1880-1890 INGERSOLL

Ingersoll's Century History Santa Monica Bay Cities (Being Book Number Two of Ingersoll's Century Series of California Local History Annals), 1908, 1908a, 1880s

[p. 161] Chapter II Laying the Foundations. 1870-1880.

     ". . . He [W.D. Vawter] secured a franchise in 1886 and with his sons built the first street railway, which was for some time operated at a loss. They demonstrated their faith in the future, however, by extending the line to the Soldiers' Home, a distance of about five miles, and he lived to see it a paying enterprise . . . With his sons he [W.D. Vawter] organized the First National Bank of Santa Monica and opened the same in the brick building on the southeast corner of Third and Oregon, which they built in 1888.

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     [p. 163] "In 1884, the Vawters purchased 100 acres of the Lucas ranch, adjoining the then south boundary of the town. This land was later subdivided and sold in tracts and in lots and forms a large part of the present south end of the city of Santa Monica. During 1887-88 they sold half of this property for more than the whole tract has cost them and W.S. Vawter built a handsome house in South Santa Monica, one of the first residences in that district.

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     "Mr. [W.S.] Vawter has served the city of Santa Monica in many capacities. He was one of the first board of trustees when the town was incorporated and served from 1886 to 1892 . . . He [W.S. Vawter] was interested in th establishment of the Santa Monica street railway system and the Soldiers' Home line, all of which were sold to the Los Angeles Pacific . . . With his brother, E.J. Vawter, Mr. Vawter organized the Santa Monica Mill and Lumber Company, in 1886 . . . [W.S. Vawter] was interested in the First National Bank formed in 1888,

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     ". . . [p. 163] During the administration of President Harrison, he [W.S. Vawter] served as postmaster of Santa Monica, resigning on the election of President Cleveland.

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[p. 166 J.J. Carrillo, 1908b]

[p. 167] Chapter III. From Town to City. 1880-1890.

     "The opening of the new decade found Santa Monica in the midst of most discouraging circumstances. The population as shown by the United States census was 417, but this included the population of the entire township of La Ballona. Values had greatly depreciated. Three lots and a house on the corner of Oregon avenue and Second street were sold, about this time for $750. L.T. Fisher sold his place on Third street, now known as the General Sargeant house, two lots, a small house and highly improved grounds, for $300. Three lots on the corner of Utah and Third, with improvements, sold for $1200. As late as 1885 the corner now occupied by the Santa Monica bank building sold at a probate sale for $400. These are but samples of the effect of the "dark days." But Santa Monica was not alone in her depression. The years from 1880 to 1885 were quiescent throughout Southern California. The chief enlivenment came through the operation of the Southern California Railroad which was building branch lines in preparation for the coming of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé line, the completion of which ushered in the "boom" days of the later eighties. Santa Monica looked longingly toward this new line, the ocean terminus of which was not yet determined, north of San Diego. But the Southern Pacific hold on the situation here was too strong to tempt the California Southern this way, until after the failure to make a harbor at Ballona.

     "Santa Moniica still had advantages, however, which were not dependent upon any railroad. She continued to be the favorite summer resort for pleasure seekers from the interior towns of the southern end of the state and she offered many attractions to eastern tourists and health seekers-when they were fortunate enough to discover that such a place as Santa Monica existed. During 1883 it became necessary to increase her hotel accomodations and the Santa Monica Hotel was remodeled and increased by the addition of twenty rooms. Several new cottages were built and many tents were grouped each summer on "north beach," while the cañon still was a favorite camping resort also. In 1884 the Vawters showed their solid faith in the future by purchasing 100 acres of the Lucas tract, adjoining the town on the south, paying $40.00 per acre for the land.

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     "[p. 177] The Wharf Fight.-During the eighties the question of a wharf at Santa Monica was considered the most vital one of all that presented themselves. The people, the trustees, the Board of Trade, the contributors to the papers, and above all the editor of the Outlook, discussed this question in all its phases. The Outlook alternated between arguments to prove the necessity and the profits to be accrued from building a wharf; schemes for the building [p. 178] of a wharf and discourses upon the advisability of a harbor, or a breakwater at Santa Monica.

     "The first tangible step toward wharf building was the application, in February, 1887, of the Southern Pacific for a franchise to build a wharf at the foot of Railroad street, where the old wharf had stood. This was a direct result of the efforts to establish a "harbor" at Ballona, which were backed by the Santa Fe. But as the harbor of Ballona failed to threaten their San Pedro business, the S.P. application lay dormant. When it became evident that the railroad company would do nothing, more talk followed and in December it was announced that Mr. Bernard, who had still the stump of his wharf, built in '79 at South Santa Monica, had formed a company of capitalists who would rebuild that structure. A committee was sent to San Francisco to interview the railroad people and the Outlook declares: "There is hardly any ground for doubt that we shall have a wharf within the next six months . . . It is one of the anomalies of business that the old Santa Monica wharf was destroyed, not because it didn't pay, but because it did pay. That is to say, it paid the shipper and traveler and would have paid the railroad company had they not been interested at Wilmington and San Pedro."

     February 1st, 1888, Geo. S. Van Every and T.A. Lewis, two well known residents of Santa Monica, made an application for a franchise to build a wharf at the foot of Bicknell avenue. At the next meeting of the city trustees a petition was presented by the Santa Monica Wharf Company, signed by forty-five citizens, asking that an election be called for the purpose of submitting the questions of voting $10,000 bonds to be given to the company on the completion of the wharf according to the franchise asked by Messrs. Van Every and Lewis. The discussion and public meetings that followed this action were lively and some warm language must have been used, for a few weeks later the following note was published: "To the Honorable Board of Trustees of the town of Santa Monica. Gents: Whereas we hear it talked by divers persons that the proposition to vote $10,000 subsidy to the 'Santa Monica Wharf and Shipping Company' was simply a scheme to extort and obtain money from the said town for personal purposes; and, whereas, from the said talk, we are advised and believe that the decision will be against us, therefore, we beg to withdraw our proposition to construct a wharf and here announce that we will have nothing to do with the matter; but would recommend that the town vote bonds necessary to build and maintain a wharf of its own. George S. Van Every, T.A. Lewis."

     "After more discussion and public meetings, it was generally agreed that it would be feasible for the town to vote bonds for a wharf; but this scheme was decided by the city attorney to be illegal and, nothwithstanding their little "defi" [sic] Messrs. Van Every and Lewis again came to the front with an application for a franchise, which was granted, to build a wharf at the foot of Front [p. 179] street. Mr. Van Every started north to investigate the cost of piles and the Outlook ventured a cautious blast of triumph-with strings on it. Past experience was beginning to tell. After which there is an ominous quiet on the subject of a wharf until the organization of the Board of Trade in December, 1888, which began an immediate agitation of the subject. The "Wharf Committee" reported in favor of organizing a stock company, which proposition was at once acted upon. Papers for subscription were circulated, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade were entertained by the Santa Monica Board of Trade and, incidently, urged to subscribe. More public meetings, more discussion, pro and con. But at last sufficient subscriptions were obtained to warrant the incorporation of the "Santa Monica Wharf Company," July 13th "Critic" in the Outlook writes a sharp letter in which he objects to the acts of the committee in electing itself as directors of the new company and immediately demanding an assessment of 40 per cent from subscribers. He also demands where the wharf is to be built and who is to decide that important question.

     "Another lull followed while the question of the outfall sewer and an occasional editorial as to the "harbor" seemed to occupy the attention of Santa Monicans. But in December, Mr. J.B. Dunlap appeared before the board of trustees, representing "capitalists" -that magic quantity-and asked what subsidy Santa Monica was prepared to give for a wharf. This question led to the proposition that the town vote bonds for a sewer system and then pay a wharf company to carry their sewer out to sea. After much legal lore had been expended, it was decided that this might-or might not-be done.

     "After whch matters seem to have simmered until March, 1890, when the Outlook indulges in this mysterious language: "There is music in the air! Glad tidings float on the breeze. Rumor says Santa Monica is to have a wharf! Our people generally believe it. So does the Outlook. We are not at liberty to enter into details, as everything is not beyond the possibility of failure. There is every reason to believe, however, that our wharf scheme, for which the Outlook and many zealous residents of Santa Monica have so striven, will be a most gratifying success, at an early day, and that, too, in a shape more satisfactory than any of us have dared hope for."

     "At a public meeting of the subscribers to the "wharf fund" held May 6th, Messrs. L.R. Vincent, D.L. Bancroft and W.D. Vawter were elected commissioners to act for the subscribers, and S.W. Luitweiler, representing the Los Angeles & Pacific Railroad, was present with a proposition. In June articles of incorporation for a new wharf company were filed. This was the "Santa Monica Wharf and Railway Terminal Company," the incoporators being J.A. Stanwood, E.E. Hall, Elwood Chaffy, Arthur Gayford and W.L. Corson; the capital stock fixed at $300,000, $80,000 of which had been subscribed. "The company have acquired an ocean frontage of about a mile and a half, and [p. 180] a large tract of land" (the present site of Ocean Park and Venice). In the meantime many rumors were afloat as to the intentions of the Southern Pacific Company, which had again sent representatives to Santa Monica and looked at the old stump which still represented past commercial importance. During 1890 the town was in a fever of expectation as to the possibilities of the Southern Pacific action and the probability of the Santa Monica Wharf and Railway Terminal Company actually doing something. But after waiting until the spring of 1891 for some tangible signs of fulfillment, the citizens again took a hand. In May a petition signed by about a hundred citizens was presented to the board of trustees requesting them to call an election to determine the question of issuing bonds for the construction of a wharf. After a full and enthusiastic discussion of this project by the trustees and the citizens, the matter was put to a vote and was defeated by the vote of two trustees. Another meeting was called and some very hot language was used; a new petition was prepared, urging the trustees to respect the wishes of the citizens; but the two obdurate members remained firm and again the petition was denied. The excitement ran high and the feeling against the two trustees was very bitter in some quarters.

     "The following emphatic words expressed the feeling of the editor of the Outlook: "We haven't voted any bonds for a wharf at Santa Monica, nor has any person or persons agreed to build one; yet when a location is mentioned for a wharf, it is like shaking a red rag at a mad bull. If there is any one thing that some Santa Monicans can do better than anything else, it is getting up a raging opposition when something is proposed upon which all should agree. If a man started out tomorrow with a pocket full of twenty-dollar gold pieces, some 'chronic' would start a howl of opposition because the right person, in his opinion, had not been selected to make the distribution."

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[p. 245] Chapter VI South Santa Monica and Ocean Park

     "A portion of the Lucas ranch was divided into twenty-acre blocks by E.H. Lucas, one of the sons. A number of these were sold in the early eighties to various parties, including several Englishmen. The land was fertile and water was easily obtained by putting down wells and some prosperous little ranches were established here. Among these early settlers were Walter H. Wrenn, Nathan Bundy, Thomas Carlisle, Joseph and John Bontty [sic].

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[p. 288] Chapter VIII. Churches and Societies: Methodist Church

     ". . . [p. 288] A pastor was sent here in 1883-4, Rev. J.B. Howard, who found but three resident members of the church. He nevertheless succeeded in gathering a number of new members and strengthened the church by changing the location. The lots on Sixth street were sold and the present location on Fourth street and Arizona avenue were purchased and the building removed.

     "The church continued to gain slowly under pastors [in the 1880s] until 1890 . . .

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[p. 329] Chapter XI Venice of America and Its Founder

     "After a few years residence at "Kinneloa," Mr. Kinney found that the seaside air was better suited to his health than the foothills, and, in the early eighties, he purchased a home on Ocean avenue, Santa Monica. Since that time he has been closely associated with the development of the Santa Monica bay cities.

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 Kelyn Roberts 2017