Oliver J. Olson & Company was a shipping company founded by Oliver John Olson in 1930 in San Francisco, California. Oliver John Olson started in the lumber trade. Oliver John Olson entered into a lumber partnership with Andrew F. Mahony in San Francisco in 1908. Oliver John Olson was president of the Olson-Mahony Lumber Company. Oliver John Olson was born in San Francisco on January 20, 1872.
History
Oliver J. Olson Company was a shipping and lumber company founded by Oliver John Olson in 1916 in San Francisco, California. Oliver John Olson won a United States contract in April 1917 to build barracks, fences and buildings for the World War I effort. The Oliver J. Olson Company was very successful, already owning seven ships from his previous company. Olson also built a new ship the Florence Olson. Oliver J. Olson brothers and son worked on the ships. Post World War I Olson added routes to Hawaii, Mexico and the Panama Canal Zone. Oliver J. Olson Company bought four ships to add to the fleet. The Great Depression was hard but Oliver J. Olson Company was in good shape and made it through, moving the ships to more passager service. With his family an important part of this firm he incorporated in 1930 as Oliver J. Olson & Company. In 1937 Oliver J. Olson & Company won USA contacts for the movement of good to supply the built-up of World War 2, he purchased the SS Point Bonita a 1918 steamer, calling her Oliver Olson. Oliver J. Olson turned over more of the operations over to his sons. Oliver Jr. was president of the Richmond-San Rafael Ferry and later the other subsidiary Olson Ocean Towing Company. Edward Whitney (Whit) Olson became president of the Oliver J. Olson & Company. George Olson as Olson & Company vice president. Oliver J. Olson brothers William Olson and Walter Olson worked in the firm and rose. More routes were added to Los Angeles and San Diego, with more contract trips to Hawaii's Pearl Harbor. Needing more ships to go to Pearl Harbor Olson purchased the Coquina and Corrales, two steamers in Matson Navigation reserve fleet for $75,000 per ship. He renamed the ships the SS Cynthia Olson and Barbara Olson, they work Army Transport Service contacts. Later the Army Transport Service Bareboat charter both ships. In 1975 Oliver J. Olson Company and all of its subsidiaries were sold to Crown Zellerbach Corporation of San Francisco.
Ships: George L. Olson, Whitney Olson, Virginia Olson, and Florence Olson, Oliver Olson, Cynthia Olson and Barbara Olson.
Olson-Mahony Lumber Company
Olson-Mahony Lumber Company a timber distribution company was founded by the partnerships of Oliver John Olson and Andrew F. Mahony in San Francisco in 1908. To store lumber, Olson-Mahony Lumber Company, leased a 12,000 square feet of land and seawall wharf at Stockton street and the Embarcadero, what is now Sue Bierman Park. Olson-Mahony Lumber Company then add a covered wharf for loading and unloading of ships. Olson & Mahony Company was very successful, going from one ship in 1908 to seven ships by 1913. Olson-Mahony Lumber Company when into a partnership E.K. Wood Lumber Company, distributing their Lumber. Charles F. Van Damme (1881–1934) became the company secretary, a Bay Area entrepreneur. Charles F. Van Damme, Oliver John Olson and Andrew F. Mahony stated a subsidiary Richmond–San Rafael Ferry and Transportation Company. The company started the San Pablo Bay ferry service in 1915 between Castro Point in Richmond, California in Contra Costa County and San Quentin in Marin County. The first ferry owned was named Charles Van Damme, for Van Damme put up the money for the ferry. In 1916 Olson bought out Mahony share of the Olson-Mahony Lumber Company, but both were still partners in the Richmond–San Rafael Ferry and Transportation Company. Their son's continued that partnership in Richmond–San Rafael Ferry. Mahony tried to start his own shipping company, but failed. He later became the San Francisco police commissioner till his death in 1933.
Van Damme State Park is named after Charles F. Van Damme. Van Damme had purchased want is now the park with funds Richmond–San Rafael Ferry and Transportation Company. Van Damme dies in 1934 and the land became part of the California State Parks. Charles Van Damme's father, John Van Damme was born in Ostend, Belgium, early settlers southern of Mendocino, California. Charles Van Damme was born in 1881 in Little River, California.