Beautifully engraved certificate from the Los Angeles Steamship Company. This historic document was printed by the W. R. Jeffries Co. Banknote Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of a steamship. This item has the hand signatures of the Company's President, Fred L. Baker and Secretary, Erle M. Leaf and is over 86 years old. 
Certificate Vignette 
Old Company Poster shown for illustrative purposes The Los Angeles Steamship Company or LASSCO was a passenger and freight shipping company based in Los Angeles, California. The company, formed in 1920, initially provided fast passenger service between Los Angeles and San Francisco. In 1921, LASSCO added service to Hawaii in competition with the San Francisco-based Matson Navigation Company using two former North German Lloyd ocean liners that had been in U.S. Navy service during World War I. Despite the sinking of one of the former German liners on her maiden voyage for the company, business in the booming 1920s thrived, and the company continued to add ships and services. The worsening economic conditions in the United States, and the burning of another ship in Hawaii, caused financial problems for the company. After beginning talks in 1930, the Los Angeles Steamship Company was taken over by Matson Navigation on January 1, 1931, but continued to operate as a subsidiary until it ceased operations in 1937. This is a list of passenger ships of the Los Angeles Steamship Company: SS Calawaii SS City of Honolulu (I), sunk in 1922 SS City of Honolulu (II), burned in 1930 SS City of Los Angeles SS Diamond Head SS Harvard SS Waimea SS Yale
Fred. L. Baker, was also President of the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. and President and Manager of Baker Iron Works. Baker Iron Works The Baker Iron Works had its start at Los Angeles, California, about 1877, when Milo S. Baker acquired a small machine shop there. The business, begun on a small scale as M.S. Baker & Company, grew quite rapidly. A much larger facility was erected in 1886 and in June of that year the business was incorporated as the Baker Iron Works with capital stock of $75,000. Five Directors were named: Milo S. Baker, E.H. Booth, Charles F. Kimball, Fred L. Baker (Milo's son), and H.T. Neuree. {108} Less than a year later, Baker erected a $15,000 building [equivalent to $300,000 in today's buying power] on Buena Vista Street near College. M.S. BAKER, President. C.F. KIMBALL, Secretary. F.L. BAKER, Superintendent. BAKER : IRON : WORKS, (Successors to M.S. Baker & Co), 540 560 Buena Vista Street, adjoining S.P. Depot Grounds, Manufacturers of mill, mining, pumping and hoisting machinery, oil and well boring rigs and tools, street cars, street car gear, axles and wheels, shafting, pulleys, gearing and hang- ers, ranges, broilers, ovens, jacket kettles, etc.. building fronts and architectural iron work, gang plows, scrapers, land-rollers, plow extras, etc. Sole agents for Atlas Engine Works boilers and engines; upright and portable boilers and engines; the Newcastle engine; Worth- ington steam pumps; Otis Bros.' safety steam and hydraulic passenger and freight elevators; Defiance steam syphon pumps; the new pulsometer; Syracuse chilled plows, etc., etc. History from Wikipedia and OldCompany.com (old stock certificate research service).
Certificate Vignette
Old Company Poster shown for illustrative purposes
Fred. L. Baker, was also President of the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. and President and Manager of Baker Iron Works. Baker Iron Works The Baker Iron Works had its start at Los Angeles, California, about 1877, when Milo S. Baker acquired a small machine shop there. The business, begun on a small scale as M.S. Baker & Company, grew quite rapidly. A much larger facility was erected in 1886 and in June of that year the business was incorporated as the Baker Iron Works with capital stock of $75,000. Five Directors were named: Milo S. Baker, E.H. Booth, Charles F. Kimball, Fred L. Baker (Milo's son), and H.T. Neuree. {108} Less than a year later, Baker erected a $15,000 building [equivalent to $300,000 in today's buying power] on Buena Vista Street near College. M.S. BAKER, President. C.F. KIMBALL, Secretary. F.L. BAKER, Superintendent. BAKER : IRON : WORKS, (Successors to M.S. Baker & Co), 540 560 Buena Vista Street, adjoining S.P. Depot Grounds, Manufacturers of mill, mining, pumping and hoisting machinery, oil and well boring rigs and tools, street cars, street car gear, axles and wheels, shafting, pulleys, gearing and hang- ers, ranges, broilers, ovens, jacket kettles, etc.. building fronts and architectural iron work, gang plows, scrapers, land-rollers, plow extras, etc. Sole agents for Atlas Engine Works boilers and engines; upright and portable boilers and engines; the Newcastle engine; Worth- ington steam pumps; Otis Bros.' safety steam and hydraulic passenger and freight elevators; Defiance steam syphon pumps; the new pulsometer; Syracuse chilled plows, etc., etc. History from Wikipedia and OldCompany.com (old stock certificate research service).
