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George Lawrence Catalog Co. Background
The George Lawrence Co was originally founded in Portland, OR in 1857, by Samuel Sherlock
to outfit the settlers and army posts in the remote sections of the Northwest at the end of the Oregon Trail. Throughout the 1860s, the United States cavalry in Washington relied on the firm for supplies. Sherlock's brother-in-law George Lawrence, a relative of August Buermann, joined the firm in 1874 and took over 2 years later (1876) upon the founder's death. In 1893 the Saddlery incorporated as the George Lawrence Company. In 1894 they published their first catalog selling saddles and other gear through trading posts and mercantile stores in the Northwest. About the same time, C.E. Bohlman joined the company as an apprentice eventually working there for over fifty years to become superintendent of production. Lawrence avoided custom made goods and built their reputation on quality, durability and dependability for the cowpunchers and riders who spent many hours a day in the saddle. The Lawrence family continued to run the business for over a century until selling the company in 1985. George's great grandson, William C Lawrence III (1933-2022) was a worthy keeper of the saddlery archives donating many ephemera and artifacts to multiple museums in Oregon.
William Lawrence Obituary (1933 - 2022) - Portland, OR - The Oregonian (oregonlive.com)