George C. Shreve and Company
Shreve-And-Co-Logo.gif
Timeline: Shreve, George C. Shreve and Company, Importers, Dealers, and Manufactures of Silver etc. (1852-present)
1822
George Coates Shreve born in Massachusetts.
1852
George Shreve and his half brother Samuel S. Shreve recently arrived from New York, open a retail jewelry business at 139 Montgomery Street, San Francisco.
1859
September 12- Samuel drowns when the Central America sinks en route from Havana to New York. Lucius Thompson joins George as a partner, and at about the same time the shop is moved to 525 Montgomery Street.
1870
The shop moves to 110 Montgomery Street. The annotation on the front of the photograph below says: "110 Montgomery St. under Occidental Hotel S.F.".
Places-George-C-Shreve-Montgomery-Street.jpg
Montgomery Street Shop in 1879 (SFPL)
http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAC-7443.jpg
1881
Albert J. Lewis joins the firm as a partner.
1883
The firm begins manufacturing its own silver.
1885
October 8 - fire destroys the Shreve factory.
1886
April - a new factory opens.
1892
The firm moves its shop to the corner of Post and Market Streets.
1893
October 13 - George Shreve dies in Mountain View, California. His son George Rodman Shreve becomes president.
1894
January - the firm is incorporated as Shreve & Co. George C. Shreve & Co. stamp and bee mark, not used after 1894.
Famous-George-C-Shreve-Mark-1894.jpg
1895
September 17 - Albert J. Lewis commits suicide.
1905
A new factory opens at 539 Bryant Street.
1906
March - the shop moves to the new Shreve Building at Post Street and Grant Avenue. April 18 - the shop and factory are destroyed in the fire following the earthquake, but insurers cover Shreve's losses. The firms office's move briefly to Oakland, then to two temporary structures in San Francisco at 2429 Jackson Street and 1701 Van Ness Avenue.
1908
November 28 - Shreve & Co. absorbs the old San Francisco firm of W. K. Vanderslice, which was bankrupted by the earthquake and fire.
1909
The retail shop reopens on Post Street. The firm begins producing original lines of flatware and hollowware - including Dolores, Norman, and XIV Century - designed by Joseph E. Birmingham. Below is a rare Dolores coffee service.
Shreve-And-Co-Dolores-1910.jpg
1912
George R. Shreve sells his shares in the company to J. E. Hickingbotham family.
1913
A new factory opens at 539 Bryant Street, on the site of the factory that was destroyed in 1906 (remains in constant use by the firm until 1968).
1914
August 4 - George R. Shreve dies in San Mateo, California.
1925
Porter Blanchard designs the Flemish line of flatware for the firm.
1929
Blanchard designs the Old English line of flatware for the firm.
1963
"Modernist" trophy, one of the last "special order" pieces done by Shreve before the factory closed.
Shreve-And-Co-Modernist-1963.jpg
1967
The firm is sold to Dayton Hudson Corporation in Minneapolis and ceases to operate as a manufacturing concern.
History of Shreve & Co. from Company Website
shrevecompany/Places-Shreve-And-Co-History-Web-Site.htm
San Francisco Public Library (SFPL),
Geo. C. Shreve & Company, on Montgomery Street, near Sutter, graphic,
http://sfpl.org/, Photo id# AAC-7443.