Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Bundy, Frank E. 1871 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com December 12, 2005, 11:44 pm Author: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908) FRANK E. BUNDY, an influential citizen, property owner and capitalist of Santa Monica, whose name is synonymous with the history and the business growth of the place, is a native of Iowa, having been born in the town of Ames, August 4th, 1871, the son of Nathan and Harriet (Smith) Bundy, who were among the first settlers of Santa Monica. Mr. Bundy was a boy of five years of age when the family left Iowa, came to California and located in the then embryo City of Santa Monica. He attended the first schools as they were organized, passed through the grades and graduated from the Santa Monica High School. After leaving school he perfected himself in the trade of jeweler and watch maker and opened a store in this place which he carried on successfully until close application to business and indoor work so impaired his health that his physicians insisted upon a change which would give him employment in the open air. He then embarked in the wholesale and retail oil business and he pushed the trade with such energy and good management that within a period of about four years he found himself the possessor of some of the best real estate holdings in Santa Monica, all purchased with the profits of his business. He then closed out the oil business and with renewed force and enthusiasm, inaugurated a series of land deals, the successful prosecution of which have placed him in the front rank of real estate promotors. He took an active interest in the platting and sale of the East Ocean Park tract. "Sierra Vista," the success and fame of which are by no means local, is Mr. Bundy's individual enterprise and his fondest hopes for a substantial and picturesque addition to Santa Monica are here being realized in full. In 1905 Mr. Bundy erected, at 253-255 North Third Street, the F. E. Bundy Block, one of the most substantial and architecturally perfect brick buildings in the city. It has a frontage of fifty feet on the street, is one hundred and fifty feet deep and three stories in heighth. The first floor is occupied by the Montgomery Dry Goods House; the second is devoted to offices, single and ensuite, and the third is occupied by modern apartments, known as the Adelaide Apartments. In 1906, Mr. Bundy put up the F. E. Bundy Building No. 2, in Sawtelle. This, in size and architectural finish is fully up to the standard of his Santa Monica building. It occupies the corner of Oregon and Fourth Street and is an office building. In 1904, Mr. Bundy built for his family residence one of the most spacious and beautiful bungalow homes in Santa Monica. He has also (1907) just completed a fine residence in Los Angeles, located at the corner of 16th and Arlington streets. Mr. Bundy married, in 1899, Miss Ethel E. Spaulding, daughter of Jared Spaulding, of Elgin, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Bundy have two daughters, Adelaide and Elizabeth. Frank E. Bundy is a plain, unassuming and courteous man of business, devoted to the best interests of his home city, the management of his various and valuable properties, and the happiness of his family. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities: prefaced with a brief history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County, 1542 to 1908: supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography and embellished with views of historic landmarks and portraits of representative people. Los Angeles: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/losangeles/bios/bundy161bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb