1909
Lt. Governor Carl Friend – Lumberman and Banking
Carl Friend (1869-1948) worked his way through Kansas State College, graduating with honors. After graduating, he was a civil engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1888. He was interested in the lumber business, and in late 1889, he pioneered the lumber trade along the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma, adding country yards and tree farms in Kansas and sawmills in Georgia.
The Friend family moved to Lawrence in 1909, building their home at 1646 Massachusetts St., later moving to 1500 Learnard Ave. While living in Lawrence, Carl Friend was the vice president and director of the People’s State Bank at 900 Massachusetts St., present site of the U.S. Bank across from Weavers.
He was appointed a member of the Kansas State Agriculture College Board of Regents and director of the Kansas Alumni Association and Advisory Council. He was a charter member of the 1917 Lawrence Rotarians. The Friends were members of the Plymouth Congregational Church.
The Friend lumberyard’s general office was located at 1030 Massachusetts St. The office, known as “Rock House,” was a boarding house before Quantrill’s Raid and survived the siege. Mr. Friend built and leased the Granada Theater to the Commonwealth Theatre Organization. Next to the theatre was a leased area for the Trailways Bus Depot. Many houses in West Hills and University of Kansas projects were built with Friend lumber.
In 1932, Carl Edison Friend entered politics, starting as a state senator and ending as lieutenant governor in 1943 under Gov. Payne Ratner. Carl Friend began service with the University of Kansas Endowment Association in 1939, and served as vice president of the Executive Committee from 1940-1948.
All three of the Friend children graduated from KU, as did his son-in-law, Adrian H. Lindsey, and granddaughter, Nancy Lindsey Helmstadter.
Step Sponsored By: Nancy Lindsey Helmstadter