Stange, Paul T.

Paul T. Stange, born in Berlin, Germany, in 1879, was the son of Godfrey and Ann Stange. His father brought the family to the United States in 1883 and settled in Neillsville, Clark County, Wisconsin, where Paul was educated in the public schools and learned the carpenter trade. In 1899, he moved with his father to Fresno to work on the construction of the Fresno Brewery, later following carpentering and mill work in Oakland. Following the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco, he returned to Fresno to serve as a foreman for contractor H. A. Hansen. Through a course with the International Correspondence School, he mastered mechanical and architectural drawing, drafting plans for prominent structures including the Kern-Kay Hotel, Hotel Tulare, Salvation Army Building, and numerous fine residences.

In 1914, following the death of Mr. Hansen, Paul T. Stange partnered with Thomas M. Paulson to take over the business under the name Hansen Construction Company. Under his leadership, the firm erected major projects such as the Hotel Mayer, Eaden Flats, Mission Episcopal Church, and the Peach Growers warehouse at Reedley. Outside of his business pursuits, he served four years in the California National Guard as a corporal in Company K, earning a medal as a Distinguished Marksman. He married Minnie Kostenbader in Fresno on May 31, 1913, and became the father of two children, Paul T., Jr., and Henrietta Ann. Additionally, he invested in local real estate by purchasing lots at Monterey and M Streets to build three houses, while remaining an active member of Fresno Lodge No. 343, I. O. O. F.