1895 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, 1895

     While living in Santa Monica, Mr. Rindge closely associated himself with the life of the community. In 1895 he offered to erect and donate a church building to the Methodist society, provided the church would support a pastor and pay all incidental expenses. In consequence, a neat and commodious church, still in use, was built at a cost of $15.000 and dedicated before the end of the year. He took an active personal interest in the campaign which was made by the advocates of temperance and by the better class of business men to rid the town of saloons, speaking at the meetings and offering to indemnify the city treasury for the loss of revenue derived from the saloon licenses. Accordingly, after the "anti-saloon" party carried the election, he presented his check for $2,500 to Mr. Robert F. Jones, then mayor of Santa Monica. He served for several years upon the school board of the town, was president of the Good Government League, and was a member of various local organizations.

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     [p. 243] Annual Assessment of City of Santa Monica, 1887-1907, 

1895 $1,830,503.00.

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[p. 248] Chapter VI South Santa Monica and Ocean Park

     . . . In August, 1895, a special tax of $1,500 was voted to build a school house on the "south side" and a one-room building was put up and in the fall was occupied, with Miss Alice M. Frazier as teacher.

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     . . . [p. 250] In May, 1895, Kinney and Ryan named their settlement "Ocean Park" and the Santa Fé giving this name to their station, the existence of the district of Ocean Park may be said to date from this year. The Y.M.C.A. people put up some new buildings this summer and Kinney and Ryan put in a half mile of beach sidewalk, the first on the beach and a greatly appreciated improvement. In September, the Santa Fe, fulfilled its promise of a wharf by putting in a new type in such structures, using iron pipe for piles. It was located about 300 feet south of Hill street and was only 500 feet in length, and thus the connection with the great world, which had been hoped for, was again delayed.

     The Y.M.C.A. and the summer visitors were favored by many pleasant entertainments, concerts and lectures during this season and Ocean Park began to be regarded as a most desirable location for those who wished a quiet and inexpensive summer outing. Many lots were leased or purchased and many modest cottages were put up as summer homes. These first beach cottages were very simple affairs-a long box of upright boards, with a couple of partitions, being the usual pattern. At this time there were few buildings south of Hill street and the "hills" were still the favorite place of residence. A cluster of small business buildings had grown up about the street car terminus and the Santa Fe station.

     Ocean Park, although within the corporate limits of Santa Monica, had not been supplied with water by the municipality. Messrs. Kinney and Ryan had their own water supply piped to the beach; but the people on other tracts began to discuss the advisability of having a water system and in December, 1895, the "City Water Company" was formed with a capital stock of $20,000 and with J.H. Claudius, E.J. Vawter, D.M. Clark, G.R. Green and E.J. Vawter, Jr., as incorporators. Its object was to supply South Santa Monica with water and to secure this wells were put down on the Vawter tract and pipes laid through the district. This company was later succeeded by the Ocean Park Water Company.

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[p. 267] Chapter VII Public Institutions

Schools

     . . . and in 1895, another room was added to the south side school.

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[p. 269] School Trustees of Santa Monica

1894-95: R.R. Tanner, R.P. Elliott, Nathan Bundy (Clerk).

1895-96: R.P. Elliot, Dr. J.J. Place, Nathan Bundy (Clerk).

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     During that time [1889-1899] the fire department had to cope with many exciting blazes . . . in 1895, the burning of the St. James Hotel caused a heavy loss and some narrow escapes; the fire department by good work saved the adjoining buildings, although they were too late to save even the furnishings of the hotel . . . p. 279, 1908a

[p. 282] Newspapers

     Mr. Woodworth remained sole proprietor of the paper [The Outlook] until October, 1895, when Robert C. Gillis purchased half interest in the paper.

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[p. 283, 1895] Board of Trade-Chamber of Commerce

      . . . when it [The Board of Trade] became a Chamber of Commerce, duly incorporated for the sum of $10,000. The incorporators were: R.F. Jones, F.L. Simons, T.H. Wells, M.H. Kimball, Walter G, Schee, J.J. Carrillo, Roy Jones, E.B. Woodworth, N.A. Roth, W.T. Gillis, H.W. Keller.

     The old members of the Board of Trade were eligible to membership and a campaign for new membership was made. The meeting at which the re-organization was effected passed resolutions thanking Hon. J.J. Carrillo for "faithful and efficient official service during the seven years last past, all of which time he has been Secretary of the Board." The president of the new Chamber of Commerce was Robert F. Jones; first vice-president, F.L. Simons; second-vice-[p. 284] president, H.W. Keller; treasurer, M.H. Kimball.

     [p. 284] The new organization laid out a broad scheme of work; twelve different committees were appointed to deal with municipal improvements and affairs. One of the first matters taken up was the planning of a float for La Fiesta. Another topic which absorbed much attention and was exhaustively handled by a committee consisting of Roy Jones and H.W. Keller, was that of securing a sewer system.

     They engaged an engineer and had careful estimates and plans made, which were later adopted by the city council. When the Chamber of Commerce asked the Board of Trustees to call an election to vote on sewer bonds, the Board declined, fearing that the issue would not carry. The Chamber of Commerce then held a "straw election," which was carried out with all the completeness of a genuine election and the bonds were carried by a handsome majority. As a result a bond election was called by the city and $40,000 bonds were voted for sewers.

     A road to Calabasas was another subject which received attention and which was successfully carried out, largely owing to the work of Mr. J.J. Carrillo. Of course, the Chamber of Commerce took every opportunity to advance Santa Monica's interests in the harbor fight, then on, and some very interesting meetings were held in connection with this matter. The Chamber of Commerce raised a fund to send Mr. John W. Mitchell to Washington as their representative.

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

     In June, 1895, it was announced that Frederick H. Rindge proposed to build a new [Methodist] church building, free of all cost to the church provided it would agree to meet the pastor's salary and all incidental expenses. In consequence on August 13th, 1895, ground was broken for this building and on the first Sabbath in 1896, the most beautiful Methodist church building in Southern California was dedicated.

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[p. 298] Chapter VIII Baptist Church

     [p. 298] In 1895, Rev. Mr. Thomason, pastor at Palms, preached regularly. In June the [Bapist] church was encouraged by a visit from Rev. E.G. Wheeler and the chapel car "Emmanuel." The same month the annual convention of Southern California Baptists was held in the Y.M.C.A. Pavilion at Ocean Park.

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 Kelyn Roberts 2017