Don Kruse
By Don Kruse, Editor
Advertiser-Courier
This week as the Advertiser-Courier puts out the first edition of its 140th year of publication, we want to tip our cap to Hermann Lumber Company as it gets ready to observe its 90th anniversary on Friday and Saturday.
The Baumstark family has had a long tradition in the lumber business. All the boys who have served as president, started working there at an early age.
The late Albert Baumstark went to work for Klenk Lumber Co. as an office boy when he was 14 years old. It wasn’t until Klenk’s business was bought out by Wyles Chipman Lumber of St. Louis, in around 1920, that 19-year-old Albert was hired as manager. Two years later, the name Hermann Lumber Company was born. Sometime about 60 to 70 years ago, that founding brought about the slogan, “Service to You Since 1922.” It was often used in its advertising.
The Baumstark family, with Albert as its president, acquired controlling interest in 1958 while his son, Charles, was also working in the business.
(Read the rest of the story in this week’s Advertiser-Courier)
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