Gurdon Wattles
Gurdon Wattles | |
---|---|
Hollywood, California | |
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Banker, civic leader |
Known for | Financing early Hollywood |
Gurdon Wallace Wattles (May 12, 1855 - January 31, 1932) was an early businessman, banker, and civic leader in Omaha, Nebraska, who became responsible for bankrolling much of early Hollywood.[1] Wattles was said to possess "all the right credentials to direct Omaha's fortunes for the twentieth century in the post-pioneer era: humble beginnings, outstanding ability, a fine intellect, impeccable manners, driving ambition, and a ruthless streak."[2]
Personal life
Gurdon Wallace Wattles[3] was the third son of James Wattles and Elizabeth Whitton. He was born on May 12, 1855, in the town of Richford, New York, and died on January 31, 1932, in Hollywood, California. He was the grandson of Dr. Tower Whitton,[4] a 1796 graduate of Dartmouth College.
His first name, Gurdon, was derived from his ancestor
He was a descendant of
Gurdon's father served as a
He married Abigail Jane Leete[8] on October 20, 1882, in Jennie's hometown of Clarksville, Iowa. They met while attending at Iowa Agricultural College. She was the daughter of Allen N. Leete and Abigail Button, and a direct descendant of Governor William Leete,[9] who was governor of the Colony of New Haven from 1661 to 1665 and governor of Connecticut from 1676 to 1683. She was born about 1858 in Clarksville, Iowa, and died on May 25, 1916, at Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. They were the parents of three children: Frederick Leete Wattles, Margaret Elizabeth Wattles, and Mary Louise Wattles.
He remarried at
Career
After graduating from college and joining the bar, Wattles joined a firm in Carroll, Iowa. Soon after, he convinced his parents to move there, and at their behest, he donated a lot to the Trinity Episcopal Church congregation to build an edifice. Wattles first venture into banking happened in 1882 when he worked with silent partners to found the Farmer's Bank in Carroll. By focusing directly on assisting the many German immigrants who wanted to farm in eastern Nebraska during this time the Farmer's Bank "prospered beyond our fondest hopes."[12] After arriving in Omaha in 1892 Wattles became the vice-president of the city's Union National Bank.[13]
By 1901, Wattles consolidated all the
Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition
In 1897, Wattles became the organizer and chairman of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition and
Politics
Wattles was elected delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1904. There he voted for Theodore Roosevelt for president, and when he became a member of the notification committee from Nebraska, he visited Roosevelt at his home in Oyster Bay, New York. Their friendship lasted until Roosevelt died in 1919. Wattles was appointed the Federal Food Administrator for Nebraska by Herbert Hoover during World War I.
Honors
In an elaborate ceremony, Wattles was crowned King of the Knights of
Wattles House
Noted Omaha architect
Wattles Mansion
In April 1905, Wattles purchased ninety acres in
Wattles permanently relocated his family to their new California home in 1920, opening an office in the Hellman Bank Building at 7th and Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles. Around this time, Wattles befriended fellow Iowa émigré Margaret J Anderson and provided her with business advice and assistance in establishing the Beverly Hills Hotel, “...in those early days when Hollywood was young and Beverly Hills was in its infancy.”[24]
See also
- History of Omaha
References
- ^ a b (2006) "Gurdon Wattles" Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine, Hollywood Heritage. September. Retrieved 2/6/08.
- ^ Larsen, L. and Cottrell, B. (1997) The Gate City: A History of Omaha. University of Nebraska Press. p. 132.
- ^ "CONTENTdm".
- ^ Chapman, George Thomas (1867). Sketches of the Alumni of Dartmouth College: From the First Graduation in 1771 to the Present Time, with a Brief History of the Institution. Riverside Press. p. 86.
tower whiton.
- ^ Wattles, G.W., "Autobiography of Gurdon Wallace Wattles - Genealogy", privately printed, The Scribner Press, New York (1922) p 41
- ^ Wattles, G.W., "Autobiography of Gurdon Wallace Wattles - Genealogy", privately printed, The Scribner Press, New York (1922) p 46
- ^ Wattles, G.W., "Autobiography of Gurdon Wallace Wattles - Genealogy", privately printed, The Scribner Press, New York (1922) p 44
- ^ "The family of William Leete, one of the first settlers of Guilford, Conn., and governor of New Haven and Connecticut colonies". New Haven, Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, printers. 1884.
- ^ "Governors of Connecticut - William Leete". Archived from the original on 2011-08-07. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
- ^ "Obituary of Gurdon W. Wattles, Jr". New York Times. June 28, 1995.
- ^ Weber, Bruce (April 24, 2009). "Obituary of Santha Rama Rau". New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
- ^ Wattles, G.W., "Autobiography of Gurdon Wallace Wattles - Genealogy", privately printed, The Scribner Press, New York (1922) p. 48.
- ^ Larsen, L. and Cottrell, B. (1997) p 86.
- ^ "Omaha-Douglas County" Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine, Our Towns. University of Nebraska. Retrieved 2/6/08.
- ^ Larsen, L. and Cottrell, B. (1997) p 134.
- ^ Trans-Mississippi Exposition Parade."[usurped] Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 2/6/08.
- ^ Larsen, L. and Cottrell, B. (1997) p 43.
- ^ Omaha Notes Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Retrieved 2/12/08.
- ^ Larsen, L. and Cottrell, B. (1997) p 132.
- ^ Gerber, K. and Spencer, J.S. (2003), Architecture for the Ages, Landmarks, Inc. p. 77.
- ^ Wattles, G.W., "Autobiography of Gurdon Wallace Wattles - Genealogy", privately printed, The Scribner Press, New York (1922) p 144
- ^ Talbot, Victoria (March 31, 2017). "Wattles Mansion 2017 Designer Showcase is "Hollywood History"" (PDF). The Beverly Hills Courier. Vol. LI, no. 13. p. 8. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ "Wattles Estate", California Historic Preservation Commission. Retrieved 2/12/08.
- ^ Personal letter: Margaret J Anderson to Gurdon W. Wattles, November 18, 1928, Gurdon Wallace Wattles Papers, Huntington Library
External links
- Wattles, G.W. (1922) Autobiography of Gurdon Wallace Wattles.
- Historic postcard of the Wattles Mansion in Hollywood.