Everything about Gurdon Wattles totally explained
Gurdon Wallace Wattles (
May 12,
1855-1932) 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."
Personal life
Gurdon was the third son of James and Betsy Ann (Whiting) Wattles, born in the town of
Richford, New York. After serving in the
U.S. Civil War, father Wattles decided to move the family and they traveled in a
covered wagon to
Glidden, Iowa in 1868. Gurdon graduated from high school there, soon after becoming a
teacher. He attended in the
Iowa Agricultural College in 1876, joining the
Delta Tau Delta fraternity and a debate team.
Wattles married Jennie Leete on
October 20,
1882 in Jennie's hometown of
Clarksville, Iowa. After completing 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 local
Episcopalian congregation to build a church. Jennie died suddenly on
May 25,
1916. He remarried on
June 26,
1918 to Julia Vance. She gave birth to a son, Gurdon Wallace Wattles, Jr., on May 5, 1920.
Career
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 shops. 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.
Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition
In 1897 Wattles became the organizer and chairman of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition and
Indian Congress. 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 McKinley visited, Wattles introduced him to the crowd of nearly 100,000 assembled on the plaza. Wattles' expo stretched over a tract in
North Omaha and featured a -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.
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. Gurdon 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
Ak-Sar-Ben in 1905. The
Iowa State College awarded him an honorary degree in the 1910s.
Wattles House
The
Chateauesque Wattles House was built in 1895 after being designed by noted Omaha architect
Thomas R. Kimball. Today the majority of the house retains its historical significance. Wattles lived in the residence from 1896 to 1921, when he took up residence permanently in
Hollywood, California.
Wattles Mansion
The Wattles Mansion and Gardens in
Los Angeles, California was built by Gurdon as a
summer home at the turn of the century. Today "Jualita," 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.
Further Information
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