[p. 159] The Vawter Family
[p. 159] Williamson Dunn Vawter [1815-1894 ], late merchant and banker of Santa Monica, was a pioneer settler of Southern California and a leading spirit in the material development and business life of his adopted city. He was a descendant of an old and distinguished family, his parents, William and Frances Vawter, both being natives of Virginia. He was born at Mount Glad, near Madison, Indiana, August 28th, 1815. About 1827 the family removed to Jennings county and located on a farm near the town of Vernon. The father proposed to make a farmer of his son; but the lad had no liking for that vocation and soon after the age of twelve went to live with his uncle, Colonel John Vawter, for whom he had a great affection. His first work was driving an ox team between the towns of Madison and Vernon, freighted with merchandise for his uncle's store. This work, by reason of the difficult roads and occasional danger from savages, suited the daring spirit of the boy. Later he became a clerk in the store of his uncle and then partner in the same store, in company with his cousin, Smith Vawter. Together they carred on business in the old brick building at "Vawter's Corner" in Vernon for a period of forty years.
Mr. Vawter served as postmaster of the town for a number of years. He was a leader in early temperance work and was treasurer and custodian of the Bible depository of Jennings county, a branch of the American Bible Society, [p. 161] from its organization. He always took a lively interest in municipal politics and in national affairs. He was a Whig during the life of that political party and a member of the Republican party from its birth. He voted for General William Henry Harrison and in 1888 cast his vote for General Benjamin Harrison.
[p. 160 E.J. Vawter,1908b]
In 1875 he came to California and was one of the original members of the Indiana colony which was the forerunner of the city of Pasadena. Mr. Vawter purchased a sixty-acre ranch in that colony, which is now occupied by the business portion of that city. Drawn by report of the great advantages offered by the new settlement of Santa Monica which was to become the commercial metropolis of Southern California, he with his sons located here and opened the first general store in the town, in a building on the lots on Fourth street still occupied by the Vawter residence.
As the town commenced to grow he established lumber yards and soon built a planing mill, which proved a boon to home builders. He 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. Wtih his sons he 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.
Mr. Vawter was married, July 15th, 1834, to Mary Charlotte Tilghman Crowder of Baltimore, Maryland. She died September 22nd, 1851. Her children were Mary Ellen, May, Jane Cravens, William Smith and Edwin James. Mr. Vawter married Charlotte Augusta Knowlton in November, 1852. She was a native of Shrewsbury, Mass. She died in Santa Monica, December 27th, 1893, leaving one daughter, Emma. A son, Charles Knowlton, had died previously.
Mr. Vawter was one of the founders of the Presbyterian church in Santa Monica and was always one of its staunch supporters. He was a man of pure life-both in thought and action. He was pre-eminently just and never intentionally did any man a wrong. At the same time, he was not a man of loud or bold pretense and moved along life's journey doing the right thing at the right time: "because it was the natural outlet for energies which were attuned to those harmonies which could only accord with what was best." The memory of his noble life will linger like a restraining benediction to call us up toward a better standard of thought and action.
Mr. Vawter passed away at his home in Santa Monica, July 10, 1894.
[p. 161] Mary Ellen Vawter, [1836- ], the first child of W.D. and Mary C. Vawter, was born at Vernon, Ind., October 28th, 1836. At the age of eighteen she began teaching school. At twenty-three, she married Ward Leavitt of Chatauqua, N.Y. In the spring of 1875, Mr. and Mrs. Leavitt with their daughter, Florence, removed to California. They were stockholders in the Indiana colony, but after [Page 162] a brief residence there located in Santa Monca. In 1880 they returned to Pasadena and lived for some years upon their orange ranch. In 1887 they again located in Santa Monica, where Mr. Leavitt died, October 23th(rd?), 1896. Mrs. Leavitt and daughter still reside in Santa Monica.
[p. 162] May Vawter [1838-1884] was born in Vernon, Ind., March 4th, 1838. She was educated in the schools of her native town and received a special musical training. After teaching school and traveling through the southern and eastern states and Canada, she accompanied her family to California in 1875. In the spring of 1876 she married Switzer S. Harwood, M.D. Dr. and Mrs. Harwood lived at San Pablo and in San Francisco and Yreka. They finally removed to Sydney, Australia, where they made their home. Mrs. Harwood was a self-reliant woman, adventurous from childhood, and she several times made the voyage between Sydney and California.
She early united with the Vernon Presbyterian church and was a charter member of the First Presbyterian church of Santa Monica. She died in Sydney, Australia, March 1st, 1884.
[p.162] Jane Cravens Vawter [ - ] is a native of Vernon, Ind. She received her education in private and public schools of her native town and later studied under Dr. J.C. Burt, following a college course. She also took a special course of reading extending over several years. When very young she was interested in political and national questions and became a staunch abolitionist. She was for several years a teacher in the public schools of Indianapois.
She united with the Presbyterian church at Vernon and was the projector and one of the founders of the first Sunday-school in Santa Monica. This was organized and carried on for some weeks in the home of W.D. Vawter. Miss Vawter was a charter member of the First Presbyterian church and served for some time as its Sunday-school superintendent. She was long a teacher in this school, taking children from their tenth year and holding them until they reached majority. She was one of the two solicitors who collected funds for the present beautiful Presbyterian building. She and her sister, Miss Emma, now live together in the fine old homestead on Fourth street, Santa Monica.
{p. 162] Aramatha Charlotte Vawter [1841- ] was born in Vernon, Ind., September 25th, 1841. She was educated at Jennings Academy, Vernon, and at Oxford, Ohio. After teaching for a time, she was married, October 16th, 1866, to Septimus Vater, now a prominent banker of Lafayette, Ind. Mrs. Vater, who has always been an active worker in the Presbyterian church and its auxiliaries, has been ordained a deaconess in her home church and is widely known for her good works in her home city.
[p. 162] William S. Vawter [1845- ], the eldest son of W.D. and Mary C. Vawter, was born near Vernon, Ind., April 1st, 1845. He passed through the graded schools of the town and graduated from a commercial college in Cincinnati, Ohio. Returning to his native place, he was appointed deptuy county clerk of Jennings county. Later he became editor and proprietor of the Vernon Banner, a weekly [p. 163] paper, which he conducted with success for a couple of years. He then entered the manufacturing business, which he continued until he came to California in 1875.
After making investments in the Indiana colony, now Pasadena, the Vawters, father and two sons, opened the first general store in Santa Monica and conducted an extensive mercantile business for ten years. They remained here during the long period of depression, succeeding the abandonment of the wharf by the Southern Pacific Company and, in spite of the most discouraging conditions, retained their faith in the future of this region. 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.
Mr. 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; in 1903 he was again elected city trustee and served until 1906.
He 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; the Santa Monica Commercial Company in 1894; was interested in the First National Bank formed in 1888, and is now vice-president of the Merchant's National Bank of Santa Monica. He was one of the members of the City Water Company incorporated in 1896 to supply Ocean Park with water and has been connected with many other local business ventures. He is still largely interested in real estate and takes an active part in every movement for the advance of the town which he has aided in building up.
Mr. Vawter has always been a loyal Republican in politics and has taken an active part in public affairs. During the administration of President Harrison, he served as postmaster of Santa Monica, resigning on the election of President Cleveland. In the spring of 1908 he was appointed a member of the State Board of Bank Commissioners and accepted the position, resigning from the presidency of the Santa Moniica Savings Bank and from the boad of education to do so.
Mr. Vawter was married in 1868 to Miss Sarah M. McClaskey, a native of Jackson county, Indiana. They have one daughter, Mary C., now the wife of John S. Moore of Los Angeles. Mr. and Mrs. Vawter have a beautiful home on the corner of Second street and Arizona avenue, which is surrounded by stately trees, the growth of years.
[p. 164] Edwin James Vawter [1848- ] was born in Vernon, Ind., November 25th, 1848. After being educated in the public schools, he showed a decided tendency for business and made his first venture as a newspaper man, on the Vernon Banner. He was soon taken into partnership with his father W.D. Vawter, in his general merchandise business, at the old "Vawter's Corner," in Vernon. On the removal to California in 1875, the partnership between father and son was continued, and he was also one of the stockholders in the Indiana colony. He located in Santa Monica when the family decided upon this as a residence. He has taken a large part in the financial and business affairs of this vicinity and has always been known as an enterprising investor in every effort which promised success. Many of the improvements which Santa Monica has enjoyed and is enjoying today have been inaugurated by the Vawter family and carried forward to completion with perseverance in the face of difficulties. Mr. E.J. Vawter has had a large share in the enterprises which were organized by the father and brother, as well as having originated many other successful ventures himself. He was president of the City Water Company organized in 1896 to supply the district known as Ocean Park with water; he was cashier of the First National Bank of Santa Monica until it was sold to Senator Jones in 1893. In 1899 he 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.
He was the founder of the Santa Monica Commercial Company, orgnanized to carry out real estate, banking, railroading and other transactions. He remains the president and manager of this company, which represents the properties left himself and four sisters by the will of their father. He organized the First National Bank of Ocean Park, in 1905, of which he was president until 1907.
Mr. Vawter has always been closely identified with the public interests: he has served the city as a member of the board of city trustees, and as member of the library board and of the school board. He has also taken part in many of the political conventions of the Republican party, and is identified wtih the Masonic order (being a 32nd degree Mason), Knights of Pythias, and Pioneers of Los Angeles county.
He was married to Miss Laura E. Dixon in Indiana, in 1869. She died in 1886. They were the parents of one son, E.J. Vawter, Jr., who inherits the business ability of the family.
In 1888, Mr. Vawter married Mrs. Isabella L. Nelson. She is gifted with a fine voice, which is often used in the aid of charitable causes. They have a pleasant home, in the midst of flowrers, in South Santa Monica.
[p. 164 ] Emma Knowlton Vawter [1853- ] was born in Vernon, Ind., August 21st, 1853. She received her education in the public schools of Vernon, Ind., and in the Western Seminary and Oxford College, where she graduated in 1873. She came to California with her father's family and has since that time been a resi- p. 165] dent of Santa Monica. Having received a good musical education, she acted as organist for the First Presbyterian church from its organization until 1903. She resides with her sister, Jane Cravens, in the old home at Santa Monica.
[p. 164 ] Charles Knowlton Vawter [1855-1879], son of Williamson D. and Charlotte Knowlton Vawter, was born in Vernon, September 7th, 1855. He was delicate from birth, having a spinal difficulty which resulted in the complete loss of sight. He died September 29th, 1879.
[p.165] Edwin Jackson Vawter, Jr. [1871- ], son of Edwin James and Laura Dixon Vawter, was born in Verno, Ind., June 10th, 1871. He came to California with his parents and after his mother's death in 1886, lived for a time with his grandfather, W.D. Vawter. At sixteen he entered Purdue University, Indiana. In 1888, he entered the State University at Berkeley, but owing to an attack of typhoid fever did not complete the course.
In 1889, he took a position with the First National Bank of Santa Monica. On the organization of the Commercial Bank of Santa Monica, in 1894, he became cashier of the institution. He was cashier of the Main-street Savings Bank of Los Angeles for five years and was connected with the Security Savings Bank. He then became cashier of the United States National Bank of the same city. He is now president of the First National Bank of Ocean Park.
Politically he is a Republican. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and organized a company of the "Uniform Rank" at Santa Monica, which he served for two years as captain. He is also a member of the Masonic order, and has taken the 32nd degree. He united with the Presbyterian church during boyhood and has served several years as trustee of that church.
Mr. Vawter was married March 8th, 1899, to Miss Bessie M. Channell of Arkansas City, Kansas. They have two children, Marjorie Dixon and Helen Edwina.