Los Angeles
County
Biographies
DESMOND’S
The great mercantile enterprise
conducted under the name of Desmond’s had its inception in 1862, when Daniel
Desmond opened a men’s hat store in the little town of Los Angeles, on Los
Angeles near Commercial Street. The
founder of the business had come to California via the water route in 1861,
fifteen years before the first steam railroad entered the state, and when Los
Angeles had a population of four thousand five hundred. There were two years of drought, followed in
1863 by damaging floods. It was the
period of the Civil War, with Abraham Lincoln at the head of the nation, Leland
Stanford as governor of California, D. Marchessault
as mayor of Los Angeles and William G. Still as postmaster.
In 1870 the business was moved to
the Temple block. This was during the
period of national readjustment, with its memorable Black Friday. U. S. Grant was president of the United
States, Henry Haight the governor of California, and Joel Turner the mayor of
Los Angeles, while George J. Clark served as postmaster. The population of Los Angeles was five
thousand, six hundred fourteen.
In 1882 the Desmond store was moved
to 109 North Spring Street. The
telephone had been introduced, and the population of Los Angeles numbered
eleven thousand, two hundred eighty-three.
Chester A. Arthur was president of the United States, George C. Perkins
was governor of California, J. M. Toberman was mayor
of Los Angeles and Isaac R. Dunkelberg served as postmaster.
In 1890 when the Desmond store was
established at 141 South Spring Street, Benjamin Harrison was president of the
country, Robert W. Waterman was California’s governor, H. T. Hazard occupied
the mayoralty of Los Angeles and John W. Green was postmaster. The population of the city was fifty
thousand, three hundred ninety-five.
The year 1900 witnessed the removal
of the Desmond business to the southwest corner of Third and Spring
streets. Hollenbeck Park had been given
to Los Angeles. William McKinley was
president of the United States, Henry T. Gage governor of California, Fred
Eaton mayor of Los Angeles and Lewis A. Groff the postmaster. The city’s population was one hundred two
thousand, four hundred seventy-nine.
In 1906 when Desmond’s located at
the northwest corner of Third and Spring streets,
Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States, George C. Pardee governor of California, Owen McAleer
mayor of Los Angeles and Motley R. Flint postmaster. The population of the city was two hundred
one thousand, three hundred forty-nine.
The new address of the Desmond Store
in 1915 was 553 South Spring Street, near Sixth. The World War was gaining impetus. It was the year of the great Panama Pacific International
Exposition in San Francisco. Woodrow
Wilson was the nation’s chief executive; Hiram Johnson was governor of
California, Charles E. Sebastian mayor of Los Angeles and Harrington Brown
postmaster.
On the 1st of February,
1924, Desmond’s acquired possession of the present store property at 616
Broadway and shortly afterwards erected the present store building
thereon. This year marked the first
around-the-world flight. Calvin Coolidge
was president of the United States, Friend William Richardson governor of
California, George Cryer mayor of Los Angeles and P. P. O’Brien
postmaster. The population of Los Angeles
was one million, one hundred fifty thousand.
Ralph R. Huesman,
president of Desmond’s since 1923, is a native of Kentucky, became a member of
the firm as vice president in 1920, and for six years previous to that time
served as general manager. Cornelius C.
Desmond, son of Daniel Desmond, the founder, succeeded his father in the
presidency and remained at the head of the business until his death, which
occurred December 20, 1920. Mr. Huesman has been in control of the Desmond organization as
president continuously since 1923, and has conducted the business successfully
up to the present time.
Desmond Stores, offering a splendid line of men’s, boys’ and women’s
clothing, are conducted in Los Angeles at 616 South Broadway; 717 West Seventh
Street; 543 South Spring Street; 1001 Westwood Boulevard, and at 5500 Wilshire
Boulevard, while a branch establishment may likewise be found in Long
Beach. Employment is furnished to a
force of between three hundred and four hundred people.
Transcribed
by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 815-817,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V.
Gerald Iaquinta.
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BIOGRAPHIES