Overview of the Collection
Access
Administrative Information
Biographical Note of Gurdon Wallace Wattles
Biographical Note of Gurdon Wallace Wattles, Jr.
Scope and Content
Arrangement
Indexing: Added Entries
Indexing: Subjects
Indexing Terms
Overview of the Collection
Title: Gurdon Wallace Wattles Papers
Dates (inclusive): 1894-1965
Bulk dates: 1918-1950
Collection Number: mssWattles papers
Creator:
Wattles, Gurdon Wallace, 1855-1932.
Extent: 1,650 items in 9 boxes
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection contains the papers of American businessman Gurdon Wallace Wattles (1855-1932) of Omaha, Nebraska, and Hollywood,
California.
The papers chiefly dating from 1918-1950 consist of correspondence, as well as some manuscripts of Wattles and Ephemera.
The correspondence primarily deals with business matters in both Nebraska and California,
family news and business, and there are many which describe the Wattles House and
Gardens in Hollywood, especially the decorating of the Italian garden.
Language: English.
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Gurdon Wallace Wattles Papers, The Huntington Library,
San Marino, California.
Provenance
Gift of K. Joseph Hustek, December 1980.
Biographical Note of Gurdon Wallace Wattles
Gurdon Wallace Wattles (1855-1932) was born in 1855 in Tioga County, New York. His family moved
to Iowa in 1868. He taught school and graduated from Iowa State University in 1876.
He married Abigail Jane “Jennie” Leete in 1882 and started his banking career.
Wattles moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1892, where he became a leading businessman. His
career expanded with his success as the chairman of the Trans-Mississippi and
International Exposition in 1897. He organized the event which brought 2.6 million
people to the state and elevated his presence in the Midwest.
In 1905, Wattles bought ninety acres of land in Hollywood, California. He
commissioned a house to be designed by Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey, architects of the
Henry E. Huntington estate, Pasadena Playhouse and the Beverly Hills Hotel. The house was
completed in 1908, and Wattles began creating gardens for the property. The
gardens consisted of a rose garden, an Italian garden, an American garden and a
Japanese garden imported from Japan.
Sometime after the completion of their house, the Wattles adopted two sisters,
Margaret Elizabeth and Mary Louise. The Wattles’ first child, Frederick, died at the
age of three and Abigail Wattles was instructed to not have any more children.
In 1916, Abigail Wattles became very ill and died in May of that year.
After his wife’s death, Wattles sent his daughters to a Massachusetts boarding
school, and he divided his time between Omaha and Hollywood. He was appointed the
Federal Food Administrator for Nebraska where he met his future wife, Julia Vance.
Vance was the director of the home economics department at the University of
Nebraska and was in her late 30s at the time of their marriage. They were married in 1918.
Gurdon and Julia Wattles moved to Hollywood in 1920, so that their child would be
born in California. Gurdon thought that he would retire in California, but set up a
side business with Henry Workman Keller. He later branched out on his own and faired
rather well in the real estate business. He died in 1932, leaving a large estate to
his wife and son, and trust funds for his two daughters.
Biographical Note of Gurdon Wallace Wattles, Jr.
Gurdon Wallace Wattles, Jr. (1920-1995), son of Gurdon Wallace Wattles (1855-1932) and Julia Vance Wattles, grew up
in Hollywood, California, attended John Burroughs Junior
High School, and graduated from Hollywood High School in 1938. He matriculated to
Harvard in 1939 and graduated in 1942. He was an officer for Navy Intelligence
during World War II and was stationed in the South Pacific. After the war, Gurdon
returned to Harvard for his law degree, graduating in 1949. He joined the staff of
the United Nations Secretariat, Legal Counsel in 1950 and served there for 26 years.
He married twice and had two sons, two daughters, a step-son and 6 grandchildren at
the time of his death.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of 26 items in the Manuscripts series, 1,263 items in the
Correspondence series and 361 pieces of Ephemera.
The manuscripts mainly consist of speeches or short pieces written by Gurdon Wallace
Wattles regarding business practices, Nebraska, and his political views. It also
includes scripts written by True Boardman.
The majority of the correspondence is from Gurdon Wallace Wattles or addressed to
him. These letters deal with his business matters in both Nebraska and California,
family news and business, and there are many which describe the Wattles House and
Gardens, especially the decorating of the Italian garden. There are also letters
pertaining to the disposition of his will. Another set of letters describes Wattles’
investment in a company which explored sound in film technology.
The Ephemera section contains material relating to the Wattles family and their life
in California. Among these materials are drawings for the Italian garden, weddings
plans for the two daughters, membership cards, invitations to private and public
events and photographs of the family on vacation and at the Wattles property. There
are also materials related to the disposition of Wattles’ will, some business papers
and materials related to musicians the Wattles’ supported.
Participants include: Harry Chandler, Herbert Hoover, Henry Workman Keller, Robert
Andrews Millikan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Gurdon Wallace Wattles, Jr., and the
Republican National Committee. Subjects in the collection include: Beverly Hills
Hotel; Los Angeles history; Los Angeles gardens; Hollywood, California; Motion
picture industry in New York; Hot Springs, South Dakota; Los Angeles Newspapers;
Omaha, Nebraska; Universal City, California; Herbert Hoover; Henry Workman Keller;
and correspondence from World War, 1939-1945.
Arrangement
Arranged in three series: Manuscripts; Correspondence; and Ephemera.
Indexing: Added Entries
Chandler, Harry, 1864-1944
- Addressee of letters (1928-1929) by Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932. Box
5 (16).
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
- Addressee of letters and telegrams (1923-1929) by Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 6 (2).
- Addressee of telegram (1928, June 15) by Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932
and Julia Vance Wattles. Box 7 (44).
Keller, Henry Workman, 1869-1958
- Addressee of letters (1926-1931) by Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932. Box
6 (10).
Vanderbilt, Cornelius, 1898-1974
- Addressee of letters (1923-1924) by Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932. Box
7 (25).
Indexing: Subjects
Beverly Hills Hotel
- Subject in Margaret J. Anderson letter (1928, Nov. 18) to Gurdon Wallace
Wattles, 1855- 1932. Box 1 (25).
- Subject in Jessie Hubbard postcard (1934, Dec. 20) to Julia Vance Wattles.
Box 3 (7).
Gardens – California – Los Angeles
- Subject in The Wattles Gardens [after 1930] essay by C.O. Coffin. Box 1
(5).
- Subject in Oreste Andreini letters (1927-1928) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 1 (26).
- Subject in Arminio Conte letters and telegram (1927-1928) to Gurdon
Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932. Box 2 (18).
- Subject in W.J. Dodd letters (1926-1928) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 2 (38).
- Subject in John Theodore Hillquist letter (1927, May 27) to Arminio Conte.
Box 2 (65).
- Subject in James Loudon & Co. letter (1928, May 29) to Gurdon Wallace
Wattles, 1855- 1932. Box 3 (14).
- Subject in Los Angeles (Calif.). Dept. of Public Works letter (1948, Mar.
12) to Los Angeles (Calif.). Bureau of Engineering. Box 3 (38).
- Subject in Ed S. Miller letter (1919, Mar. 4) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 3 (57).
- Subject in Los Angeles (Calif.). Dept. of Water and Power letter (1927,
Nov. 22) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932. Box 3 (39).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1928) to Oreste
Andreini. Box 5 (5).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters and telegrams
(1922-1929) to Mary Louise Wattles Bryans. Box 5 (12).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters and telegram
(1927-1928) to Arminio Conte. Box 5 (20).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1926-1928) to
William J. Dodd. Box 5 (33).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932. 1 letter (1928, Mar. 13) to
Guy B. Barham Co. Box 5 (52).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters and telegrams
(1922-1931) to John Theodore Hillquist. Box 5 (57).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1923-1927) to Los
Angeles (Calif.). Dept. of Water and Power. Box 6 (21).
- Subject in [Julia Vance Wattles] letters (1965) to Los Angeles (Calif.).
Dept. of Water and Power. Box 7 (57).
- Subject in Ephemera: Wattles House and Gardens (1927-1941). Box 8 (25).
- Subject in Photographs ([1918]-[1927]). Box 9 (6).
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
- Subject in Untitled manuscript beginning, “So many conflicting statements
have been made regarding Herbert Hoover…” [1928] by [Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932]. Box 1 (12).
- Subject in Leo C. Monahan letter (1925, Apr. 15) to Gurdon Wallace
Wattles, 1855-1932. Box 3 (63).
- Subject in Republican National Committee letter (1928, Aug. 8) to Gurdon
Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932. Box 4 (9).
- Subject in Lawrence Richey, 1885-1959 letters (1929) to Gurdon Wallace
Wattles, 1855- 1932. Box 4 (11).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1928-1929) to Harry
Chandler, 1864-1944. Box 5 (16).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letter (1930, June 2) to
Editor of the A.R.A. Association Review. Box 5 (37).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters and telegrams
(1923-1929) to Herbert Hoover, 1874-1964. Box 6 (2).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letter (1925, Apr. 21) to Lee
C. Monahan. Box 6 (39).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letter (1928, Aug. 16) to
Republican National Committee. Box 6 (67).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 and Julia Vance Wattles
telegram (1928, June 15) to Herbert Hoover, 1874-1964. Box 7 (44).
Hot Springs (S.D.)
- Subject in M.F. Harrington letters (1923-1925) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 2 (60).
- Subject in John Theodore Hillquist letters (1924-1931) to Constance H.
Wattles. Box 3 (1).
- Subject in Bert W. Wattles letters (1923-1924) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 4 (72).
- Subject in Constance H. Wattles letters (1924-1931) to Gurdon Wallace
Wattles, 1855- 1932. Box 5 (1).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1923-1924) to M.F.
Harrington. Box 5 (55).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters and telegrams
(1922-1931) to John Theodore Hillquist. Box 5 (57).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1923-1924) to Bert
W. Wattles. Box 7 (30).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1924-1931) to
Constance H. Wattles. Box 7 (31).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1926) to Max
McGraw.
Keller, Henry Workman, 1869-1958
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters and telegrams
(1922-1931) to John Theodore Hillquist. Box 5 (57).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letter (1928, June 13) to
A.G. Quirk. Box 6 (63).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1923-1927) to John
McHugh. Box 6 (36).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1922-1931) to Mary
Wattles McHugh. Box 6 (37).
Motion picture industry – New York (State) – New York
- Subject in Meeting Notes (1928-1931) by Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932.
Box 1 (9).
- Subject in Phil Goldstone letters and telegram (1928-1929) to Gurdon
Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932. Box 2 (38).
- Subject in Perry A. Hull letters (1929-1930) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 3 (9).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1928-1930) to Phil
Goldstone, 1893- 1963. Box 5 (46).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letter (1928, Dec. 7) to Phil
Goldstone, 1893-1963 and Alfred Weiss. Box 5 (48).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1929-1930) to Perry
A. Hull. Box 6 (4).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1928-1929) to Alfred
Weiss. Box 7 (39).
- Subject in Alfred Weiss letters (1928-1929) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 7 (65).
Newspapers – California – Los Angeles
- Subject in Joseph Polcar letters (1927) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 4 (3).
- Subject in Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1898-1974 letters (1923-1924) to Gurdon
Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932. Box 4 (63).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letter (1927, Feb. 7) to
Joseph Polcar. Box 6 (56).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letters (1923-1924) to
Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1898-1974. Box 7 (25).
Universal City (Calif.)
- Subject in Harry H. Culver letters (1928-1931) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 2 (30).
- Subject in Harry H. Culver and Arthur Bacon letter (1929, Mar. 4) to
Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 and Julia Vance Wattles. Box 2
(31).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letter (1930-1931) to Harry
H. Culver. Box 5 (26).
- Subject in L.O. Hopkins letter (1931, Nov. 25) to Gurdon Wallace Wattles,
1855-1932. Box 3 (6).
- Subject in Gurdon Wallace Wattles, 1855-1932 letter (1931, Nov. 27) to
L.O. Hopkins. Box 6 (3).
- Subject in Ephemera: Miscellaneous (1920-1941). Box 8 (24).
Indexing Terms
Subjects
Wattles, Gurdon
Wallace, 1855-1932.
Beverly Hills
Hotel.
Gardens -- California -- Los
Angeles.
Motion picture industry -- New York
(State) -- New York.
American newspapers -- California --
Los Angeles.
World War, 1939-1945 --
Correspondence.
California -- History
-- 20th century -- Sources.
Hollywood (Los
Angeles, Calif.)
Hot Springs
(S.D.)
Los Angeles (Calif.)
-- History -- 20th century -- Sources.
Omaha
(Neb.)
Universal City
(Calif.)
Forms/Genres
Letters (correspondence) -- United
States -- 20th century.
Manuscripts -- United States -- 20th
century.
Radio scripts -- United States -- 20th
century.
Speeches -- United States -- 20th
century.
Additional Contributors
Boardman, True.
Chandler, Harry, 1864-1944.
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964.
Keller, Henry Workman, 1869-1958.
Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953.
Vanderbilt, Cornelius, 1898-1974.
Wattles, Gurdon Wallace, 1920-1995.
Republican National Committee
(U.S.)