charcoal, 3
Yesterday’s accidental detour into charcoal brought an old memory to the surface — of a charcoal works, south of the Arroyo Seco Parkway, a little east of the L.A. River. Maybe around what is today the Lacy Street Neighborhood Park. I remember it on a rise. This was about 1960 — I was six or seven — but the memory is pretty clear, perhaps because it seemed to me then so out of place, so primitive — a charcoal maker, in Los Angeles.
Looked and looked through what I have access to — business directories, a fascinating study of the Arroyo Seco Parkway ( by J. Philip Gruen and Portia Lee, August 1999: pdf ), digital archives of the Los Angeles Times ( where I learned there’d been a “junior airport” at the Hawley Municipal Playground at Avenue 26 and Lacy * ). Learned about the medicinal properties of charcoal (*, *) and the economics of charcoal in late 19th and early 20th century Japan (*). All good, but nothing on what I remembered until I turned to the Los Angeles Exchange Telephone Directory (Central Section of the Los Angeles Extended Area), June 1959.
Charcoal.
Charcoal Unlimited.
403 W Ave 33. CAptl 1-9186.
from the air.
—
Charcoal Unlimited had two trademarks — one for Chef’s Delight (no image, and expired), the other (also expired) is shown (and described, from USPTO info), below.
Word Mark
HOT CHAR
Goods and Services
(EXPIRED) IC 004. US 001. G & S: CHARCOAL BRIQUETS.
FIRST USE: 19610101.
FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19610102
Mark Drawing Code
(3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS
Design Search Code
02.01.01
Busts of men facing forward; Heads of men facing forward; Men — heads, portraiture, or busts facing forward; Portraiture of men facing forward
02.01.20
Bakers (men); Butchers (men); Chefs (men); Men, butchers, chefs, and bakers
02.01.31
Men, stylized, including men depicted in caricature form
07.11.09
Brick walls; Fences (including barbed wire and chain link); Garden equipment, fencing; Gates; Walls
07.15.01
Blocks, cement; Bricks; Cinderblocks; Stones, for building
27.03.02
Humans forming letters or numerals; Humans forming punctuation
Serial Number 72122599
Filing Date June 22, 1961
Registration Number 0738858
Registration Date October 9, 1962
Owner (REGISTRANT)
CHARCOAL UNLIMITED DOING BUSINESS AS HY-CO SALES, INC. CORPORATION CALIFORNIA
403 W. AVE. 33 LOS ANGELES 31 CALIFORNIA
Live/Dead Indicator
DEAD
tags: charcoal; Los Angeles; humans forming letters or numerals; humans forming punctuation