Mason, Ehrman & Co. Mural, Astoria Riverwalk, 11th and 12th Streets, Astoria, OR. 97103. - Ghost Signs on Waymarking.com

This mural is on the rear wall of the Sears store which is at 1152 Marine Dr, Astoria and has faded a lot over the years. This warehouse used to be owned by the firm Mason, Ehrman & Co. and it is their name above the loading bays.

Edward Ehrman was a native of Baltimore, MD, born March 18, 1854, one of seven children born to William and Rosa (Beaman) Ehrman, of Lichtenfels and Bekunstadt, Bavaria. William Ehrman had immigrated to this country in about 1840 and settled in Baltimore where he set up a successful merchant's business. Edward secured a position as errand boy in a retail dry goods store in Baltimore at the age of thirteen and two years later became associated with the firm of Elliott Brothers, who were cotton merchants, with whom he remained until 1873. He then decided to join his brother in San Francisco after becoming convinced that the developing far west would offer more chance for promotion than the developed east. His brother was engaged in the wholesale grocery business there.
Starting at the very bottom, Mr. Ehrman learned the ins and outs of the business and progressed step by step until he had mastered all the details of the grocery business. In February, 1886, he came to Portland, and set up in partnership with Mr. Mason, an old existing merchant of the city, creating a company by the name of Mason, Ehrman & Co. The firm opened a store at the corner of Front and Ankeny Streets where they remained until a move was made to the corner of First and Burnside Streets. There they stayed in business until 1893, when they moved to the corner of Pine and Second Streets.
In March, 1898 Mr. Mason died and Edward and his three brothers purchased the interest of his late partner and they became sole owners of the business, which from a small beginning developed into one of the largest wholesale grocery houses in the northwest. The territory covered by the concern was large and included the states of Oregon, Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Idaho.
A further move was made in 1908 to a new seven-storey building at 208 and 222 N.W. Fifth Ave., in the Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood, a building which is still an important landmark and has recently been upgraded, receiving a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold rating for operations and maintenance of an existing building. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Astoria store used to have a canopy above the two goods doors, no longer there, the marks can be seen in the photos running through the name between the 'O' of Mason to the 'M' of Ehrman. It was possibly removed when higher delivery trucks came into operation.

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