Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Mesmer, Louis February 20, 1829 - August 18, 1900
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Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com August 15, 2010, 9:01 pm

Source: California and Californians, Vol. IV, Published 1932, Pages 65 - 66
Author: The Lewis Publishing Company

     LOUIS MESMER, who took a leading part in the history of Los Angeles, was 
born at Surburg, Canton Sulz, Alsace, France, February 20, 1829, and died at 
Los Angeles, California, August 18, 1900. He was the son of Joseph and Barbara 
Merkel Mesmer and was one of a family of eleven children. At the age of 
fourteen he began an apprenticeship at the baker's trade at Hagenau, and after 
four years established a bakery at Strassburg, thence to Colmar, thence to 
Paris and thence to Havre. His success stimulated a desire to see a little 
more of the world. He sold his business, and traveling in a sailing vessel, 
landed at New York three months later. He worked at his trade at Syracuse, at 
Buffalo, at Cincinnati and Dayton, and later established a business of his own 
at Tippecanoe City, Ohio.

     While there he married Miss Catherine Forst in December, 1854, and four 
years later he left Ohio for California. After some experience without special 
reward in the gold fields of California and British Columbia, he became post 
baker for the British troops stationed at Fort Esquimalt, but returned to Los 
Angeles in August, 1859, where he first purchased the Ulyard Bakery and later 
the New York Bakery. During the Civil war he had a Government contract to 
supply bread to the troops stationed at Camp Leighton, southwest of and near 
Culver City.

     Mr. Mesmer had the real spirit of the western pioneer, rugged, strong 
physically, an indomitable will, always ready for adventure and some new line 
of enterprise. When these undertakings took him from his business it was Mrs. 
Mesmer who took up the reins and successfully carried on — rearing her growing 
family mid the hardships of those early pueblo days. She was responsible for 
the family making their permanent home in Los Angeles, and to her is due much 
for the husband's success.

     In 1863 Mr. Mesmer sold his business and purchased the United States 
Hotel. 

     In 1869, after leasing the hotel, Mr. Mesmer and his family made an 
extended tour through Europe, and in 1871 he bought the Dr. R. T. Hayes home, 
which continued to be the family residence for over twenty-five years.

     His realty operations were largely in what is now the uptown business 
district of Los Angeles. He not only exercised good judgment in the purchase 
of real estate, but the value of these investments was greatly enhanced by the 
close supervision he gave to every phase of building construction. In 1880 he 
contracted for the first piece of concrete sidewalk laid in Los Angeles, in 
front of his Fort Street residence.

     His business ability and integrity made his service sought in many 
directions. In 1874 Rt. Rev. Bishop Thadeus Amat asked him to take full charge 
of the erection of St. Vibiana's Cathedral.

     Hardly any public enterprise was launched during the last thirty years of 
the previous century at Los Angeles in which Louis Mesmer was not interested 
to the extent of financial contributions.

     He was ever loyal to his home community, generous to the call of the poor 
and those early charitable institutions caring for the orphans and the 
homeless. Modern Los Angeles owes to him the debt that represents the 
obligation of the present day generation to the strong and resourceful 
pioneers of the past.

     Mr. Mesmer lost the much beloved and highly respected companion of his 
early struggles and the mother of his children on October 2, 1891. On July 15, 
1893, he married Mrs. Jennie E. Swan, to which union no children were born. 
Mr. Mesmer's family comprised three sons and two daughters, three of whom are 
living at Los Angeles, Joseph, Mary Christina Griffith and Lucile A. Whipple, 
widow of Charles Lee Whipple. Louis Anthony died November 7, 1907. Alphonse J. 
died September 7, 1925.

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