Lester Patrick: Realtor and used car salesman

In the introduction to a 10-part series on the life of Lester Patrick, published in the Victoria Times in 1957, Archie Wills wrote that when Lester was “faced with bankruptcy he went out and sold real estate and automobiles to pay his way.”

Wills didn’t return to this subject in the series, and as far as I can tell, no one else has ever pointed out that Lester had financial problems or that he took jobs outside of hockey. The era was 1918-22, and it followed some upheaval in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, but it still surprises me to learn that things were so dire for Lester.

While he had previously sold tires in Victoria, during or shortly after his time playing for the Seattle Metropolitans in 1917-18, Lester became a salesman for the Sunset Motor Co., which dealt in Cadillacs and Hupmobiles at 1401 Broadway, near the corner of East Union, on Seattle’s first auto row.

We know Lester worked there because he listed it on his US registration for the First World War on Sept. 12, 1918, although he gave his home address as 1020 Fairfield Road in Victoria. By contrast, the 1918 Seattle civic directory gave Lester’s occupation as “hockey player” and said he resided in that city at 105-711 Seneca.

Lester Patrick’s World War I registration

1918 Seattle directory

In December 1918, Lester’s boss at the dealership, W. Gifford Jones, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, reportedly having become “temporarily unbalanced” upon learning his daughter would survive the Spanish flu. The dealership was ultimately demolished, but I couldn’t find much else about it.

On May 21, 1919, a story appeared in the Spokane Chronicle announcing that Lester would henceforth sell cars in Seattle, so I guess it was not well known that he had already been doing that for some time. He would “forsake professional hockey except as a side issue.” He was now teamed up with Harry Warburton (the story misspelled his name Harburton) on a business called Automobile Clearing House that would buy and sell used cars. (Warburton, who was the former manager of Sunset Motor Co.’s used car department, served as a timekeeper at a PCHA match between Seattle and Victoria on Jan. 1, 1919.)

Spokane Chronicle, May 21, 1919

A story in the Seattle Star of May 24, 1919 also promoted the new partnership:

Associated with Mr. Warburton in the business is Lester Patrick, the nationally known hockey player and operator, being one of the representative owners of the Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria teams, aside from owning and operating the large ice rinks in the last two named cities. Mr. Patrick, while being much engaged in the above mentioned business, is by no means unfamiliar with that of the automobile, having been associated with Mr. Warburton during the past year, and by all who known him is termed a high class, conscientious business man of decided frankness and square dealing principles. 

Automobile Clearing House was said to be in temporary quarters at Tenth and East Madison, pending construction of a new two-storey brick building at the northwest corner of Pine Street and Harvard Avenue.

However, the arrangement was very short-lived, for the following month Warburton was running the used car department of the Olsen-Warren Motor Co. at Pine and Boren. He was promoted to sales manager in September. The last mention I can find of him in Seattle is in April 1920. Possibly he was the same Harry Warburton who died in Victoria in 1951.

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On Feb. 3, 1920, the real estate firm of Strickland & Swain advertised for the first time in the Victoria Daily Times. Gordon Strickland was Lester’s brother-in-law, having married Dora Patrick in 1915. Chester Swain was the other partner.

A story in the Times the same day noted the partners had previously been with the firms of Brett & Ker and Burdick Bros. & Brett before striking out on their own. It added: “They have opened their office at 113 Pemberton Building, from where Lester Patrick conducts the activities of the Victoria hockey team and manages the Victoria Arena.”

(The address was first advertised as the arena office in the Times of Dec. 1, 1915. The Pemberton Building still stands at 637-49 Fort Street, and is now known as the Yarrow Building, although I’m not sure which unit corresponds to 113.)

On April 7, 1920, an ad revealed Lester had joined the firm, which was now known as Strickland, Swain, and Patrick. In mid-June, the firm moved to 1210 Douglas St., opposite the Sayward building. (The Sayward building still stands — it’s home to the local Fatburger — but 1210 Douglas does not. On its site, a new building went up in 1966, now Shoppers Drug Mart.)

A story in the Times of June 18, 1920 reported on the company’s move and on Lester’s addition to the team:

The members of the firm are well known in local business circles, Messrs. Strickland and Swain having both been actively engaged in this particular line of business for the past decade. Mr. Lester Patrick, of course, needs no introduction, as his connection with sporting activities and the Victoria Arena has brought him before the public for a number of years.

Victoria Daily Times, July 13, 1920

The firm moved again in June 1922 to 707 Fort St. and remained there until its final mention four months later. (707 Fort became Safeway in the 1930s. From 1971-78, it was Gleeson Music, and then it was demolished to make way for the current Royal Bank, built in 1979.)

Lester was only listed as working for Strickland, Swain, & Patrick in the 1923 civic directory, by which time the firm actually appears to have dissolved. Lester’s time with the company coincided with his term as president of the Victoria Rotary Club in 1921-22. When he was elected to that position, the Times noted he was a partner in the firm.

I’m not sure what Strickland and Swain did immediately thereafter, although it looks like Strickland had moved to Seattle as of 1924. Nor do I have no idea how many homes or cars Lester might have sold, or how well his celebrity served him in doing so.

While I’m sure he was a fine salesman, we’re lucky he didn’t quit hockey!