Payson Historical Society: CENTRAL LUMBER AND HARDWARE

     One of the oldest buildings in Payson’s business district on what was then knows as Deport Street (today’s Utah Avenue) went under the wrecker’s ball almost forty years ago. In the summer of 1977, the brick building with a rock foundation that had been constructed before 1900 to house Central Lumber & Hardware Co. became a rubble heap. The business had been established by brothers, Otto and Henry Erlandson. It was managed by Otto.
    Buildings at the rear of the store were used for storage of farm machinery and other heavy merchandise. Across the driveway to the east of the main building stood a large open shed which Jesse Finalyson said he helped to build in 1910.
      When the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad (Orem Inter-urban) laid its tracks into Payson in 1916, the terminal and depot were located north of the lumber yard through the block. The Erlandsons accepted the opportunity to have a spur of the railroad built into their place of business. Another spur of the railroad extended west to the Utah Poultry located to the read of the former Wells Fargo Bank building.
     Carloads of lumber and other building materials were shipped directly to Central Lumber and Hardware Co. Carloads of coal, the chief fuel of the times, were allowed to stand on the premises until sold, as ton after ton was loaded onto wagons or trucks after being weighed on scales located between the tracks and the east entrance of the building.
     The brothers were also contractors and builders. They were instrumental in building a number of public building in Payson and Spanish Fork. They also built a number of private homes in Payson. Among them were beautiful homes they constructed for their families. Henry built his home further east of Depot Street on the southwest corner of today’s 300 East. The plans for his home were completed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
     In about 1923, the Erlandsons sold their lumber business to Smoot Lumber Co. of Provo. Shortly after, they opened the Santaquin Lumber Company in Santaquin. Otto’s son, Wendell, was the manager.
     George Chase came to Payson in 1923 when he purchased the Colvin and Reece Lumber Company on First North and Sixth West. He operated this business until 1932 when he purchased Smoot Lumber Co., formerly known as Central Lumber & Hardware. He gave the new business his name and it became known as Chase Lumber Company.
     Mr. Chase later sold controlling interest in the lumber company to A. E. Money and his brother Reed Money Sr. The brother headed up a corporation made up of family members and a few other individuals including Mr. Chase and Sid Corey. Mr. Chase continued to retain an office in the building for several years after he sold out.
     The new owners chose to retain the Chase name and after a few years bought all of the stock owned outside of the family. A. E. Money died in 1964, after which Reed Money Sr. bought all of the remaining stock from family members. Gradually, he turned the stock to his sons and daughter. The new corporation was formed with Reed Money Sr. was president and Reed Money Jr. was the manager of the business.
     The Money family demolished the Old Central Lumber Company building in 1977 along with the building on the corner east of the store where Moore Sheet Metal had been located. They constructed a new building that housed Money Home Center and Self’s Food Mart. The store faced the interior of the block. This move helped to develop the mid-block parking behind the stores that faced Main Street. Most of the stores then developed rear entrances to their stores.
    Reed Money Jr. operated the new store for a few years until his retirement. He then sold the business and it became known as Southgate Hardware. This ended an era of the Money family business which had been one of the important businesses in downtown Payson.   The owners of Southgate Hardware sold the business in 2015 to new owners and it is now known as Ace Hardware.