Los Angeles County
Biographies
CHARLES
FREDERICK PERRY
PERRY, CHARLES FREDERICK, Capitalist, Los Angeles, California, is a native of that city, born July 16, 1864, the son of William Hayes Perry and Elizabeth M. (Dalton) Perry. He married Ada B. Sargent in Los Angeles, May 4, 1896, and to them there have been born two children, Marion Rebecca and John Sargent Perry. Mr. Perry is of pioneer stock and the present head of a family noted in commercial and social circles as one of California’s representative houses. His maternal grandfather, George Dalton, was among the Forty-niners and his own father was one of a small party of settlers who crossed the plains in 1853.
Charles F. Perry received his education in the public and high schools of Los Angeles, at that time conducted under one roof, on the site of the present magnificent County Courthouse.
Leaving school when he was about nineteen years of age, Mr. Perry, who possessed the characteristics of his forefathers, decided to make his own career, without the aid of his father, then a man of great wealth and influence in Los Angeles, who could have given to his son all the power of his position to help him in getting a start. Instead, however, the younger Perry found employment in a large cannery in Los Angeles, beginning as an ordinary laborer and working up during the year he remained with the company to a point where he was an all-round man, having served in a number of different capacities.
At the end of his first year, his father, who was President and principal owner of the W. H. Perry Mill and Lumber Company, of Los Angeles, decided to have Mr. Perry learn the lumber business in all of its branches in order that he would be fitted to succeed him in the management of the properties when he should retired from active life. Accordingly, Mr. Perry went to work in the yards of the company as a laborer and by his own efforts won promotion to the position of foreman of the yards, holding this until he resigned in 1891, after seven years in the business.
In 1891 Mr. Perry left the lumber business temporarily and became an Inspector for the Los Angeles City Water Company, of which his father was President at the time and was thus occupied for about two years. At the end of that time, he returned to the lumber business, going this time into the logging branch. The company of which his father was the head owned various lumber schooners and extensive timber lands in the State of Washington and Mr. Perry went to the lumber camps. There he learned the cutting and logging end of the business and later was made Manager of one of the company’s mills.
Mr. Perry was in the timber regions for about ten years in all and during that time experienced all the hardships of life in a lumber camp, taking his chances with the other men regardless of the fact that his father was the owner of the company for which they worked.
About the year 1903 the elder Perry decided to retire from business, on account of failing health, so transferred all of his lumber interests to the Consolidated Lumber Company and the Charles Nelson Lumber Company. With this change, Mr. Perry, the son, became associated with the E. K. Wood Lumber Company in Bellingham, Washington, as Inspector of Exports. He was thus engaged until 1906, when he was called home on account of the death of his father.
The elder Perry having been man of diversified interests, including real estate, manufacturing and banking enterprises, the estate left by him was a large one and the son was chosen by the other heirs to take charge of its management. He has since devoted his time to the conduct of the estate, which has grown to even larger proportions under his management.
Mr. Perry is generally regarded as one of the substantial business men of the Southwest and has been a factor, like his father before him, in the development of Southern California.
His chief recreation, during the Summer months, is deep-sea fishing, he being a member of the famous Tuna Club, of Catalina Island, whose members are among the most noted anglers in the world. During the season Catalina is the Mecca of sportsmen from all parts of the world, who match their ability against the fighting strength of the big fish of the Pacific, and Mr. Perry is one of the men who have made record catches.
In addition to the Tuna Club, Mr. Perry is a member of B. P. O. Elks, No. 99, of Los Angeles, and the Kul Shan Club, Bellingham, Wash.
Transcribed 6-12-09
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 296,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2009 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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