Gurdon Wattles
Encyclopedia
Gurdon Wallace Wattles was an early businessman, banker and civic leader in Omaha, Nebraska
who became responsible for bankrolling much of early Hollywood. 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."
, Tioga County
, New York
and died on January 31, 1932 at Hollywood, California. He was the grandson of Jehiel Wattles and Phoebe Lathrop; and Dr. Tower Whitton, a 1796 graduate of Dartmouth College
.
His first name, Gurdon, was derived from his ancestor Brampton Gurdon
who was a Member of Parliament
for Sudbury
(1621) and High Sheriff
of Suffolk
. His daughter, Muriel Gurdon, married Richard Saltonstall, Jr., the son of Sir Richard Saltonstall, Sr.
, who led a group of English settlers up the Charles River
to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts
in 1630.
He was a descendant of Mayflower
passengers Elder William Brewster
and John Howland
. He was also a descendant of John Lothropp who was an English Anglican clergyman, who became a Congregationalist minister and emigrant to New England. He was the founder of Barnstable, Massachusetts
, and John Mason, an English Army Major, a Deputy Governor of Connecticut and the principle founder of Norwich, Connecticut
. One of his distant relatives from his father's side is Edward Everett
an American politician and President of Harvard University
.
Gurdon's father served as a Lieutenant
in the 109th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the War of the Rebellion and after the war decided to move the family. They traveled in a covered wagon
settling in Glidden, Iowa
in 1868. Gurdon graduated from high school there, and soon after become a teacher. He attended Iowa State University graduating in 1876, joining the Delta Tau Delta
fraternity and the debate team.
He married Abigail Jane "Jennie" Leete on October 20, 1882 in Jennie's hometown of Clarksville, Butler County, Iowa
. They had meet while students at Iowa Agricultural College. She was the daughter of Allen N. Leete and Abigail Button and a direct descendant of Governor William Leete
, who was the 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
, Cook County, Illinois. They were the parents of three children: Frederick Leete Wattles, Margaret Elizabeth Wattles and Mary Louise Wattles.
He remarried at Estes Park, Colorado
on June 26, 1918 to Julia Vance. She was born at Milford, Nebraska
, on August 23, 1883, the daughter of Alexander Hamilton Vance. She died in November 1977 in Los Angeles, California. She studied for 3 years at Doane College
and was a graduate of both Oberlin College
and Columbia College. She was the director of the home economics department at the University of Nebraska
when she met Gurdon Wattles. She gave birth to a son, Gurdon Wallace Wattles, Jr., on May 5,1920 at their home in Hollywood, California
. 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 Iowa during this time the Farmer's Bank "prospered beyond our greatest hopes." After arriving in Omaha in 1892 Wattles became the vice-president of the city's Union National Bank
.
By 1901 Wattles consolidated all the independent streetcar lines in Omaha into one company called the Omaha and Council Bluffs Streetcar Company, which later became the Omaha Traction Company
. In 1903 he helped organize the Omaha Grain Exchange and the Omaha Business Men's Association, a group vowed to keep labor unions out of Omaha and maintain open shop
s. In 1905 Wattles became the president, and then the chairman of the board of the United States National Bank of Omaha, serving until 1920. Also in 1905 Wattles was the lead of Nebraska's exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
in St. Louis, Missouri
. It was there that he pioneered the usage of filmed footage for advertising.
Wattles was a director of the Chicago Great Western Railroad, and was responsible for the construction of the Omaha landmark Hotel Fontenelle
in 1914.
. His leadership is attributed with bringing over 2.6 million people to Omaha to view the 4,062 exhibits during the four months of the Exposition. When President William McKinley
visited, Wattles introduced him to the crowd of nearly 100,000 assembled on the plaza. Wattles' expo stretched over a 180 acre (0.7284348 km²) tract in North Omaha and featured a 2000 feet (609.6 m)-long lagoon encircled by 21 classical buildings that featured fine and modern products from around the world. During the grand parade for the expo Wattles rode alongside William Jennings Bryan
, a three-time candidate for president of the United States, who was also a close friend. This event is attributed with launching Wattles' influence across Nebraska and throughout the Midwestern United States
.
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. Gurdon was appointed the Federal Food Administrator for Nebraska by Herbert Hoover
during World War I
.
in 1905. The Iowa State College awarded him an honorary degree in the 1910s.
style. It was built in 1895. Today the majority of the house retains its historical significance. It has been listed as an Omaha Landmark and is a contributing building in the Gold Coast Historic District
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Wattles lived in the residence from 1896 to 1921, when he moved permanently to Hollywood, California.
was built by Gurdon as a summer home at the turn of the century. Today "Juanita," as he called the forty-nine acre estate, is the last remaining intact mansion from that time period. The mansion was sold to the City of Los Angeles in 1965, and currently houses a Hollywood historical organization.
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
who became responsible for bankrolling much of early Hollywood. 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."
Personal life
Gurdon Wallace Wattles was the third son of James Wattles and Elizabeth Ann "Betsy" Whitton. He was born on May 12, 1855 in the town of RichfordRichford, New York
Richford is a town in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,170 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Ezekial Rich, an early settler and benefactor of the town....
, Tioga County
Tioga County, New York
As of the census of 2010, there were 51,125 people residing in the county, with 22,203 housing units, of these 20,350 occupied, 1,853 vacant. The population density was 98 people per square mile...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and died on January 31, 1932 at Hollywood, California. He was the grandson of Jehiel Wattles and Phoebe Lathrop; and Dr. Tower Whitton, a 1796 graduate of Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
.
His first name, Gurdon, was derived from his ancestor Brampton Gurdon
Brampton Gurdon (of Assington and Letton)
Brampton Gurdon , of Assington in Suffolk and Letton in Norfolk, was an English country gentleman and Member of Parliament .He was the son of John Gurdon , MP for Sudbury and High Sheriff of Suffolk in 1585....
who was a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Sudbury
Sudbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Sudbury was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in the British House of Commons. A parliamentary borough consisting of the town of Sudbury in Suffolk, it returned two Members of Parliament from 1559 until it was disenfranchised for corruption in 1844...
(1621) and High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. His daughter, Muriel Gurdon, married Richard Saltonstall, Jr., the son of Sir Richard Saltonstall, Sr.
Richard Saltonstall
Sir Richard Saltonstall led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630....
, who led a group of English settlers up the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown, Massachusetts
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
in 1630.
He was a descendant of Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
passengers Elder William Brewster
William Brewster (Pilgrim)
Elder William Brewster was a Mayflower passenger and a Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher.-Origins:Brewster was probably born at Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, circa 1566/1567, although no birth records have been found, and died at Plymouth, Massachusetts on April 10, 1644 around 9- or 10pm...
and John Howland
John Howland
John Howland was a passenger on the Mayflower. He was an indentured servant who accompanied the separatists, also called the Pilgrims, when they left England to settle in Plymouth, Massachusetts...
. He was also a descendant of John Lothropp who was an English Anglican clergyman, who became a Congregationalist minister and emigrant to New England. He was the founder of Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. The town contains seven villages within its boundaries...
, and John Mason, an English Army Major, a Deputy Governor of Connecticut and the principle founder of Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
. One of his distant relatives from his father's side is Edward Everett
Edward Everett
Edward Everett was an American politician and educator from Massachusetts. Everett, a Whig, served as U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator, the 15th Governor of Massachusetts, Minister to Great Britain, and United States Secretary of State...
an American politician and President of Harvard University
President of Harvard University
The President of Harvard University is the chief administrator of the university. Ex officio the chairman of the Harvard Corporation, he or she is appointed by and is responsible to the other members of that body, who delegate to him or her the day-to-day running of the university...
.
Gurdon's father served as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 109th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the War of the Rebellion and after the war decided to move the family. They traveled in a covered wagon
Covered wagon
The covered wagon, also known as a Prairie schooner, is an icon of the American Old West.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteenth century thousands of Americans took them across the Great Plains to Oregon and California...
settling in Glidden, Iowa
Glidden, Iowa
Glidden is a town in Carroll County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,253 at the 2000 census.The town is named in honor of Joseph Farwell Glidden of DeKalb, Illinois, who invented barbed wire in 1873.-Geography:...
in 1868. Gurdon graduated from high school there, and soon after become a teacher. He attended Iowa State University graduating in 1876, joining the Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
fraternity and the debate team.
He married Abigail Jane "Jennie" Leete on October 20, 1882 in Jennie's hometown of Clarksville, Butler County, Iowa
Butler County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 14,867 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,682 housing units, of which 6,120 were occupied.-2000 census:...
. They had meet while students at Iowa Agricultural College. She was the daughter of Allen N. Leete and Abigail Button and a direct descendant of Governor William Leete
William Leete
Governor William Leete was Governor of the Colony of New Haven from 1661 to 1665 and Governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1676 to 1683....
, who was the 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
Clarksville, Iowa
Clarksville is a city in Butler County, Iowa, United States, along the Shell Rock River. The population was 1,441 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Clarksville is located at 42°46'58" North, 92°40'11" West ....
, and died on May 25, 1916 at Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Cook County, Illinois. They were the parents of three children: Frederick Leete Wattles, Margaret Elizabeth Wattles and Mary Louise Wattles.
He remarried at Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park is a town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. A popular summer resort and the location of the headquarters for Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park lies along the Big Thompson River. Estes Park had a population of 5,858 at the 2010 census...
on June 26, 1918 to Julia Vance. She was born at Milford, Nebraska
Milford, Nebraska
Milford is a city in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,070 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Milford is located at ....
, on August 23, 1883, the daughter of Alexander Hamilton Vance. She died in November 1977 in Los Angeles, California. She studied for 3 years at Doane College
Doane College
Doane College is a private liberal arts college in Crete, Nebraska, United States, with additional campuses located in Lincoln and Grand Island.-History:...
and was a graduate of both Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
and Columbia College. She was the director of the home economics department at the University of Nebraska
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
when she met Gurdon Wattles. She gave birth to a son, Gurdon Wallace Wattles, Jr., on May 5,1920 at their home in Hollywood, California
Career
After graduating from college and joining the bar, Wattles joined a firm in Carroll, IowaCarroll, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,103 in the city, with a population density of . There were 4,698 housing units, of which 4,357 were occupied....
. 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 Iowa during this time the Farmer's Bank "prospered beyond our greatest hopes." After arriving in Omaha in 1892 Wattles became the vice-president of the city's Union National Bank
Union National Bank
Union National Bank was established as a Public Joint Stock Company in 1982 and it is one of the leading domestic banks in the United Arab Emirates. The headquarters are in Abu Dhabi. The bank offers a variety of products and services, addressing needs ranging from basic requirements of...
.
By 1901 Wattles consolidated all the independent streetcar lines in Omaha into one company called the Omaha and Council Bluffs Streetcar Company, which later became the Omaha Traction Company
Omaha Traction Company
The Omaha Traction Company was a privately-owned public transportation business in Omaha, Nebraska. Created in the early 1900s by wealthy Omaha banker Gurdon Wattles, the company was involved in a series of contentious disputes with organized labor....
. In 1903 he helped organize the Omaha Grain Exchange and the Omaha Business Men's Association, a group vowed to keep labor unions out of Omaha and maintain open shop
Open shop
An open shop is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union as a condition of hiring or continued employment...
s. In 1905 Wattles became the president, and then the chairman of the board of the United States National Bank of Omaha, serving until 1920. Also in 1905 Wattles was the lead of Nebraska's exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. It was there that he pioneered the usage of filmed footage for advertising.
Wattles was a director of the Chicago Great Western Railroad, and was responsible for the construction of the Omaha landmark Hotel Fontenelle
Hotel Fontenelle
Hotel Fontenelle was an upscale commercial hotel once located at 1806 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Designed by noted architect Thomas Rogers Kimball in the Late Gothic Revival style, it was built in 1914 and demolished in 1983...
in 1914.
Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition
In 1897 Wattles became the organizer and chairman of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition and Indian CongressIndian Congress
The Indian Congress occurred from August 4 to October 31, 1898 in Omaha, Nebraska, in conjunction with the Trans-Mississippi International Exposition. Occurring within a decade of the end of the Indian Wars, the Indian Congress was the largest gathering of American Indian tribes of its kind to that...
. His leadership is attributed with bringing over 2.6 million people to Omaha to view the 4,062 exhibits during the four months of the Exposition. When President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
visited, Wattles introduced him to the crowd of nearly 100,000 assembled on the plaza. Wattles' expo stretched over a 180 acre (0.7284348 km²) tract in North Omaha and featured a 2000 feet (609.6 m)-long lagoon encircled by 21 classical buildings that featured fine and modern products from around the world. During the grand parade for the expo Wattles rode alongside William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
, a three-time candidate for president of the United States, who was also a close friend. This event is attributed with launching Wattles' influence across Nebraska and throughout the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
.
Politics
Wattles was elected delegate to the Republican National ConventionRepublican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
in 1904. There he voted for Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
for president, and when he became a member of the notification committee from
Nebraska, he visited Roosevelt at his home
Sagamore Hill
Sagamore Hill was the home of the 26th President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt from 1885 until his death in 1919. It is located at the end of Cove Neck Road in the Incorporated Village of Cove Neck, New York, on Long Island, 25 miles east of Manhattan. Sagamore Hill is located within...
in Oyster Bay, New York. Their friendship lasted until Roosevelt died in 1919. Gurdon was appointed the Federal Food Administrator for Nebraska by Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Honors
In an elaborate ceremony Wattles was crowned King of the Knights of Ak-Sar-BenAk-Sar-Ben
Ak-Sar-Ben, or Aksarben, was an indoor arena and horse racing complex in Omaha, Nebraska. Built to fund the civic and philanthropic activities of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, the thoroughbred race track was built in 1920 and the Coliseum was built in 1929...
in 1905. The Iowa State College awarded him an honorary degree in the 1910s.
Wattles House
Noted Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball designed the Wattles House in the popular historical revival ChateauesqueChâteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
style. It was built in 1895. Today the majority of the house retains its historical significance. It has been listed as an Omaha Landmark and is a contributing building in the Gold Coast Historic District
Gold Coast Historic District (Omaha, Nebraska)
The Gold Coast Historic District is located in Midtown Omaha, Nebraska. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, this historic district covers approximately a 30 block area roughly bounded by 36th, 40th, Jones, and Cuming Streets...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Wattles lived in the residence from 1896 to 1921, when he moved permanently to Hollywood, California.
Wattles Mansion
The Wattles Mansion and Gardens in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
was built by Gurdon as a summer home at the turn of the century. Today "Juanita," as he called the forty-nine acre estate, is the last remaining intact mansion from that time period. The mansion was sold to the City of Los Angeles in 1965, and currently houses a Hollywood historical organization.
External links
- Wattles, G.W. (1922) Autobiography of Gurdon Wallace Wattles.
- Historic postcard of the Wattles Mansion in Hollywood.
