Los Angeles County
Biographies
COLONEL JOHN BOON LANKERSHIM
LANKERSHIM, COLONEL JOHN BOON, Capitalist, Los Angeles, Cal., was born at Charleston, Mo., March 24, 1850. His father was Isaac Lankershim, a native of Bavaria, and his mother Annis L. (Moore) Lankershim. Isaac Lankdershim was one of the early land holders of California and on settling there in 1860 secured some of the finest ranching lands in that State. Colonel Lankershim married Caroline A. Jones at Los Angeles in 1881. Of the union there are John I. and Doria Constance Lankershim.
Colonel Lankershim spent his early boyhood in his native State, and at the age of ten moved with his father to San Francisco, where the latter became engaged in land enterprises. His early education was obtained in the public and high schools and in the Collegiate School of San Francisco, from which he graduated.
Upon finishing his studies, Colonel Lankershim took charge of one of his father’s ranches, located near Fresno, consisting of 15,000 acres. He continued in the capacity of manager of that ranch for one year, conducting general farming and the raising of livestock. In 1870 he left Fresno to take charge of the “El Cahone Rancho,” located near San Diego. This wonderful grant had approximately 48,000 acres of land, which Colonel Lankershim utilized for grazing his stock.
In 1872 he moved to Los Angeles, where he has since made his permanent home. On his arrival in that city he took charge of the Lankershim holdings known as the famous “San Fernando Rancho,” covering 60,000 acres in the San Fernando Valley.
In 1885 he built the beautiful Lankershim residence in Los Angeles. He still managed the “San Fernando Rancho,” but devoted his time largely to the Los Angeles property. Two years later he made the first sub-division of the San Fernando Rancho, cutting off 12,000 acres into smaller tracts. He held the remaining 48,000 acres of land until 1910, when the family estate was divided, and sold it at that time to the Lankershim-Van Nuys Land Company, which is today sub-dividing and selling in smaller tracts.
Being a successful business man and a public-spirited citizen, his arrival in Los Angeles City was a step forward in the business life of that place. In 1886 he was elected President of the Main Street Savings Bank, and continued in that office until his retirement in 1900. In 1890 he erected the Lankershim Building, Third and Spring Streets, in which he still retains offices. He organized the Los Angeles Farming and Milling Company, and in 1905 built the beautiful Lankershim Hotel, which stands today as one of the finest hotels in Southern California. He erected the San Fernando Building in 1908, and three years later added two stories to this structure.
In 1907 Colonel Lankershim was elected President of the Bank of Southern California, but resigned two years later to look after his private affairs. He has been endeavoring to retire since 1900, and now devotes his time to little other than his extensive private interests. He was Park Commissioner of Los Angeles under Mayor M. P. Snyder, and was a Los Angeles delegate to Washington in the interest of San Pedro Harbor. He organized the Los Angeles Cavalry Troop under Governor Gage and was appointed Captain of that organization. Under Governor Pardee he was made Colonel of the Staff of the National Guard of California.
He has toured the world on several occasions, and has spent much of his time of late years in London, Paris and Berlin. He is well informed on the antique mosques of India and the ruins of Greece and Rome, having made them a serious study.
Colonel Lankershim is a member of the California, Jonathan, Union League and Los Angeles Athletic Clubs of Los Angeles and the Bohemian and Union League Clubs of San Francisco; 32d degree Mason, also member Gamut and Ellis Clubs of Los Angeles.
Transcribed 10-15-09
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 340, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta.
1913.
© 2009 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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