Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-23
HALF CENTURY IN
LUMBER BUSINESS
Lindley c. Kent Co. Celebrate
50th Anniversary; Saw City
Grow and Grew With 1t.


lumber dealers at Front and Monroe
streets this city, viii celebrate Their
Flftieth anniversary, by. keeping ever
lastlngy on the job as William r.
Monigle, President said yesterday when
interviewed regarding the approach TO the
half century milestone of their CONNER
cial road.
Lindley G. Kent who founded the lum-
ber business which still bears his name,
since 1870, was born in Chester county,
Pa, March Is, 1914, and until he was
eighteen years old was farmers boy.
During the Civil War, when Is years old,
he walked into Wilmington and enlisted
in either the First or Fourth Delaware
regiment. He entered the ranks as q
private and saw service all through and
to the close Of the war in 90, and was
then assigned 60 duty somewhere IN
Texas during the reconstruction period
where he remained for few years.
When he left the service he resigned
bis commission of Major. Shortly after
leaving the army he entered the partner
ship of Quimby & Kent and established
the lumber business at Front and Madison
streets. Later with the dissolution OF the
Quimby Il Kent partnership, Lindley
6. Kent and his brother, II. Bundy Kent,
formed partnership under the firm
name of l.. G. Kent & Co, and moved
the business 20 Fourth and Washington
streets.
Another change in the firm name
was made in 1884 or 1886 when the part
nership was dissolved and Ma jor Kent
continued the business alone and under
his own name About that time he pur-
chased the old Stewart Foundry at the
south east corner OF Front and Monroe
streets, where the firm has remained
continuously.
No further changes were made in the
firm personnel until 1892 when Lindley {.
Kent Incorporated the business under
the laws of Delaware, as Lindley C.
Kent Company and capitalized ne $780,
600 He was its first president and con
tlnucd active in the business until his
death on February 2, 1916. The other
officers Of the company were Albert s.
McAllister, secretary. and Frank II.
Thomas, treasurer. MIR. Thomas later
resigned and MIR McAlister assumed
the duties Of secretary-treasurer, both Of
which offices he held until 1898, when he
declined reelection.
Roland c. Kent. son Of Lindlev G.
Kent, was then elected secretary treas
urcr but i'm 1900 relinquished the duties
of secretary. and William I. Moniglc,
who entered the employ Of the company
in 1890 AS bookkeeper and stenographer,
was elected secretary Roland G. kents
natural bent turned toward scholarly
pcrsuits and he decided in 1906 TO devote
All of his time to study and research, and
resigned his office as treasurer and MIR
Monigle was then elected to fill both
posts of responsibility.
Expanding business naturally lncreas-
ing the duties and responsibilities of Mr.
Kent and Mr. Nonigle a new secretary
was elected. G. Stanley Chambers was
chosen. in January 1913, and Mr.
Moniple WAS reelected treasurer. Three
wears later the death of Lindlcy G. Kent
upset the official family Of the lumber
company and 3 special meeting WAS called
on March Of that year TO select sue
cossor TO the presidency. William +.
/ Monigle was elected, and Roland q.
Kent was elected vice president, while
G. Stanley, the secretary, was elected
sccrctary-treasurer.
Prior to the death of Mr. Kent, and in
1915, he saw the advantages to be OBJ
tanned by the purchase of the Tatnall
warehouse property Immediately adioln-
ing the old Stewart Foundry purchase
and the company took title 20 the Tatnall
holdings. In 1915 the company purchased
the Bullock Mill property at ll6 Monroe
street north of Front street.
january 20, of this year, saw the
election 10 the secretaryship, of Miss
/ Edith Stapler who has been IN the en-
ploy OF the Company for fifteen years as
stenographer and bookkeeper.
The first big contract that fell 10 l.. G.
Kent Co, was furnishing the lumber for
the construction Of the Farnhurst Institu-
ton, followed by the order for the material
with which to construct the first high
school and also the material used in the
building Of the New Century Club on
Delaware avenue and numerous other
large undertaking. and operations.
There are any number OF interesting
anecdotes Of the character of Lindley &.
Kent, many of which are not generally
known, though all are greatly to his credit
| One of the greatest assets he POSSESSED
was his strict adherence to the stla aight
line Of justice and his high sense of honor.
He was q strict discipllnarian but not TO
the degree of austeIity. All Of his en-
plOyes recon@zed tins characteristic and
learned to love the man for his fairness
and squareness on all occasions And
those with whom he transacted We're in
no way behind in their high regard for
the man who built up this prosperous
organization,
Another trait for which he was we'll
known was his readiness to- help Others out
of a bad dilema. On one occasion he was
asked for advice by two young con-
tractors who had been given the contract
on a big job for which Mr. kent's firm was
TO furnish the lumber. They were afraid
of becoming lost in the maze of book
keeping in connection with this work
Mr. Kent himself agreed to do their book
keeping for them and did it until the work