Los Angeles County
Biographies
FRANKLIN
PRESTON BURCH
BURCH, FRANKLIN PRESTON, Retired Capitalist, Los Angeles, California, was born at Bloomington, Illinois, December 5, 1861, the son of James Madison Burch and Jennie L. (McClunn) Burch. He married Mary Ella Gilkey, August 26, 1893, at Pueblo, Colorado.
Mr. Burch received his education in the schools of his native town, graduating from high school in 1878. He went to New Mexico when nineteen years old, but remained there only a short time, when he crossed into Texas and located at San Angelo.
In partnership with E. L. House he was one of the first to introduce flocks into Western Texas. He raised sheep successfully for three years and then went to Arizona in search of gold. He prospected in the Santa Rita Mountain region and then took as a partner Joe Music. Together they did placer mining with more or less success for about four years.
A marvelous boom sprang up in Los Angeles, and in 1884 Mr. Burch quit the pick and went to that city. He first took up real estate speculation, but gradually developed a real estate and investment brokerage business. In 1890 he gave that up to go to the silver beds of Colorado. In partnership with Thomas Duncan he became a silver miner at Leadville, working with gratifying success until the price of silver dropped in 1894.
Mr. Burch returned to Los Angeles and entered the U. S. Customs Office. He was stationed at Santa Monica, Cal., and remained in the Government service until he resumed the brokerage business in Los Angeles in 1897. He retired from business, giving up his seat on the Los Angeles Stock Exchange, in 1909.
He is a member of the Elks, Union League, Sierra Madre and Automobile Club of Los Angeles, and the Chamber of Commerce.
Transcribed
11-2-10 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 533, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta.
1913.
© 2010 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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