Ken Bishop started a garden supply store called “Bishop and Mathews” in 1927. It quickly became a thriving garden supply center in Los Angeles.

Original Store in 1927

In 1928, he decided to try his hand in the Christmas tree business. He and his crew traveled to the slopes of Mt. Shasta, and cut natural silvertip Christmas trees, and brought them down to the team tracks at 8th and Alameda for resale. Ken also purchased rail car loads of douglas fir Christmas trees from Washington Farms, and brought them into the wholesale yard by rail car.
Wholesale and retail buyers of Christmas trees soon discovered this area. They flocked to the team tracks to get their trees. Thousands of retail customers from all over Los Angeles flooded the area. There were also a number of other tree companies that brought trees in. Over the years, the team tracks became the major supplier of Christmas trees in the southwest. It was possibly the largest retail Christmas tree outlet ever existing.
In the early 1950′s, Christmas tree farms began popping up in Oregon that had trees planted on spacing, in rows, and grown specifically as Christmas trees. These trees were trimmed annually, and growth was slowed down, to force the tree to bush out into a beautiful tree. We purchased a carload of them. The next year we purchased 3 carloads. This was the beginning of the tree farming business as we know it today. At the same time, new types of trees were being grown, including noble fir and grand fir. Eventually the silvertip demand slowed down, and the farmed species became more popular.
Ken Bishop retired in 1955, and his son Ron took over the business.
When trucks entered the picture, direct shipment of trees became available, and we could ship trees directly to the retailers location. It was then no longer necessary for them to come down to the wholesale yard to pick up their trees for the next few days of sales.
Our Christmas tree farm near Mt. Shasta covered over 5000 acres. It was primarily a silvertip growing area, as they tend to grow at higher elevations. We eventually sold most of the farm and kept the lower ranch for summer recreation.
After over 50 years, Southern Pacific sold the property at 8th and Alameda, and our wholesale and retail location moved to southwest Los Angeles where we have been bringing trees in ever since. Many of our customers followed us and are still purchasing their trees from our newer location.
At that time there were no truck shipments, and everything came by rail. After closing down their retail lots, the retailers would come down to the tracks and pick up their trees for the next day or so.
The third generation is now getting involved in Bishop and Mathews with Ron Bishop Jr. entering the business. If you plan to buy trees wholesale for your retail sales, he may be calling on you.