Bekins Van Lines
Bekins Van Lines (1891 - present) is one of the oldest moving companies in the United States, known primarily for residential moves. The company was founded by brothers John and Martin Bekins in 1891 in Sioux City, Iowa, using horse-drawn vans. The company was quick to embrace automobiles, switching from horse-drawn vans to motor trucks in 1903. It also expanded rapidly into California and other West Coast states, beginning operations in Los Angeles in 1894, anticipating the future population increase there (Martin Bekins eventually moved to the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles and built an impressive mansion there). Bekins was also known for decades for producing plans or maps of cities where it operated. Sometimes, these were done in conjunction with regional mapmakers, such as Thomas Bros. or the Kroll Map Co., but more often, they were produced and published by Bekins itself. Though typically undated, the company's earliest maps (of San Francisco and Los Angeles) appeared in the first decade of the 20th century, and maps of many cities in the Plains States and American West continued to be produced until the 1970s.
Development and Growth in the East Bay.
Bekins Van and Storage Co.'s Map of Oakland, Piedmont, Berkley and Alameda.
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A scarce indexed street plan or map of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and other communities in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, produced c. 1920 by Bekins Van and Storage Company. (more details)