Ingersoll's Century History Santa Monica Bay Cities (Being Book Number Two of Ingersoll's Century Series of California Local History Annals), 1908, 1908a, 1899
[p. 163] Chapter II Laying the Foundations. 1870-1880.
. . . In 1899 he [E.J. Vawter] began the development of what has proved to be one of the most important Santa Monica industries-that is the growing of carnations and other flowers for the market. A large tract of land is now under cultivation and the business is steadily increasing in value.
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[p. 243] Annual Assessment of City of Santa Monica, 1887-1907, 1908a
1899 $1,896,844.00
[p. 253] Chapter VI South Santa Monica and Ocean Park
. . . in August, 1899, the church was organized as the South Santa Monica M.E. church; the old Methodist chapel was donated to them by the North Side church and removed to its present location on Lake street.
1899.
The untimely death of Francis G. Ryan, of the firm of Kinney & Ryan, who had practically created Ocean Park, led to a change and in 1899 T.H. Dudley married Mrs. Ryan and became interested with Mr. Kinney in the development of the now promising beach resort. Aggressive advances were made in the spring of this year. The Outlook of March 10th says: "All told there are now 200 cottages on this property, a great many of which were erected last year. There are now some ten or twelve in process of erection and contracts for new ones are being made every week. These cottages are not mere shacks, but will be neat and commodious, costing all the way from $350 to $1000. They are being put up by first-class tenants, mostly professional and business men from Los Angeles. Water is supplied from the city water works and electric lights are being put into the more pretentious structures. Beach lots are rented at about $15 per year to those who will put up neat and substantial cottages. No land is sold outright, but long leases are given."
Messrs. Kinney and Dudley purchased the old Y.M.C.A, bath house this year, moved it a block south and refitted it. In July, Pier avenue was opened. Kinney and Dudley giving a deed to the necessary land to the city. The first building put up was a bowling alley, situated near the beach and carried on by Mr. J.G. Holborow. July 28th the post office of "Oceanpark" was opened for business. This office had been secured after a long and hard contest by Mr. Kinney, it being the only instance of two separate post offices [p.254] established within a single municipality. Mr. L.B. Osborne was the first postmaster and the office was located in his grocery store on Second Street.
This year Mr. E.J. Vawter began the development of the carnation beds which have become one of Santa Monica's best-known industries. He devoted fifteen acres of land on South Fourth street to the culture of flowers, mostly carnations and roses. A 5,000-gallon tank stored water for irrigation of the tract. The soil and conditions proved to be favorable for the production of the finest varieties and the venture proved most successful. Large green houses and increased acreage are now devoted to the propagation of flowers which are marketed in Los Angeles and shipped to distant points. Many street improvements were made during this year and Kinney and Dudley planted out nearly twenty acres to trees, using 10,000 eucalyptus trees alone, in the vicinity of the race track.
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[p. 269] Chapter VII. Public Institutions:
[p. 269] Schools
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[p. 269] School Trustees of Santa Monica
1898-99: R.P. Elliot, S.F. Carpenter, F.H. Taft (Clerk).
1899-00; R.P. Elliot, S.F. Carpenter, D.G. Holt (Clerk).
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[p. 279] During that time [1889-1899] the fire department had to cope with many exciting blazes . . . In 1899, the Casino building on Third street was destroyed by fire . . .
[p. 283] PostOffice
. . . In 1899 the Ocean Park postoffice was established, with L.B. Osborne as postmaster, this office being in Santa Monica also.
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[p. 288] Chapter VIII Churches and Societies: Methodist Church; Catholic Church
In August, 1899, a [Methodist] church was organized, then known as South Santa Monica M.E. church, wtih Rev. F.G.H. Stevens as pastor, the mission having been served by Rev. Robert Fisher. In December, the old church was donated to the new organization and was moved to Ocean Park. A new parsonage was erected on the site of the old parsonage.
Rev. C.T. Wilson and Rev. T.H. Woodward served as pastors . . .
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[p. 293] Catholic Church
[p. 293] In 1899, July 16th, a small band of Sisters of the Holy Name, came to Santa Monica to establish an academy. They rented a private house on Fourth street, and September 4th, opened their school with nineteen pupils. The year closed with fifty-two children under the charge of the Sisters.
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[p. 298] Chapter VIII Baptist Church
" . . . [p. 298] The Methodists were granted the use of the building [the Baptist Church in Ocean Park] for their services until 1900 when they secured their own church.
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