the rock creek railway was one of the first electric streetcar companies in washington , d.c .

it was incorporated in 1888 and started operations in 1890 .

after expansion , the line ran from the cardoza/shaw neighborhood of d.c. to chevy chase lake , maryland .

on september 21 , 1895 , rock creek railway purchased the washington and georgetown railroad company and the two formed the capital traction company .

rock creek railway

beautiful green serpentine rock , the official state rock of california , is abundant .
walk through bush lined corridors , past foaming rapids , and over historic railway formations .
the rock creek railroad is a realistic version of a fictional railway running from georgetown , d . c . , to rockville , maryland , along the bed of rock creek about 1900 . apart from the two towns at each end of the line , the scenery is rural , forested , and rocky .
no matter what its origin , alum rock park lost a rare treasure when the rock was mined .
photograph of the calvert street bridge over rock creek , about 1912 . robert truax collection . cchs 2008 . 143 . 08 .
trying to capitalize on its enormous investment in the park , the peninsular railway hyped the big rock and erected a sign indicating that it was the “alum rock meteor” and that it weighed an estimated 2 , 000 tons .
waiting room and office , rock creek railway , chevy chase lake , designed by lindley johnson . photo from a 1914 report , capital traction company . from a slide donated by robert truax . cchs 2008 . 144 . 05 .
the alum rock railway line into the park switched from steam engines to electric during the great push for electrification and expansion of the bay area railroad system in 1901 .
though there is no “alum rock” in alum rock , there is a richness of rocks and minerals in its dramatic formations .
according to the report of the b . c . department of mines for 1928 , placer miners working the sands of rock creek had looked for the source of the creeks gold since the 1860s . in 1884 , outcropping from the granite - gneiss walls of the creeks gulch , the
this ride goes over historic railway formations – there may be sharp or rusty metal remnants along the track .
the community languished on the fringes of the industrial world for only six more years , however . in 1910 the kettle valley railway began building up the valley for which it is named , pushing its steel past rock creek on february 8th , 1911 .
agents for the land company bought more than 1 , 700 acres of land along the route that they planned for connecticut avenue and the rock creek railway . construction of the new road , railway , and the bridges crossing rock creek at calvert street and the klingle valley was an immense and expensive infrastructure project . on september 18 , 1892 , the first streetcars traveled from 7 th street to the end of the line at chevy chase lake , just south of the b & o railroad spur that ran towards georgetown .
by the time the alum rock railway company had a viable route into the park in 1896 , several men were bankrupt or , at the very least , mighty disillusioned by their unsuccessful efforts .
the massive rock probably had been in the park for millions of years , possibly part of a much larger rock mass which had eroded away .
cedar creek is beside the creek for which it is named eleven miles west of bastrop in west central bastrop county . the area was settled as early as 1832 , when addison litton was granted a league of blackland prairie on both sides of the creek .
five bridges with spans ranging from 170 to 260 feet were built over penitencia creek .
from watson ' s mill follow the old railway tracks through old cutover and farm paddocks to the site of mumm ' s mill . the track then leads onto the old charming creek mine entrance and car park .
in february 1882 , both port douglas and cairns formed railway leagues and engaged in a long and bitter fight for the right to the railway . not long after , geraldton , later named innisfail , entered the competition boasting the sound virtues of mourilyan harbour .
the first public showing of the rock creek railroad was at the club ' s june 2005 meeting . this layout has been under construction for the last 5 years .
june and july of 1860 saw hundreds of hopefuls arrive at the rock creek bonanza . supplies , wrote d . c . thorne in a letter published by the victoria
much later the sea receded and the hills were thrust up ; volcanic action produced igneous rock such as the rhyolite which makes up the eagle rock formation .
in 1890 , francis g . newlands founded the chevy chase land company and began to acquire land northwest of the newly created rock creek park for a new exclusive suburban development . this planned residential community , to be built in what was still a rural farm landscape , was not easily accessible from downtown washington , dc . to address this , newlands and the land company purchased controlling shares in the rock creek railway that would eventually run along newly extended connecticut avenue , past the recently opened national zoo . both the streetcar line and rock creek park added to the value of the property that the chevy chase land company would acquire for its new suburban development .
by 1912 steam shovels were at work bringing yet another railroad into alum rock park .
today’s park rangers say that small pieces of the big rock are still found in penitencia creek near the “1909 bridge” on the road between the central picnic area and the park’s back entrance .
the track then leads to the river flats of charming creek and the historic site of watson’s mill .
the georgetown branch can claim an important role in the development of one of washington’s - and the nation’s - most important landmarks . for most of its life , the branch terminated at the west bank of rock creek in georgetown . however , the line was temporarily extended east over rock creek in 1914 to carry limestone and other building materials for the construction of the lincoln memorial .
there are three geographic areas that define the suburban development of the city . the suburbs in anacostia , southeast and northeast were created for lower income white and african american working classes . the northwest area east of rock creek park was largely settled by middle - income and government workers the northwest area west of rock creek park which was settled , in part , by upper - income whites .
the park’s main ( alum rock ave . ) entrance is temporarily closed to cars due to an el nino landslide , but drivers can enter the penitencia creek road entrance at the park’s northwest edge .
the rock creek gold camp whither dewdney built his trail in 1861 was not a compact community ; rather it was strung out along the creek where a miner usually squatted on his own claim25 lineal feet of shore between the high and low water marks . when the rush played out and the boomers moved on , the creeks natural floods and the hydraulic mining endeavours that began in the late 1880s soon washed away all traces of the abandoned campsites . the present community was formerly known as york creek and is mostly on the right bank of the kettle , strung out along the highway which leaps the creek on a shoulderless , short , 1950 bridge in the centre of the settlement . it is the leftovers from the town created by the hydraulic mining companies and the kettle valley railway .
each train stopped at the site and the motorman would awe the riders with the rock’s extraterrestrial provenance . every park visitor walking into the park via penitencia creek road stopped to gander at it . a photograph of the rock shows a woman dwarfed by its great mass and two - story height .
rock creek railway ' s
country terminus ,
at chevy chase lake , with the car barn and power plant on the right , and the b & o railroad car crossing in the background . from electrical world , vol . xxi , no . 2 , 1 - 14 - 1893 , p . 24 . photograph from leroy o . king , jr .
today the site of that rail line is part of the creek trail , a narrow footpath enjoyed by hikers .
the purchaser soon discovered that the 2 , 000 - ton rock actually weighed only 389 tons .
folks who had a horse and carriage at their disposal could set out for alum rock park via beauteous , state - of - the - art , tree - lined alum rock avenue by 1875 .
this report documents the results of a baseline inspection of the charming creek walkway to locate and describe visible historic fabric .
the railroad’s spokesmen said the railroad “has all the earmarks of a transcontinental railway” and promised pullman ( sleeper ) cars which would go right into the heart of the park .
the rock creek trestle was initially 1400 feet long , 67 feet high and reputed to be the largest of its type in the b & o system at that time . in 1904 , much of the span was replaced by fill , reducing its length to 281 feet , and a single steel deck plate girder span inserted over rock creek . the trestle was rebuilt in 1928 , and again in 1972 following extensive damage done by tropical storm agnes .
$ 36 , 000 was spent that year damming the creek high up in the hills to the east of the park .
now the animal life of the park as well as human visitors have a guarantee of water in the creek year round .
this report describes the historic values of the charming creek walkway in the buller region of the south island ' s west coast .
heavy flooding in the park would not have happened in 1911 if the suggestion of a dam above penitencia creek had been heeded .
today the park is suffering the effects of heavy rains which fell during the el nino winter storms of 1998 . retaining walls along penitencia creek were washed out and a landslide developed across the park ' s main alum rock avenue entrance cutting a gash all the way down to the bottom of the canyon at the creek ' s edge . the city opened the long - closed penitencia creek entrance to traffic last fall and closed the damaged alum rock avenue entrance . many neighbors in the area are waging a campaign to have the necessary studies done to facilitate landslide repairs to restore the park ' s integrity .
for a few months in 1864 and 1865 , however , traffic along dewdneys languishing trail increased substantially due to the gold strikes in the east kootenays . many passers - by dipped hopeful pans into the sands of rock creek , but discouraged by the meagre showings , soon moved on . yet , for a while , anyway , gold enough could be dug from the creek that a frugal , industrious man could live free of the tyranny of railroad foremen and still send money home to china . in 1886 , the laura hydraulic company of vancouver decided that mechanization was the key to rock creeks wealth and dragged its pumps to the creek to train high - pressure hoses on the gravel bars . four years of effort succeeded in finding only enough gold to go broke . the creek rewarded a similar assault mounted in 1900 by an outfit from greenwood with the same success .
, there is a photo taken of the last passenger train to visit the rock creek station . it was a snowy friday , january 17th , 1964 , and , judging by the number of folks out to catch their last glimpse of a
the following ( as per the chicago manual of style , 16th edition ) is the preferred citation for articles : augustus j . veenendaal , jr . ,
chicago , rock island and pacific railway ,
the encyclopedia of oklahoma history and culture , urltoken ( accessed july 09 , 2018 ) .
but the line to chevy chase was not a total waste of time and effort for the b & o . in 1892 , the rock creek railway had developed a suburban streetcar line from chevy chase circle out connecticut avenue to its intersection with the b & o line . the streetcar terminal was nearby and coal was needed to run the powerhouse that provided electricity to run the line . building materials were also in demand as houses and businesses sprung up along the trolley line . a separate single - track trolley line - called the kensington railway - also ran from this point to kensington along present - day kensington parkway .
before the train pulled into the terminal at the intersection of penitencia creek road and alum rock avenue ( about where the rustic lands picnic area is today ) kids had great sport while traveling through the olive groves on the bobbing , swaying cars .
on october 2nd , 1914 , crews eastbound from penticton up 27 miles of 2 . 2 % gradethe longest , steepest unbroken railway grade in canadamet their westbound comrades to drive the sections last spike in the middle of the west fork canyon creek bridge . exactly two weeks later , the first revenue service train rolled into penticton .
creek played some small part in this revolution in transportation , having been designated , according to t . m . mcgrath in his aforementioned
this walk mostly follows an historic bush tramway through the lower ngakawau gorge and the charming creek valley to the abandoned charming creek coal mine , passing historic sawmilling and mining remains . the gorge nestles among steep bluffs while below , water foams past immense boulders in the riverbed .
this is the first in a series of articles tracing the history of alum rock park from prehistory to the present .
the creek’s channel was altered , hills were eroded , wagon bridges were gone , roads were impassable and the park’s water system was kaput .
built to rock creek . just that july he had contracted a young , welsh - trained engineer , edgar dewdney , to make a pack trail out of the old foot trail from fort hope across the hozameen mountains to the similkameen valley , a task that he and his partner , walter moberly , were still doing . because the trail to rock creek would be an extension of the similkameen job , it likely seemed only logical to douglas that he bestow it upon dewdney . how much competition there was for the work is therefore questionable , but in any event , in january of 1861 dewdney and moberly won the £300 / mile contract to extend their pack trail to rock creek . by the time dewdney and moberly drove their project into the creek in august of 1861 , the boom was bust and most of the 23 buildings that cox had counted upon his arrival were abandoned , their inhabitants drawn to a new gold camp on mission creek in the okanagan . cox and haynes had set up an outpost on the similkameen by that time to tax the cattle herds that were being moved into the district , and haynes was usually there . on march 11th of 1862 , cox was re - assigned to the cariboo district and haynes was left to close down the rock creek offices and centralize his operations in the okanagan .
a car barn for the trolleys and a power plant were located just to the east of the trolley “turn around” at the end of the line . next to these two large structures , a small reservoir that would become known as chevy chase lake had been created by damming coquelin run . on the west side of connecticut , a row of small two - family cottages provided housing for the rock creek railway motormen . civil engineer herbert claude had his office at the depot , located across from the car barn . a long - time employee of the chevy chase land company , he was superintendent of the railway , and later ran the chevy chase lake amusement park .
the longest of them , which includes the archway which still stands at the junction of alum rock avenue and penitencia creek road , carried the “big red cars” across the chasm to join up with the narrow serpentine rail bed running along the edge of the cliffs .
( bastrop county ) . red rock , twelve miles southwest of bastrop in southwestern bastrop county , is said to have derived its name from a red rock used in building the chimney of first settler james brewer ' s house in the early 1850s .
. paige is on u . s . highway 290 forty - four miles east of austin in northeast bastrop county . the old san antonio road , now state highway 21 , borders the north side . paige was established at the site of a railroad water tower on the newly built houston and texas central railway in 1872 and named for norman paige , a civil engineer , who had laid out the route of the railway .
to order a survey and to “set apart , for all time to come , as a public park” the lands in the vicinity of penitencia creek .
the development of the west side of rock creek park was driven by the formation of powerful real - estate syndicates which were in place by the 1880s . prestigious and moneyed families were living in the massachusetts avenue and dupont circle districts . the joel barlow kalorama estate just west of dupont circle was developed in the 1880s . development beyond rock creek gorge was possible only after the gorge was bridged in 1886 at klingle road and at calvert street in 1891 . woodley park developed rapidly in the 1880s after the construction of the bridges as well as the streetcar lines
by april 1890 , stoney creek bridge was almost complete and the project was paid a vice - regal visit by the governor of queensland , general sir henry wiley norman . to his excellency ' s astonishment , john robb prepared a full banquet atop stoney creek bridge with tables , food and wine dizzily suspended may metres over the gorge . history records that there were no speeches that day due to the roar from the waterfalls . by may 13th 1891 , rail was laid to the end of the second section at myola . on june 15th 1891 , mr johnstone , one of three railway commissioners at that time opened the line for goods traffic only . just ten days later , the cairns - kuranda railway line was opened to passenger travel .
a distinct company unrelated to the b & o’s efforts - the georgetown barge , dock , elevator & railway co . - had already built approximately one mile of track in 1889 to shuttle cargoes along the georgetown waterfront on water street ( present - day k street ) from rock creek to the alexandria aqueduct bridge . b & o acquired this company in 1891 and took over its operation of line , but this section would have no outside rail connection until the georgetown branch was finally completed in 1910 .
at first , of course , that toe - dipping was done in the cooling trickle of penitencia creek - provided it hadn’t dried up for the season .
the canyon was also referred to as “the city reservation” and “penitencia reservation” before the alum rock name was minted by a local farmer .
as if alum rock park’s physical beauty weren’t enough , mother nature provided an extra special lure - twenty - one natural mineral springs .
the park’s most mystical and alluring attraction , the alum rock meteor , was a wonderful asset to the publicists of the early days .
alum rock park covers about 720 acres , but much of the land is taken up by steep wooded or chaparral - covered hillsides .
construction of the georgetown branch line started in 1892 and within the year the metropolitan southern had laid two miles of track from its junction with the metropolitan branch to chevy chase , maryland at present - day connecticut avenue . development of this section included the construction of a large wooden trestle over rock creek .
sea - shell bearing sandstone and limestone are plentiful giving evidence that alum rock park was a beach environment 15 , 000 , 000 years ago .
around 1904 , the alum rock lodge was built near the park’s entrance ; it’s the fascinating stone house on canon vista drive overlooking the park .
the area that would become alum rock park was part of the outermost holdings of the spanish pueblo of san jose de guadalupe as designated in 1777 .
the largest gasoline - fueled electric powerhouse on the entire west coast was constructed at the mouth of alum rock canyon close to the park’s lower entrance .
the rock would still be in the park today if its composition hadn’t been identified as manganese in 1918 during the early part of world war i .
over the years from its formal beginnings as a bona fide park in 1872 to the present , alum rock park has had several very different characters .
the catastrophic washout of its railroad during the floods of 1911 didn’t diminish alum rock park’s magnetic allure . the owner of the doomed narrow - gauge line was driven out of the railroad business by his loss , but the mighty broad - gauge peninsular railway , a holding of the southern pacific , was ready to fill the breach and tap what was seen as a potentially lucrative market of resort - goers .
there are many different ways of showing your support to boulder creek railroad . one of those ways is by checking out the merch that is available on my t - spring page
a different kind of fatality hit the park when the rains of march 1911 produced a humdinger of a flood on penitencia creek and all the waterways of the santa clara valley .
besides the hotel that the madge family had opened in 1898 , there was not a lot at rock creek when hill spiked his vancouver , victoria & eastern through the region during the summer of 1905 . what few residents there were , however , must have suffered some disappointment when , anticipating the arrival of a railroad since 1900 , they realized that the vv & e ; would build up myers creek , missing them completely and leaving them with but a shed for a station a couple of miles distant .
in 1892 , coquelin run , the small tributary which flows to rock creek , was dammed to create a source of water for the electric generating plant that powered the new streetcars on connecticut avenue . this man - made lake was on the east side of connecticut , just south of chevy chase lake drive . its primary use long gone , the dam was removed and the lake was drained . today the steep terrain , dense vegetation , and a condominium development hide any traces of the former lake . yet at the turn of the 20th century , chevy chase lake was well known across the metropolitan region . it was the “end of the line” for the rock creek railway streetcars ( later part of capital traction ) which ran along connecticut avenue and ended just below a spur from the b & o railway that ran towards georgetown . a trolley turnaround , car barn and electric generating plant were located adjacent to the lake . just as subway and bus riders know the names of the terminus of each line of the transportation systems today , residents of the district of columbia and the surrounding areas of virginia and maryland knew of chevy chase lake by the name on the front of the streetcar .
the car was demolished and the passengers were sent flying into the air when the car crashed at the tight bend near the tunnel at the alum rock .
it was a rustic canyon with few improvements other than the alum rock saloon and the alum rock house hotel in the early 1870’s . the hotel burned down in 1890 ; the saloon was dispossessed soon after when developers decided to make the park a more suitable place for women and children by outlawing liquor sales .
the flooding caused an eight foot wall of water to inundate the tunnels - erasing the narrow - gauge railway . all but one of the railroad bridges were washed away , one tunnel was completely destroyed , the ties and tracks were totally washed out of both tunnels .
the alum rock mineral springs were said to have “world - wide fame and patronage , ” but perhaps this was a wee bit of chamber of commerce hype .
during construction , navvies ' camps mushroomed at every tunnel and cutting . even comparatively narrow ledges supported stores - some even catering for the men ' s need for groceries and clothes ! small townships were thriving at number 3 tunnel , stoney creek , glacier rock , camp oven creek and rainbow creek . kamerunga , at the foot of the range , boasted no fewer than five hotels . at one stage , 1500 men , mainly irish and italian , were involved in the project . faced with poor working conditions , on april 20th 1888 a meeting of predominantly irish workers at kamerunga resulted in the formation of the victorian labour league . even so , relationships between workers and contractors remained harmonious as all realised the magnitude of the task before them . in august 1890 , the great maritime strike spread to the railway workers and they formed the united sons of toil . they made a demand for 90c per day . by september differences had been resolved and the navvies ' wages were increased from 80c per day to 85c per day .
a few kilometres eastward on the highway from the bridge and the yard and mill of hilmoe forest products at its eastern approach , a re - alignment of the no . 3 has cut off the old section through johnstone creek ravine . nestled in this nook now is a sixteen - site provincial campground populated by a mob of chipmunks bent on extorting picnics from visitors . under the pines , a protesting hand - pump squeals out gushes of cool , clean water , providing a sweaty biker camping here with the only means of showering . beyond johnstone creek , past ranchsteads and pastures of black anguses and holsteins , the highway tips over the edge of the kettle river valleys scarp and whoops down into the unincorporated settlement of rock creek ( 612m ) .
ranch lands on the north side of the park are being dedicated as open space which will assure that the views from the park will always be green even though the acreage will not become part of the park . recommendations have been made that the city buy the alum rock stables property at the alum rock avenue entrance and several small properties near the penitencia creek road entrance to add to the park ' s acreage . these additions would provide opportunities to optimize usage of the park ' s scarce level land and to improve traffic flow .
his assumption that the powder was alum was wrong , unfortunately , and the alum rock designation is particularly incongruous because there isn’t even a speck of alum in the park .
riders paid 25 cents for an excursion through the lightly settled ranchlands along alum rock avenue to what today is kirk avenue where the tracks took a left - hand jog .
at the charming creek mine entrance and car park , you can see the fan that extracted air from the underground mine and the bathhouse shell . old coal bins are near the sealed entrance to the mine .
claim in 1886 and the rock creek quartz camp soon developed around it . finds looked promising so gold commissioner tunstall at granite creek near princeton recommended that the ministry of lands and works reserve some land at the camp and survey a townsite . seventy - four acres were subsequently set aside and the provinces surveyor - general , w . s . gore , sent in a crew to lay out a main street for what he named mckinneyville in the fall of 1887 . already settling into what they called camp mckinney nearer to the mines , the miners ignored the townsite and the government never sold a lot .
two tunnels had to be constructed through the steep hills , bridges had to be built , and rock had to be blasted away in order to make a near - level roadbed .
even with this ballast , sometimes a car would slip off the tracks and dangle over the chasm . fortunately , none ever dropped all the way to the creek bed and there were no serious injuries – yet .
this once - extensive network had its roots in the chicago and rock island of 1851 . this company was merged with others into the chicago , rock island and pacific railroad in 1866 and was reorganized in 1880 under the same name but with the word railway in the title . as such , the cri & p line soon stretched into nebraska and kansas , even as far as colorado , north into minnesota , and east into tennessee . a fairly solid and prosperous company , it fell into the hands of the infamous reid - moore syndicate in 1901 and was soon in trouble through reckless overexpansion . in receivership by 1914 , it was reorganized but was again in receivership in 1933 .
william edward hayes , iron road to empire : the history of 100 years of the progress and achievements of the rock island lines ( new york : simmons - boardman , 1953 ) .
budd rdc rolling through their settlement , it was recognized as a momentous occasion . never again would travellers step off a train at rock creek . when the cpr ceased running all trains over the highlands to penticton in 1973 , rock creek , at the tail end of what had essentially become a long spur reaching out from castlegar , seemed to loose heart . it never did incorporate and in 2007 it is just beginning to perk up with overflow from the okanagan valley . across the river near the site of the kvrs long - gone station , the mighty white dolomite limited crushing plant boisterously blows boulders of magnesium carbonate out of the valleys wall and reduces them to sparkling white gravel for decorative construction in the okanagan . along the highway there are a few houses , a gas station and a couple of souvenir shops , the
the train was so lightweight that on its arrival at the entrance of the park , men would load rocks on the flat car to help hold the passenger car on the tracks when it crossed the bridge over penitencia creek .
by 1889 miners were hacking holes into the highly altered argillaceous and quartzose igneous rock on more than 25 claims and were generally encouraged by what they found . especially pleased were the owners of the
boulder creek railroad is supported by you the fans , ways the you can show your support is by becoming a patron , depending on the level of support i have a number of perks that you might like to check out .
at mckee road , the tracks turned right and ran for a short distance to the pala rosa olive groves where they took a northerly course to penitencia creek and then turned right for the final leg through the park’s lower entrance .
the rock’s otherworldly persona was hastily discarded when the san jose city council realized that the city coffers could be enriched by $ 22 , 000 when a “mining man” offered such a sum for it .
the native american people of the ohlone tribelet , the taunens , had lived in the area of the alum rock canyon for as long as several thousand years before the arrival of the first white explorers .
alum rock park already had a history before it was designated as a public park by the california state legislature in 1872 . it had been home to native american people who called it “aguague” or watering place .
some sections aren ' t suitable for biking . it ' s necessary to get off your bike as you cross the swing bridge at mangatini falls and when going up the rock steps by irishman ' s tunnel .
this renewed invasion of british territory by american freebooters came quickly to the notice of governor douglas , and so alarming were the reports of mayhem that douglas decided that he had better see rock creek for himself . he arrived on september 24th , 1860 . it was as he suspected ; few of the miners were licensed under the provisions of the gold fields act for british columbiaor even cared , reallyand the majority had not paid any import duties on their animals , tools ,
the setting was the prolonged north queensland wet season of 1882 . desperate tin miners on the wild river near herberton were unable to obtain supplies and were on the verge of famine . the boggy road leading inland from port douglas was proving impossible . as a result , the settlers at herberton raised loud and angry voices and began agitation for a railway to the coast .
in the steepest , most confined section of the gorge , the hardy ngakawau gorge ( celmisia morganii ) flowers abundantly on steep rock faces from december to january . this is the only known habitat for this rare and protected species .
the very earliest history of the area we know as alum rock park must be pieced together from bits of historical writings , which dance all around the area without referring specifically to the long , narrow canyon which defines the park .
the ohlones’ diet was based on ground acorns which , of course , did not necessitate cultivation . the alum rock canyon was home to many oak trees and especially valley oaks , which produced the ohlones’ favorite large , sweet acorns .
coming general elections and increasing cold weather in the south saw visits to the north by leading politicians . all promising a railway . in march , 1882 , the minister for works and mines , mr macrossan announced the search for a route from the atherton tablelands to the coast . he commissioned christie palmerston , an expert bushman and a most colourful pioneering character , to find a suitable route .
a few miles beyond the camp mckinney turn - off , the no . 3 comes upon rock creek cutting its way southward out of the okanagan highlands , heading toward the kettle river . the bridge leaping the creeks canyon was built in 1951 and is still the most dramatic span on the crowsnest highway . just at the western approach to the bridge , a ranch - yard café invites travellers to pause for an iced cappuccino and cool their toes on a shady balcony overlooking the three arches of silver painted iron truss - work which hang into the canyon , carrying the roadway on their backs . those daring can scramble down by the abutment and crawl out on the catwalk which is suspended on the bridges cross - beams and treat themselves to a thrilling , precarious , view . if not , the bridges deck has been made thoughtfully wide enough to permit pedestrians to peer in safety over the parapet 300 feet down into the creeks magnificent trench . it was down in those red depths , at a place called soldiers bar , that a canadian called adam beame
at watson’s mill , steam boilers and other rusty relics are amongst the regenerating bush . look out for the sulphur ‘stink hole’ , seepage from a hole drilled during government coal prospecting operations in 1910–12 . it ' s about 400 m past a small suspension bridge spanning the main creek .
with jim hills third mainline running past its door - step , bridesville made a decent living sending cattle and hay to market . in 1921 local entrepreneurs built a sawmill on the northeast corner of town and made their best money supplying the railway with ties and timber . however , the section of the wgn from molson to oroville proved discouragingly expensive to maintain and the revenue disappointingly low . in 1927 , mentions hal reigger in his
the back of the indian culture was broken ; the people were demoralized and couldn’t fend off the white man’s diseases . the alum rock canyon was no longer walked by its taunen triblet ; only occasionally did small bands of disenfranchised indians find their way there .
ledge rock hill winery & vineyard – 518 - 654 - 5467 – hadley / luzerne & corinth the north country’s premium winery , ledge rock hill “the winery in the woods” is a family run venture specializing in limited vintage production of artisan crafted award winning wines . we are located in the lake region of northern saratoga county , conveniently situated between lake george & saratoga springs and within miles of the great sacandaga lake . come visit where your wine is made and experience the quality and care that goes into every bottle .
there are two access points . the southern end is clearly signposted from sh 67 at ngakawau , 35 km northeast of westport . from the north , access is through seddonville , 50 km north - east of westport on sh 67 , then 10 km along a gravel road to the abandoned charming creek mine site .
old - timers vouched for the meteorite’s authenticity – they had personally seen it streak through the night sky to come to rest in the east foothills and found it ( still smouldering perhaps , with its shiny black hulk glistening and glowing ? ) , in alum rock park .
the sulfur in the water is the source of the rotten - egg odor which permeates the air , and the water in the creek , in the area of the springs . a midwesterner visiting the springs in the 1890’s sent a post card home with the message that he was sure he’d experienced a taste of purgatory !
important : you will almost certainly encounter motorized vehicles along the route , particularly atvs and dirt bikes , which could be travelling at high speeds . over the years , unregulated motorized use has degraded the trail surface along the kettle valley railway , making many areas quite challenging for hikers and cyclists . users should come prepared for sandy conditions . please see our equipment recommendations on the boundary main page or even more detail on our
equipment tips
page of our travel tips .
redone in the early 2000s with showers for a loonie ( the canadian dollar coin { note also , two - nie or doubloon , the two - dollar coin } ) in the new mens and womens washrooms . laid out under the cottonwoods along the kettle , there are no designated sites , just a general camping grounds . its also called jim blaine park . and there is a discount for cyclists because the good folks of rock creek recognise that bikies are low impact guests , environmentally speaking . ! nb : to return to this end - notes origin in the main text , left - click your browsers back arrow
curiously , the histories of this era of alum rock park are free of references to swimming accidents except for a brief mention of a little girl who lost the sight of one eye when some unidentified particles flew into her eye while she was negotiating the so - called death defying slide .
, primarily , they said , because there was no official to whom to give the dues . not one to ignore a revenue stream , douglas immediately sent a letter to wm . geo . cox , an officer of the colonys newly raised constabulary , appointing him gold commissioner and collector of customs , posting him to rock creek and instructing him to proceed thither post - haste . douglas didnt await the capable coxs arrival , trusting that he would immediately impose british law and order upon the 500 or so rather fractious miners then in residence on the creek , regulate the size of claims , collect taxes on imports and royalties on exported gold . returning to the coast through hope , the governor did , however , appoint john carmichael haynes as coxs deputy , duties which haynes assumed upon his arrival at the camp that october 15th . the office that he and cox set up there was the first customs service post established in b . c . outside the colonial capital of new westminster .
the city did well by the
alum rock road ,
however . while most streets in san jose were constructed of
asphaltum
at the time , the road to the park was surfaced with brick to give horses good footing going up the inclines . great lines of trees were planted on each side of the road with eucalyptus from what today would be king road to jackson avenue , elms from jackson to white road , and pines the rest of the way to the park entrance . some historians claim that the original road was 100 feet wide , but this figure was probably exaggerated . a photo from the period shows a horse and carriage on a rather narrow brick alum rock avenue with fences and eucalyptus on either side . tourist
literature
never was known for its strict adherence to veracity , was it ? very little of alum rock avenue is 100 feet wide even today !
in 1888 the province had spent nearly $ 2 , 000 building a trail through the camp to rock creek from the okanagan bands community at nkmip near todays oliver . in the wintertime waggons on skis could be dragged over the route ; in summer it could be managed only by packhorses . neither season allowed for the export of much ore . the new regional gold commissioner , walter dewdney , maintained that the camp needed a good all - weather road , but the american ethnicity of most of the miners mitigated against the investment . with no way to economically move its ore , camp mckinney slipped into a lethargy so deep that its post office closed in 1892 .
though the kvr ran up the opposite side of the river , a bridge soon connected the community to its new station . with ready access to markets , logging operations sprung up and the lode miners hiked the countryside , poking at the dolomites and limestones that constitute the escarpment . finding little of interest in the neighbourhood , the miners soon disappeared up the kettle past beaverdell to wallace mountain where the ores looked promising , and once the easy trees had been harvested ,  the loggers , too , moved on . only the upland ranchers and the few farming families who were lucky enough to pre - empt fertile acres on the valley bottom kept rock creek on the map .
the kettle valley railway continues from beaverdell to midway along a combination of paved roads , gravel roads , gravel trail and dirt tracks - plus multiple cattle guards and gates - that will keep you on your toes ! like the kvr between mcculloch and beaverdell , the use of motorized vehicles along the trail - and conversion of trail into actual road - in this area means that some sections of the trail have become challenging - with some serious washboard conditions . the ride can be tiring , but the quiet pastureland provides beautiful views and possible close encounters with farm animals .
as with all natural places , alum rock park is always in a state of change . it began as a beautiful rugged canyon ; then , over time , it took on various characters : first as the rustic
reservation ,
then as a european - style health spa and finally as a rather tawdry amusement park . today it is a natural history mecca beckoning san joseans to come have a stroll or a picnic and to drink in nature ' s glory . in a charming poem , a judge of the early 1900 ' s described alum rock park as san jose ' s
matchless canyon .
throughout all its incarnations , the park has surely lived up to that portrayal .
world war ii meant a temporary reprieve , but after the war ended , closures of branches came faster , and service deteriorated . a proposed merger ( 1960 ) with the union pacific was vetoed by the interstate commerce commission , and the rock island entered its last receivership in 1975 . this time reorganization was impossible , and the company shut down in 1980 .
the line has been a labor of love . it began in 1999 , when i started to put up a privacy fence along the rear property lines , following that with the raised bed and rock wall . i did 50 feet per year all by hand . i confess i made many errors , some not correctable . the 3 % grade is more than i aimed at because i did not properly allow for the slope of the yard . similarly , the 6 - foot curve at rockville exists because although i planned for an 8 - foot curve , i did not allow for the thickness of the rock wall i would eventually build . if you haven’t seen me at any meetings yet , it’s because working on the railroad absorbed whatever free time i had .
development of the trail on the remainder of the corridor east of bethesda has been hampered by a proposal to build a transitway / trail project on the right - of - way . despite this , development of an interim trail on the bethesda - silver spring section of the corridor was approved by the montgomery county in august , 1995 and dedicated in january , 1997 . in august , 1998 the segment of trail passing through the tunnel underneath the air rights building , wisconsin avenue , and the apex building entered into service to connect the two trail sections . in may , 2003 repairs were completed to the historic rock creek trestle and it was dedicated for trail use , closing the last major gap in the interim trail along the georgetown branch rail line corridor . the coalition made significant contributions of both time and money in getting these two links completed .
with all these lines , the rock island covered oklahoma pretty well , but the financial position of the company never really recovered from the machinations of the reid - moore syndicate . in receivership again in 1933 and forced to slim down , the company sold the ardmore branch to the frisco , closed the kingfisher - guthrie branch in 1937 , and also closed bridgeport - anadarko the next year and chickasha - lindsay in 1942 .
the canyon may have seen taunen village life with round tule reed houses or it may have been just a shady resting spot for footsore travelers migrating between summer meadowland life and winter bayshore life . historically , the canyon floor was subject to extensive flooding in the winters and the creek dried up in the summer so it probably wasn’t prime real estate for these nomadic people . even so , it’s easy to believe that the taunens appreciated the beauty and abundance of the canyon and respected its animal denizens .


84 lumber is an american building materials supply company .

founded in 1956 by joseph hardy , it derives its name from the town of eighty four , pennsylvania , 20 miles ( 32 km ) south of pittsburgh , where its headquarters are .

84 lumber owns and operates over 250 stores , and the company operates components plants , door shops , installation centers and wood products shops in 30 states .

as of 2012 , they reportedly employ 4,900 employees .

84 lumber

84 lumber started out as a lumber store . today , lumber is still our number one commodity .
84 lumber is still planning to air its first super bowl spot , a 90 - second extravaganza of a buy . credit : 84 lumber
with over 60 years of experience as a lumber company , 84 lumber has unmatched expertise in both product and service .
tiny living by 84 lumber provides a unique opportunity to live happily with less .
84 lumber is always looking for individuals who think independently and take initiative . we want individuals who build themselves and build the business . are you 84 lumber material ?
how has 84 lumber managed to work through the u . s . housing slump ?
when it comes to engineered wood products , 84 lumber provides the ultimate in support .
84 lumber offers top - of - the - line roofing materials and roofing supplies .
during the 1970s , 84 lumber’s expansion continued , and the company opened 229 stores .
he “wouldn’t be surprised” if tv spots continue to be part of 84 lumber’s campaign .
this new way of business for 84 lumber meant a new way of chargingthe dreaded accounts receivable .
84 lumber is the one - stop for building materials and building supplies for all of your construction needs .
brunner said the spot “probably” generated greater exposure for 84 lumber than if it had aired as originally planned .
copyright © 2018 84 lumber company , 1019 route 519 , eighty four , pa 15330 . all rights reserved .
84 lumber ' s super bowl ad centers on a mother and daughter traveling through mexico . this is the full ad , which includes the portion fox deemed too controversial to air during the super bowl . ( 84 lumber )
building supplies retailer 84 lumber announced a corporate reorganization that it said will help the company expand across the country .
browse our current openings to see what 84 lumber jobs are available right now and which jobs match your career goals .
residential . commercial . interior . exterior . whatever your door needs are , 84 lumber door shops have you covered .
84 lumber ' s ad featuring an immigrant and her daughter was among the most controversial ads at the super bowl .
it was joe hardy’s vision , entrepreneurial drive , and wholehearted belief that “nothing is impossible” that made 84 lumber a reality .
johnson , walter e . , ' life at 84 lumber , ' do - it - yourself retailing , february 1992 .
but , boyd said , it’s a “dangerous game” for 84 lumber to involve politics , especially in the current divisive climate .
update : the day after this story first ran , agency ceo michael brunner confirmed the initial reports regarding the 84 lumber campaign .
a fox sports representative declined to comment , and 84 lumber’s marketing department did not respond to a phone call regarding the campaign .
the initial creative 84 lumber submitted to fox was barred from broadcast because it depicted a wall , which was deemed too controversial .
in the race for super bowl ad spots , 84 lumber was the first to snag a 90 - second slot last month .
in 1992 , maggie hardy - magerko was appointed president of 84 lumber company . early in her career , she worked at the bridgeville , pennsylvania 84 lumber store and gradually moved into roles of increasing responsibility . she also serves as the president of nemacolin woodlands resort .
retailer 84 lumber co . and agency brunner inc . revising super bowl spot after network fox rejects politically charged ad - pittsburgh business times
who doesn ' t carry 1x2s . 84 lumber doesn ' t . it ' s common and widely used . thanks for wasting my time 84 lumber . and you wonder why it won ' t be long before home depot and lowe ' s puts you out of business .
the roving model is the first tiny home launched in the tiny living product line by 84 lumber . for more information visit 84tinyliving . com .
location simply does not care about customer service . i can get pricing and call nacks from home depot . pretty pathetic 84 lumber . . .
for over 40 years , 84 lumber experienced meteoric growth , powered by joe’s vision to expand and evolve the business . maggie hardy magerko ushered in a new era in which the company stormed onto the professional contractor market , and the company’s growth continued to skyrocket . with maggie’s tenacious leadership , and the 84 lumber team’s true passion for their company , a new 84 lumber emerged from tough economic times to become the powerhouse it is today .
thanks for considering 84 lumber for your new home purchase . we’ve been supplying home building materials since 1952 , and we’re ready to help with yours .
a spokesman for 84 lumber said reaction has split down the middle , with about 50 percent critical of the ad and the other half liking it .
in 1992 , after 34 years of running the company , joe hardy appointed his daughter , maggie hardy magerko , president and owner of 84 lumber .
last month , fox rejected the first ad submitted by 84 lumber because it featured a border wall - - a structure that may be too controversial at this time given the political promises of president trump . 84 lumber is working with pittsburgh - based brunner , its agency partner of more than five years .
the commercial was , however , effective in driving traffic to 84 lumber’s website . that is , after all , the goal of every super bowl ad .
“as we look forward in 2017 , we see great opportunities across the organization ,
said 84 lumber ceo frank cicero in a statement .
it’s critical to have the right team and the right resources in the right places . with this new divisional reorganization , 84 lumber is poised for strategic growth . ”
though the whole incident may reek of a publicity stunt , brunner insisted that 84 lumber is still planning to air a 90 - second spot in the game , which would carry an estimated price of $ 15 million for the airtime alone . that ' s a whopping amount even for super bowl regulars with enormous ad budgets . 84 lumber has about $ 2 . 5 billion in sales , according to reports . representatives from 84 lumber did not return messages requesting comment .
84 lumber spent $ 15 million on the spot , the pittsburgh business times reported . but in mid - january , fox reportedly rejected 84 lumber’s initial storyline because of political imagery . the proposed ad would depict a large wall that seemed similar to president donald trump ’s promised border wall , according to ad age .
84 lumber founded itself sandwiched between both sides of a fierce debate , even though owner and president maggie hardy magerko voted for donald trump , according to adweek .
in 1991 , 84 lumber was named to the top position on prosales magazine’s “dealer 100” list , an annual ranking of the country’s building materials suppliers by revenues .
' business brisk at 84 lumber co . ' s new convenience store prototype , ' do - it - yourself retailing , april 1999 , p . 23 .
the industry trade publication adweek declared the 84 lumber ad as the super bowl’s best , saying , “as an employee recruitment tactic , it’s remarkably on point . ”
in order to assist its efforts to rebuild affordable housing for gulf coast residents after hurricane katrina , 84 lumber donated 20 lumber packages to the new orleans affiliate of habitat for humanity . the homes have been constructed throughout the greater new orleans area .
magerko decided to buck them all and bet everything she had , from her jewelry collection to her personal checking account , on her ability to turn 84 lumber around .
on december 9 , 2006 , 84 lumber and the harrison county affiliate of habitat for humanity held the dedication of 13 homes on south carolina ave . in gulfport , mississippi . all materials for the homes , as well as seven others built in gulfport and biloxi , were donated by 84 lumber following the devastation of hurricane katrina .
to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary , 84 lumber teamed with local contractors and pga tour players and their wives to build this habitat home in 50 hours . watch video .
local retailer 84 lumber co . is revising its super bowl ad after the 90 - second spot was rejected by fox because of images the network deemed as politically charged .
continuing reaction to the controversial super bowl commercial his agency created for client 84 lumber co . , is even surprising michael brunner , ceo of downtown - based brunner inc .
fox , the network broadcasting the big game , rejected the 84 lumber ad because of images including a wall that it deemed as politically charged . brunner inc . reworked the spot . it was the first time 84 lumber or the agency opted to advertise nationally during the super bowl , where 30 seconds of air time cost $ 5 million .
“the themes of hard work , dedication and sacrifice found throughout the film are the same ideals valued in 84 lumber employees , ” the company said in a news release sunday . “84 lumber is a 60 - year - old , family - owned american company that doesn’t just have jobs , but careers – with training and opportunities for advancement . ”
the spot is the first national super bowl spot for both 84 lumber and the agency , and , given the going advertising rate during the national football league’s 51st super bowl on feb . 5 , will cost $ 15 million to air , just before half - time . it kicks off a yearlong employee recruitment initiative as 84 lumber expands westward .
the 84 lumber delivery program offers superior and reliable delivery services . our dedicated fleet completes millions of deliveries each year . first out deliveries and call - in loads are welcome .
mallory , maria , ' the lord of 84 lumber co . is back behind the counter , ' business week , june 22 , 1992 , pp . 80 - 81 .
with a new leader came an evolved vision . 84 lumber continued to expand , opening its 400th store in 1997 in ephrata , pennsylvania , and in 1999 , the company opened its first “84 plus” retail store in graysville , tennessee . the store , designed by maggie hardy magerko , carried about 12 , 000 products as compared to the 3 , 000 – 4 , 000 in a traditional 84 lumber , and was divided into shopping sections targeted to professionals and retail shoppers . soon enough , more than one hundred 84 plus stores opened .
84 lumber company is dedicated to being the low cost provider of lumber and building materials to professional builders , remodelers and dedicated do - it - yourselfers , while adding value to our products through a trained , knowledgeable and motivated team of professional sales associates . key dates :
84 lumber company , the nation’s leading privately held building materials supplier to professional contractors and dedicated do - it - yourselfers , celebrates 60 years in business on november 14 , 2016 .
“we knew they had concerns , ” said amy smiley , director of marketing for 84 lumber . “they ultimately told us they weren’t going to approve , and we understood that . ”
that and other commercials spurred a backlash on social media and elsewhere . some viewers accused 84 lumber of promoting illegal immigration . others supported the pennsylvania company’s values that promote striving and success .
84 lumber company is a family - run company that has grown from being a no - frills provider of lumber and building supplies that catered almost exclusively to the do - it - yourself market to becoming a preferred vendor of professional contractors . in recent years the company began to export its products , posting impressive sales figures in nine countries , including china , japan , and germany . its new 84 plus store format also has positioned 84 lumber to compete in the home improvement category dominated by such major players as home depot . even as it pursues an aggressive program to build new 84 plus outlets , the company also is converting traditional stores to the concept .
principal competitors : carolina holdings ; home depot , inc . ; payless cashways ; sutherland lumber .
pennsylvania - based 84 lumber surprised quite a few observers this month when it announced plans to spend several million dollars on a 90 - second ad set to air before halftime of super bowl li .
makes 84 lumber the first - ever major retailer and only large building - materials retailer to tap into this new market and offer competitively priced custom - built houses no bigger than 200 square feet .
didn’t see the exact job you were looking for ? then stay connected to see new job openings as they become available . join our talent network to stay informed about future opportunities at 84 lumber .
maggie was not afraid to wield her power . she terminated a number of managers that her father had brought in to run the company ; she was unhappy with their buttoned - down look and attitude , which conflicted with the traditional 84 lumber shirts everyone else wore at headquarters . the following year , the 84 lumber company pursued an extensive training and development program , requiring every associate to attend the ' 84 university ' program to learn about new products and sharpen their sales skills . in 1992 , 84 lumber opened a new management training center and dormitory in eighty four , pennsylvania , and throughout the year store managers and other employees from all over the country attended three - day training sessions .
under maggie , 84 lumber reached the $ 1 billion plateau in annual sales . much of the success was due to a renewed commitment to contractor sales , which at 25 percent of the company ' s business would climb over the ensuing five years to account for 75 percent . the purchasing executives also anticipated a shortage of materials in 1993 and took steps to make sure that 84 lumber had inventory . many of its competitors were left short . building on this success , maggie would lead 84 lumber to record - breaking sales for the next six years , topping $ 1 . 8 billion in 1999 .
take a look at some of the ways we ' ve built hope for so many over the years in the areas of community involvement , housing and education – three areas of focus for 84 lumber .
the full , uncut 84 lumber super bowl promotional film . see a mother and daughter’s symbolic migrant journey towards becoming legal american citizens . contains content deemed too controversial for the original ad and banned from broadcast .
you will not often see joe hardy without a cigar between his teeth and the 2004 philanthropist of the year ban & dash ; quet in joe’s honor was no exception . as joe sat at the head table listening to others recount stories of the early days of 84 lumber and give just a few examples of the tremendous gifts he and 84 lumber have made to local charities , he continued to chew on his cigar .
84 lumber just aired its immigration - themed super bowl ad , plus the conclusion of the ad ' s story on its website , which the construction - supply company billed as
too controversial for tv .
following the ad’s release , traffic to 84 lumber’s website was so intense that the site crashed , people reported . according to its website , 84 lumber is “the nation’s leading privately held supplier of building materials , building supplies , manufactured components and industry - leading services for single - and multi - family residences and commercial buildings . ” the company is headquartered outside of pittsburgh and operates more than 250 stores across the u . s .
, pennsylvania , 84 lumber company is the nation ' s leading privately held supplier of building materials , manufactured components , and industry - leading services for single - and multi - family residences and commercial buildings . a certified women ' s business enterprise owned by maggie hardy magerko , 84 lumber operates more than 250 stores , component manufacturing plants , custom door shops , custom millwork shops , and engineered wood product ( ewp ) centers in 30 states . 84 lumber also offers professional residential and commercial contractors ' turnkey installed services for a variety of products including framing , insulation , siding , windows , roofing , decking , and drywall . for more information please visit
84 lumber said last month the first cut of its ad was rejected by super bowl broadcaster fox for being too political . the ad had featured a
wall
blocking people from looking for work in the us .
unlike the network fox , which ruled thumbs - down on the 84 lumber spot a few weeks before the super bowl , leaving the agency scrambling to retool , there was no heads - up from the nbc show .
some observers read a political subtext into a concept announced several weeks after trump’s surprising win in the presidential election that was fueled in large part by blue collar voters in areas like western pennsylvania , the home of 84 lumber .
we had water damage in our kitchen and had to replace all the kitchen cabinets . we worked with brandt , who is in the ruskin , florida 84 lumber company store . he was wonderful to work with . he helped
the company continued to purchase wood in the united states and in canada . about one - third of its stores were served by railroad , some with direct rail service right to the yard . other 84 lumber stores were supplied through reload centers , where freight from a rail car was loaded onto trucks or further rerouted by rail . this latter practice allowed the company to reduce inventory at a single 84 yard by splitting railcar loads among several yards rather than sending an entire carload to one yard . the reload centers also allowed the company to send both lumber and plywood to its lumber yards . a reload center in aurora , illinois served 84 lumber yards as far east as ohio and as far south as st . louis , missouri ; charleston , west virginia ; and charlotte , north carolina .
* 84 lumber company is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer . all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age , race , color , religion , sex , national origin , disability , or protected veteran status . applicants who require assistance applying for a position , please call 724 - 288 - 9024 . please click here for more information regarding 84 lumber ' s equal opportunity employment policy . equal opportunity is the law poster , poster supplement .
that wasn’t the full story . the super bowl ad asked viewers to visit the 84 lumber website if they wanted the rest of the story . the website version included a five - minute “director’s cut” version that concludes with the pair entering the united states through a door in a towering border wall , a direct take on one of the most combustible topics in the country today . viewers logged on to see , and 84 lumber’s site was overwhelmed by the traffic .
, president and owner of 84 lumber .
with our national footprint and commitment to the dedicated do - it - yourselfer , we are uniquely positioned to become a part of this new path to homeownership , and are excited to offer
84 lumber also announced it had hired paul yater as its chief information officer , promoted david cochran to vice president of store operations , jason hinten to vice president of installed sales , and jim barbes to vice president of national sales .
adamson called 84 lumber’s commercial “a miss , ” because like several other advertisers , it was trying to attach itself to a social issue instead of pushing its product . he calls the tactic “borrowed interest , ” and said it usually backfires .
schapiro said 84 lumber is prepared for a strong , negative reaction to its ad :
there are always different points of view and the brand respects those points of view and understands not everyone is going to agree on every issue .
the pennsylvania - based building materials company has been working with pittsburgh agency brunner to create an ad that would fit owner and president maggie hardy magerko ’s hope of recruiting new talent and building brand awareness as 84 lumber expands its national presence .
84 lumber will offer four tiny home models under three packages to accommodate dedicated do - it - yourselfers who want to build their own houses , those who want a move - in ready home , and everyone in between . each model can be customized and all range in size from 150 square feet to 200 square feet ( the typical u . s . home is about 2 , 600 square feet ) . 84 lumber brings more accessibility and affordability to the tiny home market by delivering
in 1991 , hardy reclaimed a more active role as head of the company and designated his daughter maggie as his heir - apparent to the company presidency . he halted the expansion plans and recommitted the company ' s merchandising efforts to the lumber business . but the increasing number of home improvement superstores was still an impediment to 84 lumber ' s growth . hardy ' s response was to diversify into do - it - yourself home and kitchen design centers . in 1991 , 84 lumber opened 24 new kitchen design centers , which featured state - of - the - art computer technology for designing kitchens and baths .
after submitting its first - time super bowl ad to fox for approval , 84 lumber was sent back to the drawing board when the commercial was rejected , according to michael brunner , ceo of the agency behind the spot , pittsburgh - based bruner .
a portion of 84 lumber’s clientele is selling building supplies to mom - and - pop and midsize local contractors . many small home repair business and builders and laborers are first generation immigrants to the united states . the commercial probably spoke loudly to them .
the 61 - year - old company , based 20 miles south of pittsburgh , is the largest privately held building materials supplier to professional contractors and build - it - yourselfers in the u . s . , but wants to get its name out to a wider audience . 84 lumber has more than 250 stores spanning 30 states and is expanding westward . it plans to add at least 20 new stores this year and needs to add staff . at present , 84 lumber employs about 5 , 000 .
maggie hardy magerko , 84 lumber’s president and owner , told the new york times she couldn ' t understand why it was censored . “i’m flabbergasted by that in today’s day and age . it’s not pornographic , it’s not immoral , it’s not racist . ”
when 84 lumber set about making an ad for the super bowl , the company didn’t expect that their full commercial wouldn’t make it to air . but fox forced the pennsylvania - owned company to cut the ending of the spot , which follows a mother and daughter on a vague “journey north . ” the ending was then supposed to be available on 84 lumber’s website , which , shortly after the first part of the commercial aired on fox , crashed as curious super bowl viewers rushed to find out what happened next .
today , 84 lumber operates 453 stores in 34 states , employs more than 6 , 500 associates , and opens about 25 new stores every year . the company went from having practically zero contractor salespersons before the survivor’s speech to more than 1 , 500 today .
perhaps the biggest change , one that would have the most impact on 84 lumber in the future , was the introduction of its new ' 84 plus ' store - - a radical departure from the company ' s traditional warehouse approach . aimed at the contemporary do - it - yourselfer , the suburban suv rather than the rural pick - up truck customer , the 20 , 000 - square - foot , consumer - friendly units devoted half of their space to a hardware store that offered an expanded line of supplies and a showroom that showcased kitchen , bath , door , and window displays . in december 1999 the company announced that it planned to open 50 84 lumber plus stores each year for the next three years , as well as begin converting old units to the new format . if the building program is a success , 84 lumber will boast 500 stores and be well positioned to continue its pattern of increasing sales .
to help you with budgeting , your 84 lumber associate has instant package pricing available on all of these homes , and can quickly provide you with a written materials estimate . of course , you can tailor your materials package as needed to suit your taste and budget .
telling the tale of a mother with her young daughter and their trek across mexico in hopes of a haven in the united states , the 84 lumber commercial aired in part sunday night . the company directed viewers to its website to view the conclusion of the story .
building supplies company 84 lumber tackled a heap of controversy over the weekend with its carefully - crafted — yet inconclusive — 90 - second super bowl ad featuring a mexican mother and daughter embarking on a difficult journey north that left the viewer wondering where they ended up .
speculated that 84 lumber and brunner deliberately submitted an ad that would be rejected to build up the pr momentum before game day — not least because the ad is being delivered in two parts , meaning production would have needed to begin long before fox rejected the spot .
we maintain an extensive inventory of lumber and plywood in order to fulfill your materials lists quickly . whether it ' s a small package or truckloads of materials , you can be assured that we have the high - quality , defect - free lumber you need in stock .
84 lumber will support you throughout your home building process with the commitment of highly trained and motivated associates . from the store associate who prepared your estimate to the yard person who prepared your deliveries , rest assured that we focus on the needs of you and your builder .
rob schapiro , chief creative officer of 84 lumber ' s ad agency brunner , told business insider the ad intended to make a
patriotic
statement and aimed to make the company a household name throughout the country as it expands and opens more stores in the us .
taking the original spot to 84 lumber’s website “seemed to be the best strategy we could employ , ” he said . “it was interesting as well to take people to the website because , without doing that , it would have ended where people saw it on tv . ”
joe’s friend of over 50 years , dan hixenbaugh , drove from florida to honor his good friend and former boss . dan told stories about the many gimmicks joe devised to attract more customers to store openings . dan was responsible for the publicity surrounding the openings of new 84 lumber stores , and so it was dan who was responsible for implementing joe’s gimmicks . the audience laughed at hearing about the paul bunyan games , a series of outdoorsy related events that customers could compete in to win cash prizes , and of the 84 lumber blimp that got away .
founded by joe hardy in 1956 in the town of eighty four , pennsylvania – where the original store continues to operate – 84 lumber company ( www . 84lumber . com ) is the largest privately held building materials supplier to professional contractors in the country . the company operates more than 280 locations in 33 states across the united states , including four component - manufacturing plants . with nearly 3 , 800 associates nationwide , 84 lumber company provides professional contractors with quality building materials and industry - leading services , such as risk insurance , financing , and builder plan services .
ordahl said it’s a delicate balance to make your message interesting without turning people off . he singled out automakers kia and honda for lighthearted pieces that dealt with weighty topics like the environment and capturing the human spirit . ordahl said 84 lumber landed on the gloomier side of the ledger .
as the business expanded , hardy and his brothers became sole owners of 84 lumber , and the company entered a new phase of expansion throughout the 1960s . this expansion was accomplished largely by keeping overhead low and adopting a ‘no frills’ warehouse - style approach to most of the stores .
in 2013 , 84 lumber increased sales 27 percent over the prior year , generating $ 2 . 1 billion in revenue . in 2016 , the company continues to expand and has recently announced plans to open at least a dozen new stores and manufacturing facilities in the western united states .
last month , fox rejected the first ad submitted by 84 lumber because it featured a border wall—a structure that may be too controversial at this time given the political promises of president trump . the company is working with pittsburgh - based brunner , its agency partner of more than five years .
he continued : “84 lumber challenged us to create a thought - provoking 90 second spot that would tell the world who 84 lumber is and what they stand for—a company looking for people with grit , determination and heart , no matter who they are , where they come from , or what they look like . and while that full story will no longer be told on tv at the super bowl , we all believe too strongly in that message to leave it on the editing room floor . so we are going to launch it during the super bowl and make the full story available online . ”
84 lumber , based in eighty four , penn . , had planned to air a 90 - second spot carrying a heavy message of job recruitment as it tries to ramp up its 5 , 100 - employee base . the ad is slated to run before halftime at the feb . 5 event .
cicero believes 84 will pass stock lumber , in part , because of hardy’s personality .
he definitely has an intensity . he is just as intense as he ever was . his intensity makes your intensity go up ,
says cicero , who is now the company’s vice president of store operations .
it was such a dark , dark , dark time ,
she says , wearing a pullover windbreaker and her signature diamond earrings in a drab boardroom at 84 ' s rural headquarters in eighty four , pa . ( the business is named after the town , which changed its name from smithville in 1884 ) . if 84 lumber ' s revenue had teetered the wrong way by $ 500 , 000 during the worst of it , a six - month stretch from late 2008 through may 2009 , she would have been forced into not just corporate but personal bankruptcy . on paper she was basically broke . six years later she ' s back , with a smarter , leaner 84 lumber and a net worth estimated at $ 1 . 2 billion .
84 lumber established its roots in eighty four , pa in 1956 when founder joe hardy , in conjunction with his two brothers , norman and bob hardy , and family friends ed ryan and jack kunkle , pooled together $ 84 , 000 in funds to purchase land and buildings for a new “cash and carry” lumberyard : customers paid by cash or check ; if merchandise was unable to be “carried” out , an additional charge was implemented to have the item personally delivered .
they don’t stock anything . thus marking up as the middle man . they don’t own their own trucks , making the truck leasing co not 84 employees .
for over 20 years , 84 lumber founder joe hardy has hosted an annual golf tournament to benefit the boy scouts council of westmoreland and fayette counties in southwestern pennsylvania . over the years , this event has raised in excess of $ 1 . 5 million to help the scouts fund programs and activities . watch video .
through our building hope program , 84 lumber has actively supported local , regional , and national charitable organizations ranging from volunteer fire departments , to chapters of the red cross and united way , to the national efforts of habitat for humanity . our long - standing commitment for the community can be seen and felt surrounding each of our 250 store locations and that passion comes from the ground up . it starts with our employees and is embraced by the leaders of 84 lumber . we’re proud to announce that in 2016 alone , we donated more than 1 . 3 million to a variety of charitable causes and that corporate giving starts with you .
in a recent faculty newsletter at the university of maryland , henry c . boyd iii , marketing professor in the robert h . smith school of business , analyzed 84 lumber’s strategy . boyd said it’s not uncommon for brands to push the envelope with super bowl ads to get some extra publicity out of the expensive buy .
includes the architectural blueprints for one of the tiny home models , a materials list , and a trailer built to meet the requirements of the selected house . the trailer will be outfitted with a subfloor and ready for walls . all materials on the list and essentials to build a tiny home can be purchased at a local 84 lumber .
84 lumber will make the original , rejected ad available online on feb . 5 , the day before super bowl li . while the
full story will no longer be told on tv at the super bowl , we all believe too strongly in that message to leave it on the editing room floor ,
said mr . brunner .
“anytime you talk about advertising , you try to tap into pop culture , ” radick said , explaining why 84 lumber ventured into such a combustible topic as immigration . “to ignore politics and say we can’t talk about anything controversial because we can’t take the risk of offending anyone , we then end up with a really bland message . ”
in 1990 , chief operating officer jerry smith joined 84 lumber . in an effort to refocus the company , he drafted a mission statement clarifying the goals and values of the company and communicating its character to associates , vendors , and consumers . the mission statement said , in part , that ' 84 lumber is dedicated to being the low - cost provider of lumber and building products to residential builders , residential remodelers , and dedicated do - it - yourselfers , while adding value to our products through trained , knowledgeable and motivated associates . ' the company further hoped to gain an edge through personalized service , inventory maintenance and competitive prices , and growth and strong leadership . associates began carrying laminated business card sized copies of the mission statement in their pockets , and messages posted throughout company buildings and in an employee newsletter reminded associates of company goals and plans .
in its approach to materials purchasing , 84 lumber opted to switch to a centralized system for its hundreds of lumber yards during this time . the company had tried unsuccessfully to implement such a system in the mid - 1970s , but had quickly returned to regional and store purchasing . regional buying had allowed more market awareness since inventory could be tailored to the specific store in response to customer demand and new markets . this splintered purchasing structure , however , also meant loss of bulk - buying power . furthermore , the lack of coordination with company headquarters also meant dead inventory in stores and wide discrepancies in prices each region or store paid for its products . when company management decided to institute centralized purchasing , it also moved operations , accounts payable , and sales from the store and regional levels and centralized them at company headquarters . a team of ' purchasing managers ' was formed from former store managers familiar with operations at the store level . purchasing managers developed expertise in specific product categories . vendors had not been in the habit of making site visits to 84 lumber stores , but with the new arrangement , they were encouraged to train 84 lumber sales associates and aid them in merchandising . stores adopted vendor suggestions for improving efficiency .
in 1999 the company also took major steps to increase its domestic business . 84 lumber introduced a new design center called maggie ' s building suggestions showroom , a 17 , 000 - square - foot facility located in pittsburgh . the interactive center , geared toward homeowners , builders , designers , and architects , featured a showroom with hundreds of home products and décor , as well architectural consulting services , multimedia conference rooms , and staff designers . in 1999 84 lumber opened two installed sales centers and announced plans to open several more . the centers would then support outlets on a regional basis . builders would be able to leave blueprints , materials list , sketches , or just ideas at a local 84 lumber store , which would then forward the information to the installed sales center , which would estimate the materials and cost . within 48 hours a delivery could be made to a contractor ' s site . the company also instituted a 30 - day price guarantee that allowed builders to lock in a price and take delivery as needed without incurring any extra charges .
several [ advertising ] industry veterans ,
who spoke to adweek earlier this month speculated that 84 lumber and brunner deliberately submitted an ad that would be rejected to build up the pr momentum before game day — not least because the ad is being delivered in two parts , meaning production would have needed to begin long before fox rejected the spot .
if the company wanted attention , it certainly got it . radick said the 84 lumber website traffic ballooned to 300 , 000 views within minutes of the commercial airing just as the first half of the super bowl between the atlanta falcons and the new england patriots ended . there were 6 million attempts in the first hour , which slowed access to the video .
as part of its 2006 initiative to help the gulf coast recover from hurricanes katrina and rita , 84 lumber funded the construction of 10 homes in new orleans’ musicians’ village in conjunction with the southern governors’ association ( sga ) . musicians’ village , located in the devastated 9th ward , is spearheaded by new orleans’ musicians , harry connick jr . and branford marsalis .
evidently , hardy and his daughter maggie hardy magerkowhom hardy had just brought into the business as his heir apparentrealized that when it came to home - improvement customers , home depot and lowe’s were the goliaths and 84 lumber was david . rather than confront the two powerhouses directly , hardy and his daughter devised a different strategy : find a different customer , the homebuilder .
we are in ny working from texas . 84 in webster texas is on point . they are customer service branded . i dealt with the one in patchogue ny on a larger commercial
with costs for a 30 - second super bowl spot estimated to be $ 5 million , the 90 - second video is an expensive ploy for 84 lumber , which reportedly had sales of $ 2 . 5 billion in 2015 . that year , the brand spent some $ 775 , 000 on measured media in the u . s . , according to kantar media .
schapiro said :
[ the message behind the ad ] is that in this great land of opportunity , 84 lumber is a company of opportunity . with this expansion will come an ongoing recruitment campaign , and on this journey we depicted characters who embody the traits and characteristics they are looking for in their people : strong will , determination , and hard - working people .
the company will have four
targeted divisions ,
in the central , mid - atlantic , southeast and southwest portions of the country . the central division , for instance , will have 90 stores in pennsylvania , new york , west virginia , ohio and virginia . it ' s the largest number of stores in a division , according to a news release from 84 lumber .
in 1992 , 84 lumber launched a new concept entitled 84 affordable homes across america , a line of do - it - yourself homebuilding kits . hardy was willing to double the company ' s long - term debt to $ 80 million to back the new enterprise , which consisted of 30 home models in a price range of $ 39 , 900 to $ 59 , 900 ( not including the cost of the lot ) . included in the price were all the supplies necessary for the structure itself as well as the costs of excavation , plumbing , wiring , and heating .
in 2002 , the company exceeded $ 2 billion in annual sales for the first time in history and continued its impressive sales growth throughout the early 2000s . however , when the housing market crashed in 2009 , 84 lumber – like most organizations associated with the construction industry – suffered significant losses . difficult decisions were made to save the company , and efforts to avoid bankruptcy were ultimately successful .
the final direction of the ad is unclear , which could be a smart strategy for the 61 - year - old , family - run company headquartered in eighty four , penn . the president of 84 lumber has said that the ad is meant to serve as a recruiting tool , specifically for men age 20 - to - 29 . it will kickoff a yearlong campaign on that theme .
84 lumber is not the only brand covering the theme of immigration during the super bowl this year . budweiser is airing a 60 - second ad that follows anheuser - busch cofounder adolphus busch ' s difficult journey from germany to the us in the mid - 1800s — including some of the prejudice he encountered before he went on to create what is now the world ' s largest brewer .
the company has aggressive expansion plans for 2017 , smiley said , and is expecting to open 20 new locations primarily in the western part of the country . the company already has 250 locations and was named one of forbes’ largest private companies in america in 2016 . 84 lumber decided to purchase its first super bowl ad this year to increase recruitment and national brand awareness as the business expands .
in 1991 , hardy turned over 40 percent of the 84 lumber stock to maggie . within two years she would be named president . at 27 years old , she faced a tough challenge replacing her father . she had no college degree and her only management experience was at the nemacolin woodlands golf , spa , and conference center . hardy maintained , however , that maggie , the youngest of his five children , displayed more of an aptitude and interest in business than her older siblings . in fact , since the age of five she had spent time with her father on the job and over the years accompanied hardy at new store openings and on - site inspections . she worked for a time in her early twenties at the bridgeville , pennsylvania store to become familiar with everyday operations at 84 lumber .
84 lumber , the building supplies company whose first super bowl spot was initially rejected by fox for being too political , has released the revised version . the conclusion of the 90 - second spot , which will air in the second quarter , is shrouded in mystery and is ostensibly meant to direct viewers to urltoken , where the entire story , including the video nixed by fox , will be posted .
the solution was to show the original ending on 84 lumber’s website . interest was so intense that more than 6 million requests were received in the first hour after the ad aired , just before halftime , and there were more than 17 million video views during the week , brunner said . it was the no . 1 trending spot on both youtube and twitter on super bowl sunday , feb 5 .
yet , according to a report published by campaign on tuesday , fox sports declined to run the first version of the ad submitted by 84 lumber and its agency partner brunner . sources claimed the initial creative summary included a wall preventing would - be employees from crossing an unspecified border , thereby mirroring president - elect donald trump’s campaign promise to build a physical barrier between the u . s . and mexico .
“borrowed interest is glomming on to subject matter not related to their brand or business to try to grab attention , ” adamson said . “you end up with ads people remember , but it doesn’t drive their business . people may remember 84 lumber , but they won’t run out and patronize the product . they also botched the execution when their server crashed . they left lots of money on the table . ”
the final direction of the ad is unclear , which could be a smart strategy for the 61 - year - old , family - run company headquartered in eighty four , penn . the president of 84 lumber has said that the ad is meant to serve as a recruiting tool , specifically for men age 20 - to - 29 . it will kick off a year - long campaign on that theme .
meanwhile , the post - world war ii residential building boom was taking place , so , as hardy says ,
it didn’t take a genius to figure out what would happen .
somehow , he and his two brothers , norman and bob , scraped up enough money to get into the lumber business . by 1956 , in the southwestern pennsylvania town called eighty four , the hardy’s opend a lumber store bearing the town’s name .
the meeting was supposed to be like all the others . three or four times a year , the 50 - or - so area sales managers of 84 lumber would congregate at the company’s world headquarters locatedwhere else ? in tiny eighty four , pa . during these sales meetings , they would typically discuss how the privately held building materials retailer was performing , they would establish goals , and they would devise a strategy for accomplishing those goals .
“84 is trying to tap into these social issues , ” ordahl said . “i’m not beating them up . everyone is trying to navigate this . people like content but don’t want a preachy , school marm approach . ”
“our industry is going through a period of extreme disruption . and i’ve always preferred to be the one doing the disrupting , rather than the one being disrupted , ” hardy magerko said in a statement . “but to do that , we need to hire and train people differently . we need to cast a wider net , and to let the world know that 84 lumber is a place for people who don’t always fit nicely into a box . ”
i built this damned thing and didn’t have any money , that’s how sophisticated i was ,
hardy jokes . he helped his cash flow by instituting a cash - and - carry policy and a deposit - in program . for the deposit - in program , he locked in lumber prices and offered a cash discount for customers who paid up front , even when they didn’t need all the lumber delivered immediately . it was a good deal for the customer , because the price of lumber can escalate quickly , and it was a good deal for hardy , because he
didn’t have any money
and he had a large enough inventory to protect himself against price hikes .
84 lumber wasn’t alone in the super bowl ad pile on . many other big brands , from beer giant anheuser - busch inbev to audi , airbnb and kia autos used their super bowl time — at $ 5 million per 30 seconds — to break through . the challenge is to get viewers , whether they are chatting at a party or standing among a scrum at a bar , to pause and take notice — and maybe talk about it later .