Los Angeles-San Bernardino County CA Archives Biographies.....Snyder, George D. 1859 - 
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Author: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908)

    GEORGE D. SNYDER. The history of the Santa Monica Bay cities would not be
regarded as complete without including a brief sketch at least of the life of
George D. Snyder, who for more than two decades has been one of the most
entetprising and successful citizens of the Bay Coast country.

    Mr. Snyder is a descendant of Holland Dutch ancestors who emigrated to
America at a time antedating the Revolutionary War, settled in New Jersey, and
later removed to Seneca County, New York. The head of this family was George W.
Snyder. Durng the war with England he served as a scout under General Washington
and endured many hardships.

    Porter Snyder, a son of George W. Snyder, was born in Seneca County, New
York, was there engaged in farming and while still a young man, moved to
Calhoun, Michigan, located new land, which he improved, and also engaged in the
building business at Marshall. He also served one term as sheriff of Calhoun
County. At the time of his death he was sixty-two years of age. After the death
of his first wife (by whom he had two sons now living) he married Sarah Jane
Eddy, a native of Calhoun County, Michigan, still living in Marshall. In the
family of Porter and Sarah Jane Snyder were three sons and one daughter. Two of
the sons—George D., the subject of this sketch, and W. P., are contractors at
Ocean Park, California.

    George D. Snyder was born near Marshall, Michigan, April 12th, 1859. In
boyhood he learned the carpenter's trade in the shops of the Michigan Central
Railroad. Later he followed mill-wrighting until 1886, when he came to
California and entered the employ of the Southern California Ry. Co. as foreman
in their building department, having charge of repair work and erection of
buildings. Later he was made storekeeper for the track, bridge and building
departments with headquarters in San Bernardino.

    After the great strike of 1894 he resigned his position and removed to Los
Angeles to take up general contracting and building. In 1899 he located at Ocean
Park, then known as South Santa Monica, and entered actively into building and
became associated with various public movements for the development and building
up of that now beautiful section of Santa Monica city. He has erected upwards of
four hundred and twenty-five cottages, residences and other buildings,
forty-five of which were built in 1901. During that year he also erected the
Hotel Savoy, then the Holborrow Hotel at a cost of $10,000, closing the work in
twenty-four days, with forty-eight men on the job the last week. The rapidity
and thoroughness of the work elicited general comment as a "record breaker." His
efficiency and thoroughness has brought to him an extensive business. Frequently
he is called to Los Angeles and other cities to erect houses and public
buildings. Mr. Snyder is gifted with a true mechanical genius and masters the
various complicated problems of his work without difficulty. He is his own
architect, a fact which enables him to give his work a character and
individuality that puts it, in a measure, in a class by itself.

    Mr. Snyder was married in Jackson, Michigan, to Miss Jennie C. Keeler, July
11th, 1883, a native of Racine, Wis., and they have two children, Alma and
Clyde. Although his father was a Democrat, Mr. Snyder has from earliest manhood
affiliated with the Republican party, his first ballot being in support of
Republican men and measures. This seems natural since his first vote was cast
within a stone's throw of the old oak at Jackson, Michigan, under the
wide-spreading boughs of which the Republican party was organized. Mr. Snyder's
interest in public affairs has manifested itself in every community where he has
made his home, having served on local political committees and as a delegate to
various political conventions and has done much to advance the interests of his
party. He was made a candidate for the office of Trustee of Santa Monica city by
an aggressive constituency and failed of election by a margin of four votes. In
1907 he was nominated for councilman of the First Ward under the new
Freeholder's Charter, and was elected by a good majority.

    His varied and practical experience in local public affairs is appreciated
by his official colleagues and he is serving on the Council Committees of
Railroads, Wharves and Bridges, Judiciary and Ordinances, and Buildings.

    Mr. Snyder is a member of the I. O. O. F., A. O. U. W., Maccabees, K. of P.,
Elks, Pythian Sisters. He is a member of the Santa Monica Board of Trade, and
one of the Executive Committee.


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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