Clarence E. Coe
Encyclopedia
Clarence Elliot Coe known as Clarence E. Coe, was one of the first settlers and farmers in Palms, California, and a member of the Los Angeles Police Commission from 1929 to 1931 and of the Los Angeles City Council from 1931 to 1933.
, to Nathaniel Fenton Coe of Jamestown, New York
, and Emma Stinton Coe of England. The Coe family was part of the 1882–23 United Brethren Church
migration from Iowa to a virtually empty flatlands area in the La Ballona Valley
about halfway between Los Angeles
and the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica
. They took part in establishing the new community of Palms, California, which was laid out in 1886.
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Clarence completed his education in the Palms public school, then went into farming, mostly lima beans. He was married on October 23, 1896, at the age of 23 to Laura Esther Bauder, 17, of Yolo County; they had four children, Thereon Elliott, Etta (Mrs. L.F. Arnold), Mildred (Mrs. Argyle Nelson) and Fenton. At first he lived in a small farm on Sawtelle Boulevard, but by August 1929, he had retired from farming and was living at 3743 Mentone Avenue in Palms, which had been annexed to Los Angeles in 1915. Over the years Coe purchased and developed more property, including the area which is now the city of Beverly Hills.
In 1901, Coe was the vice president of the Young People's Union of the United Brethren Churches of Southern California. Later, he was a trustee in the Palms School District, a member of the Republican County Central Committee and vice president of the Col. R.M. Baker Home for Retired Ministers. "In 1918 he became a director of the Citizens State Bank of Sawtelle, which had a branch in Palms and another in Brentwood Heights. When this bank was merged with the present Security-First National Bank
in 1927, he retired also from active participation in its affairs, but he is still a member of the executive board of the Palms branch. . . ."
Coe was appointed to the Police Commission by Mayor John C. Porter in May 1929. He served for two years until his election to the City Council
from the 11th District in 1931. It was "A scattered area, due to its inclosure of county territory. Its eastern boundary is La Brea Avenue, its north boundary is Pico Boulevard, its southern boundary the city limits and its western boundary the ocean." He and Charles W. Dempster were nominated in the primary over J.C. Barthel
, the incumbent, who ran in the final election as a write-in. Coe received the most votes in the final election, 5,460, over Dempster, with 4,444, and Barthel, with 3,621; thus he did not have a majority but was the victor anyway. He was defeated for reelection in 1933 by Charles Winchester Breedlove
, 9,082 votes to Breedlove's 11,275.
Biography
Coe was born on January 23, 1873, in Le Mars, IowaLe Mars, Iowa
Le Mars is a city in and the county seat of Plymouth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,237 at the 2000 census. Le Mars is the home of Wells' Dairy, the world's largest producer of ice cream novelties in one location and is the self-proclaimed "Ice Cream Capital of the World". Wells...
, to Nathaniel Fenton Coe of Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
, and Emma Stinton Coe of England. The Coe family was part of the 1882–23 United Brethren Church
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
migration from Iowa to a virtually empty flatlands area in the La Ballona Valley
Rancho la Ballona
Rancho La Ballona was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California confirmed by governor Juan Alvarado in 1839 to Ygnacio and Augustin Machado and Felipe and Tomas Talamantes...
about halfway between Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. They took part in establishing the new community of Palms, California, which was laid out in 1886.
Clarence completed his education in the Palms public school, then went into farming, mostly lima beans. He was married on October 23, 1896, at the age of 23 to Laura Esther Bauder, 17, of Yolo County; they had four children, Thereon Elliott, Etta (Mrs. L.F. Arnold), Mildred (Mrs. Argyle Nelson) and Fenton. At first he lived in a small farm on Sawtelle Boulevard, but by August 1929, he had retired from farming and was living at 3743 Mentone Avenue in Palms, which had been annexed to Los Angeles in 1915. Over the years Coe purchased and developed more property, including the area which is now the city of Beverly Hills.
In 1901, Coe was the vice president of the Young People's Union of the United Brethren Churches of Southern California. Later, he was a trustee in the Palms School District, a member of the Republican County Central Committee and vice president of the Col. R.M. Baker Home for Retired Ministers. "In 1918 he became a director of the Citizens State Bank of Sawtelle, which had a branch in Palms and another in Brentwood Heights. When this bank was merged with the present Security-First National Bank
Security Pacific Bank
Security Pacific National Bank was a large US bank headquartered in Los Angeles, California. In 1992 Bank of America acquired SPNB.-History:...
in 1927, he retired also from active participation in its affairs, but he is still a member of the executive board of the Palms branch. . . ."
Appointment and elections
See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1931, 1933Coe was appointed to the Police Commission by Mayor John C. Porter in May 1929. He served for two years until his election to the City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
from the 11th District in 1931. It was "A scattered area, due to its inclosure of county territory. Its eastern boundary is La Brea Avenue, its north boundary is Pico Boulevard, its southern boundary the city limits and its western boundary the ocean." He and Charles W. Dempster were nominated in the primary over J.C. Barthel
J.C. Barthel
Julius C. Barthel, who went by J.C. Barthel, was an engineer and politician who was a Los Angeles City Council member from 1929 to 1931.-Biography:...
, the incumbent, who ran in the final election as a write-in. Coe received the most votes in the final election, 5,460, over Dempster, with 4,444, and Barthel, with 3,621; thus he did not have a majority but was the victor anyway. He was defeated for reelection in 1933 by Charles Winchester Breedlove
Charles Winchester Breedlove
Charles Winchester Breedlove was an invalided U.S. Marine, an actor and a motion picture director who died in office while a member of the Los Angeles City Council in the 1930s.-Biography:...
, 9,082 votes to Breedlove's 11,275.
Positions
- On the Police Commission, Coe consistently voted against the granting of permits for fortune tellers and clairvoyants, and when he got to the City Council, he submitted a resolution that would have outlawed palmistry, astrologyAstrologyAstrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
and phrenologyPhrenologyPhrenology is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules...
, calling them "unessential and unuseful."
- As a councilman, he "joined the group opposing the Mayor [Porter] and has been with that group ever since."
- Coe voted in summer 1931 against instructing the city attorney to appeal a judge's decision ordering the city to stop the practice of segregating its swimming pools by raceRacial segregation in the United StatesRacial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
. The vote was 6 in favor of an appeal and 8 opposed, including Coe, a vote that resulted in the pools' being immediately desegregated.