USA > California > Los Angeles County > History of Los Angeles county, Volume II > Part 72
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CHARLES B. GUTHRIE. The name of Guthrie has been associated with realty operations in Los Angeles County for some years, as Charles B. Guthrie has made himself recognized as one of the leading realtors of this region. He is one of the energetic, forceful and resourceful operators, and a man who knows real estate values and how to develop them, so that anv section in which he operates is sure to experience a most remarkable expan-
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sion and improvement. For several years he was connected with the railway mail service in Iowa, and came from it and that state to California in 1905, and entered at once upon the work which was to bring him fame and fortune. In 1920 Mr. Guthrie organized the Charles B. Guthrie Company as a branch office of his Los Angeles concern, but soon found that his operations at Glendale were of such magnitude as to justify his locating here perma- nently. He operates in subdivisions in Glendale, and so thorough is he, and so desirable are his properties that he has closed up six subdivisions and is opening the seventh one, which promises to be an even better invest- ment than those which have gone before. His properties are well located, finely improved, and his prices and terms are as low as the values justify. Having had so long and varied an experience in this important work, Mr. Guthrie is able to give to his clients exceptionally attractive propo- sitions, and his subdivisions have brought to the county some of its most desirable citizens. Mr. Guthrie also handles a general line of insurance, representing in this branch of his business several of the most reliable, old- line insurance companies of the world, and in it rendering the same efficient service that he is giving in his realty department. He gives employment to seven experienced people.
In September, 1920, Mr. Guthrie, with several other enterprising realtors of Glendale, organized the Glendale Realty Board, with twenty-five charter members, and was its first president. This organization is now in a most flourishing condition, with sixty-four active and twenty-five associate mem- bers. Mr. Guthrie is also a forceful factor in the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, and is in the forefront of all civic improvement movements, for he is zealous in behalf of Glendale and Los Angeles County.
Mr. Guthrie is a veteran of the World war in which he enlisted in 1918, and for which he was trained in an officers' training camp. After his honor- able discharge, following the signing of the armistice, he returned to Los Angeles, and resumed his realty operations. He belongs to the American Legion. Fraternally he maintains membership with the Knights of Pythias, of which he is past chancellor commander, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and Masons. Socially his connections are with the Auto Club of Southern California and the Oakmont Country Club. It is a recognized fact that Los Angeles County does possess magnificent and unexcelled natural advantages, and that the great moving picture industry has brought to it a large number of people, but much credit must also be given, for the population which makes it the largest, in point of population, of the counties of California, to the efforts of such men as Mr. Guthrie, who, while as a matter of course, adding to their personal fortunes, are also working hard in behalf of their county, and not sparing their efforts to make their develop- ment schemes provide not only additional homes, but better ones for the people whom the combined attractions are bringing here in throngs that are increasing in volume with each year.
On May 22, 1905, at Long Beach, California, he married Miss Pearl Coles, a daughter of Wesley and Eliza Coles of Chariton, Iowa. They have one daughter, Catherine. Mr. Guthrie has always confined his efforts to those institutions which tend to the upbuilding of his community. He is secretary of Central Avenue Improvement Association and the Brand Boulevard Improvement Association.
CLYDE A. GARNER. The motion picture industry has a rival in the business field in Los Angeles County for the successful handling of real estate is becoming so important a factor as to draw to it many of the most masterful men of this locality, who find in it even better opportunities for development than in the varied phases of making pictures. One of these men, formerly associated with the technical end of the industry, but now a competent and resourceful realtor of Long Beach, is Clyde A. Garner, senior member of the firm of Garner Brothers, 140 Locust Avenue.
Clyde A. Garner was born at Kansas City, Missouri, August 4, 1888, a son of Hugh Henry and Catherine (Surber) Garner, parents of six sons
PACIFIC-SOUTHWEST BUILDING
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and one daughter, all of whom survive. The daughter and one son are residents of Los Angeles, but the other four sons, with the parents, reside at Long Beach. Hugh Henry Garner was a soldier in the Union army during the war between the states, and for years he was an educator of Kansas and Missouri. In 1907 he came to Long Beach, which has ·since continued to be his home. For the past few years he has been living in comfortable retirement, but formerly was active in business circles here.
After completing his educational training in the public schools of Kansas City, Clyde A. Garner came to Los Angeles in December, 1904. He had been an errand boy in Kansas City and Saint Louis, Missouri, but aside from that experience had but little knowledge of business, but even then was able to sell his abilities, and secured employment with the Universal people at Universal City, leaving that company to go with the Selig-Polyscope Company after eighteen months. For seven and one-half years more he remained in the motion picture industry, and then resigned, and then pur- chased and conducted an auto service station business, continuing it at Monrovia for a year. For two years he was with the Nelson & Price Tire Company and rose to a high position with that concern. For two years he was with the Hubbard Auto Sales Company. In 1922 he came to Long Beach, and entered his present business, his partners being his brothers, William E. and E. J. Garner. These brothers handle all kinds of reliable California real estate and securities, and are also interested in the oil fields of Signal Hill. During the late war Mr. Garner was in training for nine months, and was expecting to be sent to Fort McArthur when the armistice was signed. He is a republican in politics and a Christian Scientist in religion.
On December 24, 1915, Mr. Garner was married at Monrovia, Cali- fornia, to Miss Percie S. Rood, who was graduated from the high school and business college of Monrovia and was secretary of the Monrovia schools. Mrs. Garner was born at Quincy, Illinois, and is a daughter of W. D. Rood of Long Beach. Not only is Mrs. Garner an accomplished vocalist and pianist, but she is very successful in putting on amateur plays, and her services are much in demand by the Long Beach schools and other organiza- tions who desire to express themselves through this medium. Mr. and Mrs. Garner have two children: Elsa Mae C. and Clyde A., Jr., both of whom were born at Monrovia. The family residence is at 3704 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach. Mr. Garner has always been an enthusiast with reference to his work, but now feels that he has found the field in which he can best operate. A born salesman, his sincerity and convincing argu- ments make for him many sales, and he and his brothers are handling their share of the realty business of this section. Since coming to Long Beach he has become one of the city's most consistent boosters and feels that there is no limit to what can be accomplished here if an intelligent co-operation is maintained. Nature has done so much, man only needs to properly develop the resources, and in this work he is devoting his time, his energies and his abilities.
CITY NATIONAL BANK. Particular interest attaches to the erection of the new Pacific Southwest Building in Long Beach, both because it is the first twelve-story, Class A, metropolitan office building to be erected in the city, and because it is definitely anchoring the business center of Long Beach at Broadway and American. It is expected that it will be ready for occupancy about the first of August, 1923. This building, which will house the central office of the Pacific-Southwest Bank in Long Beach, exemplifies the growth of Long Beach and of the bank.
In 1907 the City National Bank, now the main Long Beach branch of the Pacific-Southwest Bank, opened for business at Broadway and American in Long Beach, which was then approximately three blocks from the center of the business district of that city. It was a year before the bank had secured $300,000 in deposits. There were about 15,000 people in the town at that time.
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At the time of organization it started erection of a building on the northwest corner of Broadway and American, three stories in height, facing 50 feet on American and 100 feet on Broadway. At first the bank occupied only 30 feet on the American Avenue side and 40 feet on the Broadway side, later by gradual steps taking in the remainder of the entire first floor of the building.
In 1922 plans were laid for the building of the City National Bank Building on the site of the original building. With the merger of the City National Bank and the Pacific-Southwest Trust & Saving Bank the name of the building was changed to the Pacific-Southwest Building. It occupies 100 feet on Broadway and 100 feet on American.
The bank will occupy the entire ground floor, the mezzanine and basement, with floor space of approximately 25,000 square feet as com- pared with 1200 square feet fifteen years ago.
The building itself is unique in many ways. The business district of Long Beach has been suffering for some years because of inadequate housing space. Owners of property hesitated to erect new buildings because of abnormal conditions and high cost. With the successful com- pletion of the financing of the Pacific-Southwest Building an important impetus was given to the development of downtown business property, and the metropolitan sky-line which Long Beach is now developing can be traced primarily to the initiative which made this new building a success.
Not only this but there has been some question as to the trend of busi- ness in the community, and this new building has definitely anchored the business district of Long Beach at the corner of Broadway and American, the logical business district center.
The building is also unique in the fact that it is built on the "own your own office" plan, the top eleven floors being owned by the tenants, the building being erected by the City National Bank Building Company, of which B. F. Tucker, vice president of the Pacific-Southwest Bank and managing director of the Long Beach branches, is president.
Offices have been sold only to the very best business and professional men in Long Beach, the directors consenting to sell offices only to the leaders in the various lines of business in the community, with the result that it will house the greatest aggregation of business brains ever brought under one roof in the City of Long Beach.
The building is class A throughout, being built of reinforced concrete and brick. The outside is faced with brick and terra cotta, the total invest- ment representing in excess of $1,000,000. There are 289 offices in the top eleven floors, which will be served by three of the most modern, high speed elevators available. The bank will occupy the entire ground floor with the exception of the building lobby, which will be on the American Avenue side, the officers' platform and cages to be on this floor, the mez- zanine floor for the trust department and escrow department, and the basement which will house the safe deposit vaults, bank restaurant, conference rooms, rest rooms, etc.
Typical of the manner in which the Pacific-Southwest Bank is support- ing local development is the fact that largely because of the support of the officers of this institution this new building is being built by a Long Beach contractor, the first and so far the only large building in the city to be constructed by local contractors and local labor.
The extent to which Long Beach has endorsed the Pacific-Southwest Bank and its policies, as exemplified by the manner in which this new building has been erected, is illustrated by the fact that deposits in the Long Beach branches have increased from slightly in excess of $3,000,000 at the time of the merger with the City National Bank on July 1, 1922, to in excess of $5,000,000 at present.
JESSE E. SMITH, president of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce for 1923 and former vice president and always one of its most enthusiastic and enterprising members, is the authorized Ford dealer for Glendale, and
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has been associated with the Ford Motor Company for several years in California and as a young man he worked for that company in his native city of Detroit.
Mr. Smith was born in Detroit, Michigan, August 26, 1890. His father, Ralph C. Smith, who died in 1917, was a native of Detroit and for many years general manager of the Detroit Range Boiler Works. Mr. Smith's mother was Anna Elizabeth Keevan, a native of Detroit and now living with her son Jesse in Glendale. She is quite active in social affairs, being a member of the Tuesday Afternoon Club and the Catholic Ladies' Club.
Jesse E. Smith was educated in the public schools of Detroit, including the Central High School, and at the age of sixteen he became self supporting. From 1906 to 1908 he was an employe of the Michigan Central Railway Company, and for six months was with the Gray Motor Company and then with the Ford Motor Company until 1910. Mr. Smith spent a year and a half in Phoenix, Arizona, with the Green & Griffin Investment & Real Estate Company, and for six months was on the staff of the Arizona Republican.
Leaving Arizona and coming to Southern California, Mr. Smith became associated with the Los Angeles branch of the Ford Motor Company, and continued with the business until 1915, when he resigned to take the dealer's contract for the Ford cars at Glendale, and has been the Ford representa- tive there and in two adjoining towns for the past eight years. In 1921 he built a garage on West Colorado Street, with twenty-two thousand five hundred square feet (22,500 sq. ft.) of floor space. He employs forty people and handles the Ford and Lincoln cars and the Fordson tractors and also operates a complete repair and service department. There are nine salesmen covering his territory. Mr. Smith started out at Glendale with a two hundred car contract, and he now signs an annual contract with the Ford Motor Company to handle a thousand cars each year.
As a member and official Mr. Smith has worked and assisted in carry- ing out the splendid program of achievement credited to the Glendale Chamber of Commerce. His activity in that organization and his popu- larity as a citizen led to his election as president for the year 1923. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is a fourth degree Knights of Columbus and a member of the American Legion Post.
May 15, 1915, Mr. Smith enlisted and was assigned to duty in the ordnance department of the army, with which he continued until December 30, 1918, and received a commission as second lieutenant on December 9th, just before his discharge. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club, the Los Angeles Athletic Club, the Flintridge Country Club, the Old Timers' Club, the Automobile Club and is a Catholic.
April 7, 1920, he married Miss Margaret Mary Brennan of Chicago, where she was born and educated. They have two children, Margaret Rita and Jesse Edward, Jr. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Tuesday Afternoon Club, the Young Ladies' Institute, the Flintridge Country Club and the Sunset Canyon Club.
ALONZO L. BAIRD, one of the Glendale's most enterprising realtors located on South Brand Boulevard, has had a most unusual experience in commercial lines. For many years he was identified with the chain store business, and organized and put on a successful basis a great many stores of that kind in the East and West.
Mr. Baird was born at Winterset. Iowa, September 1, 1880. He was educated in the grammar and high schools there, graduating from high school in 1900, and for two years after finishing his education he was a representative for the publishing firm of King, Richardson & Company. For another two years he was in a dry goods store at Winterset, and from there he removed to Duluth, Minnesota, and for a time was connected with the Grand Union Tea Company and then organized a business of his own known as the Purity Tea Company. Mr. Baird's experience brought him to Nevada in 1907 and he spent a year at Goldfield. From there he came to California, first at Auburn and for six months was at San Fran-
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cisco. He then returned East and at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, became asso- ciated with the S. H. Knox Company, one of the nationally known chain store organizations. He was with the same company at Buffalo, New York, as floor manager, and then became manager of one of the Knox stores at Covington, Kentucky, where he remained two years. On leaving there he went to Chicago and became associated with the George Kraft Company and in eight years in connection with his brother, N. T. Baird, developed thirty-one stores for that organization.
Mr. Baird in January 1919 returned to California and has since been a resident of Glendale. He bought the Glendale Pharmacy and after conducting it for a time sold, then started the promotion and building of the Glendale Research Hospital, and is still secretary and treasurer of that organization. In the real estate and insurance business he is associated with Roy L. Kent.
Mr. Baird is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and is a York Rite Mason and Shriner, an Elk and belongs to the Realty Board, the Kiwanis Club and the Presbyterian Church. He is a life member of the Oakmont Country Club and is vice president of the Sespe Country Club.
Mr. Baird married, November 6, 1907, Miss Carrie Smith of Auburn, California, where she was born and educated. Mrs. Baird is a member of the Eastern Star, the White Shrine and the Tuesday Afternoon Club of Glendale.
EDMUND B. KINNEY, the manager of the Ocean Park branch of the Citizens State Bank of Santa Monica, is one of the progressive men of the county and has built up a reputation as one of the able bankers of the community. Mr. Kinney was born at Cleveland, Ohio, November 20, 1882, and is a son of Allen E. and Cora R. (Phillips) Kinney, natives of the Buckeye State. His father, a railroad man, was identified for many years with the Lake Shore Railway, and came West about 1888, locating at San Diego, California, where he busied himself with ranching, although in his latter years he lived practically retired. His death occurred in 1915, his wife having passed away about 1898.
The public schools of Los Angeles furnished Edmund B. Kinney with his educational training, and as a youth he secured a position with the State Bank & Trust Company of that city, an institution with which he remained for about three years. He then went to Nevada, and for some years was variously employed, for a time being in the Tonopah gold fields. Returning to California, he accepted a position with the Southern Trust & Commerce Bank, in the escrow department, and later became a trust officer of the same institution. This post he held until 1920, when he came to Hermosa Beach and engaged in the real estate business. In Julv. 1921, he formed a partnership with Walter R. Hughes, under the name of the Hughes Realty Company, and this association continued until December, 1922. On April 1, 1923, he accepted the management of the Ocean Park branch of the Citizens State Bank of Santa Monica, which position he is now filling. He is a republican in his political allegiance, and his religious connection is with the First Church of Christ, Scientist. Fraternally he holds membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
On December 28, 1911, Mr. Kinney was united in marriage with Miss Marjorie Young, of Glendale, California, who was born at San Diego and educated in the public schools of Los Angeles. To Mr. and Mrs. Kinney there has been born one son, Jack, who is attending school.
ARTHEME GERMAIN. In the life and activities of Artheme Germain there are to be found the qualities of industry and perservance that have been the reasons for the success of many worthy men who had no other advantages when entering upon their individual life work. Throughout his career he has been industrious and enterprising, with the result that at present he is the owner of a good property at Rivera, as well as a
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flourishing general store, and has the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens.
Mr. Germain was born March 31, 1852, at Quebec, Canada, the eldest in a family of six sons and three daughters born to Joseph and Matilda (Marcotte) Germain, also natives of Canada. He attended the common schools and assisted his father on the home farm until reaching the age of fifteen years, at which time he went to Burlington, Vermont, and entered the woolen mills, in which he worked for twelve years in the manufacture of cloth. When he arrived in Vermont he was possessed of four dollars, and for the next six months worked on a farm where his salary was ten dollars per month. He then entered the woolen mills, as above noted, and was at first paid one dollar per day, out of which he paid his board, lodging and other expenses, and also saved a little money. When he left Vermont he went to Massachusetts, where he spent two years, and in 1879 went to Morrison County, Minnesota, where he home- steaded 160 acres of land. At this time he was possessed of about $100. His homestead was virgin prairie with the exception of ten acres of timber land, on which he built a log house by his own labor. He was not possessed of sufficient funds to buy any oxen of his own, but overcame this difficulty by trading some of his labor for the use of his neighbors' oxen. Thus he was able to develop a fairly good farm, which he sold after fifteen years and then came to California. On his arrival in Los Angeles County he purchased thirty acres of land at thirty dollars an acre and later pur- chased one hundred acres more at twenty-five dollars an acre, the latter covered with a dense growth of willow, which he cleared and improved. The locality at that time was settled almost entirely by Mexicans, who were none too friendly or hospitable, but Mr. Germain managed to avoid trouble and at the same time to improve his fortunes. Mr. Germain operated a dairy until 1910, when his house, barn, tools and stock were swept away by the great flood, and the land denuded. This land is now in the river bed, but is in the oil belt and drilling will be done in the near future. After suffering this misfortune Mr. Germain moved to Whittier Boulevard, where he bought five and one-half acres of land, which he set to citrus fruits. This home overlooks the valley below and is a valuable and attractive property. It also includes a general store, near the Rio Hondo, which is conducted by Mr. Germain and his sons.
In 1874 Mr. Germain married Miss Adelle Marcotte, who was born in Quebec, Canada, August 18, 1854, and to this union eight children have been born : Amanda, born in March, 1876, who died in 1887; Philip, born October 19, 1877, who died at the age of six months ; Joseph, born March 1, 1879, who lives at the old ranch home; Alfred, born May 6, 1882, who assists in the conduct of the store; George, born March 19, 1885, who died in 1887; Johnnie, born April 16, 1887, who is a walnut grower at Rivera ; Albert, born October 4, 1890, living with his parents, and Louis, born December 1, 1898, a clerk in his father's store. These children were all educated in the old ranchito school. The eldest three were born in Vermont, the youngest in California, and the others in Minnesota. The family belongs to the Catholic Church, and its members are conceded to be reliable and desirable residents of the community.
LYNN W. BALLARD. Through no other one medium have the civic and material development and upbuilding of the fine city of Long Beach been fostered so effectively as by the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, and of this splendid organization of representative and progressive citizens Lynn W. Ballard is the executive secretary, an office in which he is doing admirable service in upholding the high civic ideals and liberally forward-looking policies for which the organization stands sponsor.
Lynn Walter Ballard was born at Black Creek, New York, on the 3d of October, 1877, and is a son of Rev. Walter J. and Josephine Mabel ( Brown) Ballard, the latter's father having been a clergyman of the Baptist Church. Lynn W. Ballard continued his studies in the public schools of the old Empire State until he had duly profited by the advantages of the high school
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