The Street Seen: A Model Bakery (Main St)
2700 - 2706 Main Street @ Hill St
In 1916, a 1-story brick retail building is constructed on the southwest corner of Main St and Hill St. A bakery occupies the building until 1926, when the building is moved 40 ft west to allow for the widening of Main St.
J.S. Hunter
In 1916, Ocean Park real estate investor, J.S. Hunter, demolishes the dilapidated 1-story wood frame grocery store building on the southwest corner of Main and Hill, and constructs a speculative 1-story, 3-room, modest commercial brick building.1 Ocean Park builder, C.W. Brown, has the $7,500 contract for the new building.
Model Bakery - Gilbert (1916 -1919)
In 1913, Martin L. Gilbert2 comes to Ocean Park and takes over the Model Bakery3 at 2718 Main St. In 1916, Gilbert moves the Model Bakery to the much larger space in the new 2702 Main St building.
The 2702 Main St building, designed as retail space, has large plate glass windows, and Gilbert advertises the public view of the baking.
In 1918, the Model Bakery joins with other Santa Monica and Ocean Park bakeries in pledging to support the “War Bread Diet.”4
Mobaco (1919 - 1920)
In November 1919, Schouten5 and Biederman take over ownership of the Model Bakery. Their plan is to reorient the business to wholesale baking,6 supplying grocery stores and restaurants. They close the retail operation and upgrade the plant. They launch a public campaign to choose a new name - the winner is Mobaco.7
However, by April 1920, Mobaco is up for sale.
Model Bakery (1920 - 1926)
The Model Bakery returns - now owned and run by Englishman, George Reginald Farey (1879 - 1957) and Scotsman, Robert Duthie (1883 - 1965). In 1923, there is an explosion when an employee strikes a match to relight the gas oven. The plate glass windows are blown out, but damage to the building and the baking plant is slight.
Building Moved (1926)
In 1926, the 50-ft x 76-ft plan, 1-story, brick building, still owned by J.S. Hunter, is moved by J.L. Schimmer & Son 40 ft to the west to make way for the widening of Main St.8
The 50-ft x 76-ft plan store is built in 1916 on the 50-ft x 80-ft property, which consists of Lots 1 and 2 of Block D of the Santa Monica Tract of 1893.
Martin Luther Gilbert (1878 - 1973) Born in PA. In 1910, Gilbert opens a bakery in Seattle, WA. In 1911, he marries Alice F Swahn (1888 – 1968). In 1913, Gilbert comes to Ocean Park. In 1919, Gilbert enters into dairy farming in Porterville, Tulare County. Retires in 1969.
Frank Davis and Wilber W. Jaquette operate the original Model Bakery at 2718 Main St. Davis retires in 1912, and they dissolve their partnership.
When the United States enters World War I in April 1917, the U.S. Food Administration, helmed by future President Herbert Hoover, is created to manage the wartime supply of food. In January 1918, Americans are put on a “War Bread Diet.” This means that two days per week (Monday & Wednesday) are to be wheatless days, plus one meal of each day is to be wheatless.
Nicholas Schouten (1865 - 1952). Born in Holland, Schouten comes to the US in 1869. In 1893, he marries Anna F Bauer (1866 - 1926) in IA. He is a baker in IA in 1905. In 1910, he is a baker for H. Jevne Co in Los Angeles.
At around the same time, leading Los Angeles grocer, Jevne’s, closed their downtown Los Angeles retail, to concentrate on the wholesale business, including manufacturing of bakery goods.
The Mobaco name winners, Dorothy Hanna (425 Broadway, Venice) and Mrs. Gilmour (121 Hill St, Ocean Park), split the $10 prize.
Moving the 2702 Main St building for the street widening requires the disassembly of the baking plant. The Model Bakery moves to 928 Santa Monica Blvd.
