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In 1946, Big Creek Lumber, Davenport, Ca., was founded by brothers Bud and Lud McCrary through a combination of hard work, ingenuity, a foundation in the skilled trades, and a passion for sustainable forestry. Now, the company is honoring that legacy and celebrating 75 years in business by launching the McCrary Family Scholarship, which will provide financial assistance to students pursuing a career in the skilled trades or forestry.
The scholarship will be awarded to graduating high school seniors who will be continuing their education in the skilled trades or forestry. Students can get more information and an application at www.bigcreeklumber.com/scholarships.
Upon returning from service in World War II, Bud and Lud co-founded Big Creek at about the same age that most students graduate high school. Although their education was non-traditional, the skills they picked up serving their country set them up for success when establishing Big Creek.
During the war, Bud worked for the Navy as a teenage civilian and later served in the Navy as a mechanic on aircraft carriers. Lud signed up for continuation school while attending a trade school in San Francisco for diesel mechanics, all before serving in the Merchant Marines at the age of 16.
In launching Big Creek, they employed the trade skills they acquired during the war and from a life working in the woods. They took on the roles of loggers, sawyers, equipment operators, mechanics, builders and more for the fledgling company. Men who never earned a high school diploma became lifelong learners and built Big Creek into the company it is today.
