite and other raw materials for outbound shipping.

Later life and death

On Saturday, May 7, 1932, Volkert O. Lawrence died at his home, 3220 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland, after an illness of 7 years. He had been injured on a trip around the world and had never recovered. He was well-known in Masonic circles, was a past potentate (1925) of Aahmes Temple of the Mystic Shrine. Oakland had just celebrated its 80th birthday and was the state's third largest city and the industrial capital of the West. V.O Lawrence was one of a group who had the vision to recognize the potentialities of the city. He was responsible for bringing the first general cargo ship to Eastbay Harbor in Oakland and he invested his money and energies in Oakland's future. He was survived by his widow, Mrs. Maud S. Lawrence and by a daughter, Mrs. Howard Watkins.

Bank Officer Summary

During his banking career, V. O. Lawrence was involved with the following bank:

• Textile National Bank, Philadelphia, PA (Charter 7522): VP 1905...1911

$5 Series of 1902 Red Seal bank note with pen signatures of Charles F. Kolb, Jr., and V.O. Lawrence, Vice President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

Sources

• V.O. Lawrence on Findagrave.com
• Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project