Person:Andrew Mortensen (3)

Andrew Magnus Mortensen was appointed Traffic Manager in February, 1913. Mortensen was experienced in moving things by rail. He was working for the Amour Car Lines when that company withdrew from the California fruit business, and he thereupon became manager for the Pacific Fruit Express Company, filling this position until 1910 when he became Traffic Manager for the California Fruit Growers Exchange. Here he had charge of a transportation business of more than 30,000 carloads of citrus fruit a year. The activities of this Department, and it had to be a large one, covered a broad field. It had to secure favorable rates and regulations for the movement of freight to the Exposition, and get special passenger rates from all parts of the country, as well as stimulate, if possible, the development of local transportation for handling the Exposition crowds. Steamship companies had to be induced to concede special rates on exhibits. There had to be physical facilities for a prompt and efficient delivery of exhibits after their arrival at San Francisco. If there was any time left the Traffic Manger could (and did) put it in helping the Exploitation Department to see that the railways should make the Exposition the leading feature of their advertising for several years. The Traffic Departments’ headquarters grew to resemble the freight offices of a small but very busy railroad. In order to present the whole topic in this place we shall anticipate the operation of the Department throughout the life of the Exposition. He went on to be the co-founder of San Jose Savings and Loan in San Jose, California. Soon after the depression, he moved to Santa Monica, California with his youngest son, John, wife and wife’s father. He was the Purchasing Manager of the Santa Monica Hospital, which was co-founded by his brother William S. Mortensen.

He and his wife loved to travel. They enjoyed their life in Santa Monica, CA where they lived on the beach at 1315 Ocean Park, now called Palisades Beach Road. The Santa Monica pier was to their left and the Malibu coastline to their right. They passed their love of the ocean, and its spirituality to their grandchildren and hopefully we have passed it on to our children.

Their great friend was Captain Okland of the USS Steel Scientist. He died on this ship, returning from a trip to Hawaii and was buried at sea.