Redding's Chevrolet Automobile Dealership: Thatcher & Lowden.

Above: this circa 1950s photograph was taken by Broderick Haskell, of Redding, which shows the exterior of the second Thatcher and Lowden building located at 1724 California Street. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Shasta County natives Howard Vilas Thatcher (1900-1968) and his business partner Edward Harold Lowden (1900-1979) was deeply rooted in Shasta County, California, descending from pioneer stock in the region. Thatcher and Lowden were schoolmates of each other until they graduated from Shasta Union High School together in 1918. They had a lifelong friendship together. Eventually, they acquired this car dealership on a transfer from D.D. Desmond and son, early on, in 1929 and during February of 1929, they celebrated the grand opening of their brand-new Chevrolet automobile dealership, parts service, and store which featured Firestone tires and accessories. A business which they called Thatcher & Lowden it was located at 711 Market Street in Redding. 

By 1931 the address of this location was modernized to 1734 Market Street. This lot had two buildings on this property which they utilized, and eventually, they outgrew that location and relocated their business in 1939 to 1724 California Street, at the corner of California and Placer Streets as seen in the above photograph. According to the July 7, 1939, Redding Record Searchlight newspaper, it reported that "they purchased the lot across the street from their sales room and offices on California Street and began the construction of their new station which will be opened Saturday morning. On the west end of the lot is a brick and steel building 50x220. The north portion of the structure will be used for new car storage. Directly in front of it is a used car lot 120 feet wide." [SIC]

In 1941, Thatcher and Lowden employed my paternal grandfather, Myles Kidder Tuggle (1920-2007) as a mechanic and Tuggle began working for the above company at that time. During the year 1961, Lowden sold his interest of their business to Thatcher. Thatcher promoted his son Mark Thatcher (1928-1972) as a co-owner of the company, and he changed the name to Thatcher & Son. Mark previously had eleven years of employment with his father's company, and he held a manager's position within the company as well. Later on, the elder Thatcher retired and sold the business in May of 1964 to John W. Geer of San Francisco. Thatcher’s automotive dealership served the City of Reddling for thirty-five years and is still well-remembered by longtime residents. Afterwords, it was Lowden who became associated in the Lowden medical building, which was located at 2020 Court Street in Redding, which was named for him as well.

Above:  an interior view of Thatcher and Lowden's store at 1724 California Street. Note the Firestone merchandise and advertising. Date unknown. Photographer: Broderick Haskell. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Resources: 

1910 U.S. Census 

1918 The Shasta Daisy Shasta Union High School Yearbook

Shasta High School Has Many Graduates - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 10, 1918

1920 U.S. Census 

Chevrolet Agency Is Taken Over by Thatcher & Lowden - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 6, 1929

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 6, 1929

The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 18, 1929

1930 U.S. Census 

1931 City of Redding Directory 

1938 City of Redding Directory 

Thatcher & Lowden Open Finest OneStop Service Station in the North - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 7, 1939

1940 U.S. Census 

U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 for Myles Kidder Tuggle, dated: July 1, 1941.

1950 U.S. Census

Lowden To Manage Properties - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 5, 1961

Howard Thatcher To Retire - Sells Auto Firm to SF Man - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 2, 1964

Howard Vilas Thatcher Obituary - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 26, 1968

1961 City Of Redding Directory