Los Angeles-San Benito-San Bernardino County CA Archives Biographies.....Tanner, Richard R. 1858 - ************************************************ 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, 11:11 pm Author: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908) RICHARD R. TANNER, the pioneer lawyer of Santa Monica, is a native of the "Golden State," born at San Juan, in what is now San Benito County, then Monterey County, California, March 30th, 1858. His father, Albert Miles Tanner, was a California pioneer of 1847, who came overland to the Pacific Coast, a member of the famous Mormon Battalion under Lieutenant-Colonel Philip St. George Cook, to aid in establishing United States Government authority in California. He was born in the town of Bolton, Warren County, N. Y., in 1824, and there grew up. In early life he drifted to the then far west and was thrown in contact with the Mormons, who were pioneering Central and Southern Illinois. While he never affiliated with the Mormon Church, he for several years sustained intimate business relations with them, joined the battalion upon its organization in Iowa and shared its fortunes and misfortunes of war until mustered out of service at San Diego, March 14th, 1848. He then went north to Sacramento, from which point he engaged in freighting with the famous pioneer, Sam Brannon, on Mormon Island. As a result of the disastrous floods of 1849 and 1850 he lost his property and in 1853 came south to San Bernardino. There he married Lovina Bickmore, removed to San Juan, Monterey County, and engaged in stock raising. Finally, late in 1871, he removed to Santa Paula, in Ventura County. He died at his Ventura home in 1881, at fifty-six years of age. He was a Douglas Democrat, later a Lincoln Republican, a man of strong individuality and well grounded opinions. The widow and mother is still living in Santa Paula. In Ventura County young Richard obtained his schooling and grew to manhood. He served as assistant postmaster of Ventura from 1877 to 1883. He then took up the study of law in the office of prominent attorneys of Ventura, was admitted to the bar in 1884 and located in Santa Monica the same year. He was for thirteen years, 1888 to 1901, City Attorney of Santa Monica and his long continuance in office is a sufficient evidence of his popularity and a due appreciation of a well rendered public service. He served as Deputy District Attorney of Los Angeles County from 1892 to 1894. Mr. Tanner has devoted special attention to land law practice and is a recognized authority upon all matters pertaining to land titles in this section of the state. The firm, of which he is senior member, are attorneys for the Title Guarantee & Trust Company, of Los Angeles. He is senior member of the well known law firm of Tanner, Taft & Odell, with offices in the Dudley Building, Santa Monica, and the Coulter Block, No. 213 South Broadway, Los Angeles. Mr. Tanner is a stockholder and director of the Merchants National Bank of Santa Monica and Vice-president of the Santa Monica Savings Bank. He is a prominent Mason, an Odd Fellow, a Forester, a member of the Royal Arcanum, of the Native Sons of the Golden West and Elks. Mr. Tanner has been twice married—in 1883 to Miss Elizabeth J., a daughter of Judge Henry Robinson, of Ventura, by this union having one daughter, Mrs. Nora Ormsby. His second marriage was to Miss Sebaldina M. Bontty, of Santa Monica. The Tanner family residence, located on North Fourth Street, No. 144, is one of the many that have made Santa Monica famous as a city of beautiful seaside homes. 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/tanner151bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb