Del Amo Nursery

History

The San Pedro Ranch Nursery Company was founded in February 1921 by Dr. Gregorio del Amo y Gonzales, husband of Maria Susana Delfina Dominguez, daughter of Manuel Dominguez. Dr. del Amo had a strong interest in horticulture since his childhood and founded the nursery to provide trees and shrubs for the landscaping of Dominguez Hills, as well as to provide an occupation for his son, Carlos. The nursery was incorporated in April 1923 and renamed Del Amo Nurseries in May 1933. In 1937, the Del Amo Nurseries was merged into the Del Amo Estate Company.

The nursery, located at the intersection of Del Amo Boulevard and Alameda Street with offices in the Union Bank Building in downtown Los Angeles, provided wholesale horticulture products to locations as distant as New York, Spain, France, Peru, and Morocco. Due to Gregorio Del Amo’s interest in horticulture, varieties of trees, shrubs, and ornamental flowering plants from every continent were grown and sold at the nursery. The products were physically planted into the land, instead of in pots or tubs, in the same order as in the printed catalogs, creating a “living catalog.” The nurseries also hosted the Nurseries Industries Roundup in 1938. The one-day meeting allowed industry members to discuss relevant issues, as well as the possible establishment in Westwood of a University of California school for the study of subtropical and ornamental plants.

After Gregorio del Amo’s death in 1941, his son Jaime inherited the property. The nursery continued to operate, though profits were small. During the 1960s, the nursery donated stock for Torrance and Long Beach planting projects. The Estate Company properties, including the nursery, were liquidated in 1964.

The nursery was controlled by a board of five directors until its purchase in 1937. The President was Gregorio del Amo. Vice-Presidents were Stuart O’Melveny (1923-1925), Francisco G. de la Riva (1925-1933), Thomas Herron (1933-1936), and Jaime del Amo (1936-1937). Secretaries were William S. Martin (1923-1925), Eugenio Cabrero (1925-1926 and 1927-1937), and H. J. Scherer (1926-1927). Treasurers were Carlos del Amo (1923-1926) and Eugenio Cabrero (1928-1937). Operations were overseen by a manager/general manager, beginning with H. J. Scherer (1926-1933). Scherer was followed by John Milton Asher (1933), Harold McFaddan (1936-1942), Henry Oldershaw (1944-1947), and Ove Hoyer (1947-1964).

From the guide to the Del Amo Nurseries Collection, 1922-1976, (California State University, Dominguez Hills Archives and Special Collections)