Olean Lumber
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The Olean Lumber and Supply Corporation, established on August 17 1928, is Olean, New York's oldest lumber retailer. It is located at 224 South Barry Street.
-->The business occupies the former site of the Chamberlain Mfg. Company of the mid-1800s; the Fobes Lumber Company and the Troy Lumber Co., which was one of Olean's leading industries before its property was destroyed in a fire in 1909. After the Troy Lumber Company ceased business, W.H. McKay and A.B. McKane purchased the site and created the original Olean Lumber Company. However, some sources, such as the "History of the Counties..." book by J.H. Beers, point to the Olean Lumber company being founded in 1854, in stark contrast to a 1954 article in the Olean Times Herald chronicling the fact that McKay and McKane created the company after Troy Lumber was destroyed in 1909.
In 1921, Alexander J. McMullen came to Olean from Pennsylvania and accepted the position as office manager of the company. According to family sources, he was previously employed in the master mechanic's office of the Pennsylvania Railroad. When Mr. McMullen purchased the company from McKay and McKane in 1928, it was named "Olean Lumber and Supply Corporation." He became president and general manager. Howard Mitchell was named vice president, secretary and shop foreman (Olean Times Herald article 8/17/1935, reprinted 1954).
Upon A.J. McMullen's passing, in 1962, Richard McMullen would become company president. It was at this time that he would introduce the Cash and Carry concept.
Richard McMullen would pass away on July 26 1978, from arteriosclerosis causing a stroke. ("The Olean Root Book," 1993). This left George E. Baker as president. Mr. McMullen's son, Jeffrey McMullen, was named Vice President. George F. Mayer was secretary and Roy S. Crandall was Treasurer. The company opened Green Street Custom Kitchen and Bath Center in 1985, according to the NYS Department of State.
In 1988, Jeffrey McMullen was named president, John McMullen accepted the title of vice president and Mike McMullen became the secretary. August 17 2003 saw the company celebrate its 75th anniversary under McMullen, McCoy, Crandall and Mayer ownership.
According to the New York Department of State, the company was purchased by Kelly Chaffee in March 2005 and is undergoing renewal.
Sources and references
New York State Department of State (NYS DOS) and Divisions of Corporations Public Entity File(s), Olean Times Herald advertisements (OTH adv.) 1954-2003, public company memorandums (1985, 1988), Olean NY 'Root Book' (1993) sec. 96, p. 226, Rootsweb.com Incorporated, general history courtesy: Olean Lumber website (http://www.geocities.com/oleanlumber), "From the History of the Counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron, and Potter, Pennsylvania" by J.H. Beers, (Chicago, 1890) at http://happeningsinthehills.com/mckean/history/otto.htm and so forth are responsible for specific dates and information detailed within the article. All images are public domain.Further reading
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