Ken Bishop started
a garden supply store called "Bishop and Mathews" in 1927. It quickly
became a thriving garden supply center in Los Angeles.
Wholesale and retail buyers of Christmas trees soon discovered
this area. They flocked to the team tracks to get their trees. Thousands
of retail customers from all over Los Angeles flooded the area. There
were also a number of other tree companies that brought trees in.
Over the years, the team tracks became the major supplier of Christmas
trees in the southwest. It was possibly the largest retail Christmas
tree outlet ever existing.
In
the early 1950's, Christmas tree farms began popping up in Oregon that
had trees planted on spacing, in rows, and grown specifically as
Christmas trees. These trees were trimmed annually, and growth
was slowed down, to force the tree to bush out into a beautiful
tree. We purchased a carload of them. The next year we purchased 3
carloads. This was the beginning of the tree farming business as we
know it today. At the same time, new types of trees were being grown,
including noble fir and grand fir. Eventually the silvertip demand
slowed down, and the farmed species became more popular.
Our Christmas tree farm near Mt. Shasta covered over 5000 acres.
It was primarily a silvertip growing area, as they tend to grow at
higher elevations. We eventually sold most of the farm and kept the
lower ranch for summer recreation.
In 1928,
he decided to try his hand in the Christmas tree business. He
and his crew traveled to the slopes of Mt. Shasta, and cut
natural silvertip Christmas trees, and brought them down to the team
tracks at 8th and Alameda for resale. Ken also purchased rail car
loads of douglas fir Christmas trees from Washington Farms, and brought
them into the wholesale yard by rail car.
When trucks entered
the picture, direct shipment of trees became available, and we could
ship trees directly to the retailers location. It was then no longer
necessary for them to come down to the wholesale yard to pick up their
trees for the next few days of sales.
After over 50 years, Southern Pacific sold the property at 8th and
Alameda, and our wholesale and retail location moved to southwest
Los Angeles where we have been bringing trees in ever since. Many
of our customers followed us and are still purchasing their trees
from our newer location.
The third generation is now getting involved in Bishop and Mathews
with Ron Bishop Jr. entering the business. If you plan to buy trees
wholesale for your retail sales, he may be calling on you.
Ken Bishop retired
in 1955, and his son Ron took over the business.
At that time there were no truck shipments,
and everything came by rail. After closing down their retail lots,
the retailers would come down to the tracks and pick up their
trees for the next day or so.
