The story of the Pioneer Trunk Factory and C. A. Malm & Co. is deeply interwoven with the industrial and commercial growth of San Francisco, beginning in the bustling era of the mid-19th century. From its humble beginnings to becoming a prominent manufacturer on the Pacific Coast, the company’s journey reflects the ambition and innovation of its time.
The Pioneer Trunk Manufactory first appeared in San Francisco by 1860, establishing itself at 180 California St. Even in its early days, the company showcased its range, exhibiting “trunks of all kinds” at the Mechanics’ Institute Fair in September of that year, signaling its commitment to quality and variety from the outset.
The trajectory of the company took a significant turn with the arrival of Charles Augustus Malm. Born in Sweden, Malm immigrated to New York City at the young age of 14 before his life path led him westward. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, he moved to San Francisco around 1867. His entry into the trunk manufacturing business began with E. Galpan & Co. by 1868, a firm specializing in trunks and traveling bags. Malm’s career progressed as he joined D. S. Martin, another company in the same trade established in 1867, eventually becoming a partner.
By 1875, Malm’s personal and professional life saw significant developments. He married Mary Helena Fisher and also took on a leadership role as a director in the newly incorporated West Oakland Mutual Loan Association. The year 1882 marked a turning point when Martin passed away, leaving Malm as the sole proprietor of the business. By mid-1883, Malm established his own enterprise, “Malm & Co.,” effectively succeeding D. S. Martin & Co. and paving the way for further expansion and recognition.
Malm & Co. rose to prominence in the San Francisco manufacturing landscape. In 1888, city directories listed Malm & Co. amongst a dozen trunk manufacturers, a number that dwindled to just seven by 1899, highlighting Malm’s increasing market share and resilience. An 1889 newspaper article described Malm & Co.’s factory at 10-16 Main St. as a substantial three-story building, measuring 45 by 122 feet, equipped with recent machinery upgrades and employing up to 40 workers. Malm’s business extended across the entire Pacific Coast and Territories, selling both wholesale and retail, indicating a broad distribution network and strong market presence. By the 1890s, the workforce had grown to 75 employees across the factory and stores, reflecting the company’s robust growth. The Pioneer Trunk Factory, under C. A. Malm’s proprietorship, was listed in an 1899 city directory at the corner of 17th and Shotwell Streets, with a business office at 220 Bush St. C. A. Malm & Co.’s retail operations in 1899 spanned two city locations: 220-222 Bush St. and 622 Market St., catering directly to the public. The company provided diverse employment opportunities, with trunkmakers, boxmakers, bag makers, salesmen, foremen, bookkeepers, and clerks on staff, as per the 1899 directory. Adding to his entrepreneurial portfolio, Malm became president and a major stockholder of the Balaklala Mining Company around the turn of the century, with copper mining operations near Kennet in Shasta County, showcasing his diverse business interests beyond trunk manufacturing.
In 1902, C. A. Malm & Co.’s Pioneer Trunk Factory saw the construction of nearly identical buildings on 18th Street, designed by architect Thomas Welsh. This collaboration had deeper roots, as Welsh and Malm were previously President and Vice President, respectively, of the San Francisco Mutual Loan Association in the late 1880s, an organization focused on real estate improvement loans for its members. Their association extended to banking as well, with both serving as directors of the Italian-American Bank in San Francisco in 1899. Newspaper announcements in March of 1902 heralded the factory construction project. The three-story wooden structures, exhibiting Italianate architectural details also crafted in wood, featured a molding above the first floor that emphasized the upper levels with their distinctive window hood moldings. A further wooden molding and bracketed cornice topped these industrial buildings, adding a touch of architectural refinement. The larger corner building, likely constructed first, was followed by the smaller building to the east. The west structure was substantial, with eight bays along 18th Street and sixteen bays extending down Folsom Street, reaching the rear property line. The eastern building, smaller in scale, was five bays wide and did not extend to the rear lot line. The construction contract for the northern building on 18th Street, 100 feet east of Folsom, was awarded to A. McElroy in May 1902 for $6137, encompassing a three-story plus basement frame mill on a concrete foundation. McElroy also undertook additional work for approximately $1,050 to build a tank frame and fire escapes on the Folsom Street side of the factory. An external balcony initially connected the upper stories of the two buildings, a feature that was removed in the 1930s, altering the buildings’ interconnectivity.
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fires proved devastating to many, but the Pioneer Trunk Factory buildings on 18th Street remarkably survived, likely due to the sturdy roof trusses above the third floor. However, the company’s business office at 220-222 Bush St. was not spared. By May 1906, a temporary business office was established at the factory on Folsom and 18th, demonstrating the factory’s crucial role in the company’s continuity. A 1913 Sanborn insurance map provides a detailed snapshot of the factory complex, revealing wooden outbuildings in the rear and side yards, including lumber sheds and a shavings bin. The larger corner building housed ironworking on the first floor, the trunk shop on the second, and the bag shop on the top floor. In the smaller building, a planing mill operated on the ground floor, with a trunk box room on the second story, a drying room below, and trunk storage on the top floor. Both buildings were equipped with open head sprinklers on the roof, indicating a focus on fire safety for the valuable inventory and operations within.
The Pioneer Trunk Factory’s operations ceased in the 1930s. C. A. Malm remained the owner until his death in 1923. His widow then took over ownership until 1934, when their seven children inherited the family business. The former factory transitioned into warehouse space, utilized by companies like the Sanborn Map Company and the city’s Water Department, marking a shift from manufacturing to storage. By 1950, novelty wood manufacturing was taking place within the complex, indicating a repurposing of the industrial space for new ventures. The heirs eventually sold the business in 1953, concluding the Malm family’s direct involvement. Interestingly, C. A. Malm & Co. stores maintained a retail presence in the city as late as the 1980s. In the same decade, the two factory buildings were documented for potential listing in the National Register before undergoing rehabilitation in 1986, transforming them into a unified office building. Tom Plant of Plant Properties, Inc. undertook the $2 million renovation of the vacant buildings, completed in 1986. The project integrated the two structures with a central core that included lobbies, stairwells, and elevators, effectively merging the historical industrial buildings into a modern office space while preserving a significant piece of San Francisco’s manufacturing past.
