George E. Breece Lumber Company Records
Collection
Identifier: MSS-104-BC
Scope and Content
The collection consists of two boxes containing contracts, patents, deeds, abstracts, and certificates of land titles, with companies such as the Cloudcroft Land & Lumber Co., the American Lumber Co., and the McKinley Land & Lumber Co., plus original contracts with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and other railway companies. Correspondence and contracts drawn up by W.A. Keleher, the company attorney are also included, as are letters of Hugo & Lottie V. Seaberg, and records of transactions made by Charles O. Breece, vice-president and treasurer of the American Land Company.
Dates
- 1890-1945
Creator
- George E. Breece Lumber Company (Organization)
Language of Materials
English.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication of print and photographic material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publications or distribution.
Historical Information
Breece Lumber Company was formed by George Elmer Breece who was born in Roundhead, Harding Co., Ohio, Dec. 13, 1864. Largely self-educated, Breece began working as a youth at the local sawmill and soon became a block setter, sawyer and filer. He worked his way up to become superintendent for the Advance Lumber Company, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. He served as a Commissioner of Pike County, Ohio for six years until his job was transferred to Charleston, West Virginia. In Charleston he served as a superintendent for various lumber companies and was the mayor of Charleston from 1915-1917. When the spruce industry had major problems that threatened the government supply of lumber, Breece was sent to Portland, Oregon for three months to resolve the problem. He served in the Army during World War I, achieving the rank of colonel. After the war, he took over the American Lumber Company, a New Jersey company with a New Mexico based operation. He had first come to New Mexico in 1907 for the Advance Lumber Company and in 1918 took over the debt ridden company with $1,000,000 paid in preferred stocks and bonds. In 1919, Breece married Dollie Lee of Charleston and the couple settled permanently in Albuquerque.
Breece was president and general manager of the George E. Breece Lumber Company, one of the largest concerns in New Mexico. His company, which owned three mills located in strategic areas around the state, had lumber contracts for private and public lands. Among the companies they did business with were the McKinley Land & Lumber Co., Cloudcroft Land & Lumber Co., Bluewater Land and Irrigation Co., Breece-Prewitt Sheep Co., and the American Lumber Co. In conjunction with his lumber company, Breece also owned and operated a retail business, the Breece Lumber & Supply Company headquartered in Albuquerque near one of his mills. Breece acquired extensive land holdings around the state from which he sold railroad rights of way and developed town sites for Prewitt, Thoreau, and BreeceTown, New Mexico, as well as the Navajo Addition, a suburb in Albuquerque.
Prominent for many years in Albuquerque and New Mexico civic activities, Breece was a life member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and a communicant of the Methodist Church. For some years he was a member of the Executive Board of the New Mexico Wool Growers Association. He remained active in the lumber business until six weeks before his death on Jan. 23, 1942. The Breece Lumber & Supply Company continued to operate until it was liquidated in 1960.
Breece was president and general manager of the George E. Breece Lumber Company, one of the largest concerns in New Mexico. His company, which owned three mills located in strategic areas around the state, had lumber contracts for private and public lands. Among the companies they did business with were the McKinley Land & Lumber Co., Cloudcroft Land & Lumber Co., Bluewater Land and Irrigation Co., Breece-Prewitt Sheep Co., and the American Lumber Co. In conjunction with his lumber company, Breece also owned and operated a retail business, the Breece Lumber & Supply Company headquartered in Albuquerque near one of his mills. Breece acquired extensive land holdings around the state from which he sold railroad rights of way and developed town sites for Prewitt, Thoreau, and BreeceTown, New Mexico, as well as the Navajo Addition, a suburb in Albuquerque.
Prominent for many years in Albuquerque and New Mexico civic activities, Breece was a life member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and a communicant of the Methodist Church. For some years he was a member of the Executive Board of the New Mexico Wool Growers Association. He remained active in the lumber business until six weeks before his death on Jan. 23, 1942. The Breece Lumber & Supply Company continued to operate until it was liquidated in 1960.
Extent
2 boxes (2 cu. ft.)
Creator
- George E. Breece Lumber Company (Organization)
- Title
- Finding Aid of the George E. Breece Lumber Company, 1890-1945
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Described by Illene Renfro
- Date
- ©2000
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT (US::NmU::MSS 104 BC::George E. Breece Lumber Company)//EN" "nmu1mss104bc.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu