Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....French, John G. 1855 - 
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Author: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908)

JOHN G. FRENCH, one of the active men in the upbuilding of Venice, was born in
Miami county, Ohio, October 22, 1855, son of Asa D. and Ruth E. French. The
family moved to White county, Indiana, where he grew up on a farm devoted to
stockraising. At the age of 17 years he became a school teacher. His health
becoming impaired, he left home in the fall of 1875 for Harvey county, Kansas,
and after teaching a year, engaged in the stock and grain shipping business. In
1882 he associated himself with the wholesale grain and commission business at
Atchison, Kansas; later he engaged in the wholesale grocery business, and while
thus engaged became largely interested in real estate in Central Kansas.
Retiring from the grocery trade 1888, he engaged in real estate and general
mercantile business in Harvey and Pratt counties, Kansas. In 1891 he moved with
his family to California, where he became a manufacturers' agent, with offices
in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In 1898 he became associated with the Wm. H.
Hoegee Co. of Los Angeles, founding their wholesale business, which he managed.
In January, 1905, he became the manager of the Abbot Kinney Co. in the selling
of Venice property and overseeing the building of Venice of America. Many of the
unique, special features of the famous place are the result of his efforts. Upon
the organization of the Ocean Park city school district, in 1904, he was elected
a member of the Board, which position he still retains as president and clerk.
Being active and energetic in the school work as well as having advanced ideas,
he has been a factor in making the school one of the best in the country. He has
been an advocate of the unification of the Santa Monica Bay interests, and had
his ideas prevailed much more would have been accomplished. Politically Mr.
French has been a lifelong Republican, fraternally a Knight of Pythias.

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)


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