Los Angeles County
Biographies
VICTOR PONET
On the roll
of those incomparable citizens who laid the well grounded foundation of the City
of Los Angeles, California, the name of Victor Ponet is outstanding. In his person was reflected the fine
character and progressive citizenship of those men of foreign birth whose
careers are so imperishably described in all the histories of southern California. His gratification in life was not so much in
the accumulation of estates and wealth, although this enabled him to do many of
the monumental things close to his heart, but rested in the realization of his
dreams, in the justification of his faith and confidence, and in the knowledge
that he had been a moving force in the development of the great city.
A native of
Belgium, Victor Ponet was
born in the city of Lemburg,
March 9, 1836, and was a son of Lawrence and Gertrude A. (Nauters) Ponet. A soldier in the French Army, the father
participated in the campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte, and in times of peace
followed the occupation of farming.
Victor
Ponet attended the schools of Belgium
until he reached the age of seventeen, when he decided to become a
cabinetmaker, and entered upon a three years’ apprenticeship. He became a skilled craftsman and followed
the trade of cabinetmaking in Paris, France, until 1865, when he sailed for the United States, landing at New York City, where he readily secured
employment in his chosen line of work.
The lure of the Pacific
Coast attracted him and
in 1867 he left the eastern metropolis, starting on the long journey to the
land of promise. He sailed to Isthmus of
Panama, which he crossed by the hazardous land trail, and resumed his journey
by water to San Francisco,
where he conducted a business of his own for two years. In 1869 he terminated his residence in that
picturesque community and came to Los
Angeles, which was then a village of only forty-five
hundred people, but nevertheless a place of much promise to one so observing as
Mr. Ponet. Again he started in business
and prospered in his undertakings, manifesting unusual sagacity and foresight
in making his investments. He became an
extensive landowner and his property, then southwest of the village, now lies
within the corporate limits of the city.
The site of his home in the early days was at the junction of Pico and
Alvarado streets. Eventually he
subdivided his large properties, and moved to his ranch in West
Hollywood, where he passed the later years of his life. Mr. Ponet early bought Fiesta Park. This tract was bounded by Pico Street, Twelfth Street, and Grand avenue and Hope Street and the area, with its modern
structures, is now known as Ponet
Square. On
this property he constructed one of the first apartment buildings in the
city. His West
Hollywood holdings comprised a very large acreage and on the land
he built a fine residence, which was his home.
In 1885 he decided to take a two years’ vacation from active business
life and traveled in the countries of Europe, finding special pleasure in
visiting the scene of his old home in Belgium.
In 1874 Mr.
Ponet was married to Miss Ellen J. Manning, a native of Ireland, and they were the parents
of one child, Gertrude, now the wife of Francis S. Montgomery, who is mentioned
at greater length elsewhere in this work.
Mr. Ponet also reared a child, William Ponet, who is a priest in the
Vincentian Order of the Roman Catholic Church and is now serving St. Vincent’s
Church in Los Angeles.
In
philanthropic and charitable work, particularly in connection with his church,
Mr. Ponet was a prominent figure. He
donated the land for St. Victor’s parish in Hollywood, also building thereon the house of
worship. He was one of the founders of
the original German-American Savings Bank, now a part of the Security First
National Bank, and of the first-mentioned institution was director, while for
three years, from 1894-1897, he served as its president. Also moving spirit in the formation of the
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, he was one of its trustees for many years, and
was always in earnest, effective worker in behalf of that civic body.
With his
native country Mr. Ponet always maintained a sympathetic association. For several years he represented the Belgian
consular interests in Los Angeles
and on January 5, 1894, was appointed consular agent in this city. On December 31, 1897, he was named a s
Belgian vice consul for southern California and the state of Arizona and
finally, on May 20, 1906, was signally honored when King Leopold of Belgium
conferred upon him the knightly title of Chevalier de L’Ordre de Leopold in
recognition of his valuable services in behalf of country in which he was
born. He exercised his right of
franchise in support of the candidates and platform of the Republican Party. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus,
the Jonathan Club and the Newman Club.
In the
death of Victor Ponet, which occurred February 7, 1914, when he was in the
seventy-eight year of his age, Los
Angeles sustained the loss of one of her most
distinguished and patriotic citizens.
Through the years that follow the mention of his name will command
respectful attention. No shadow rests
upon his record, for he was honest and straightforward through his long
career. Mrs. Ellen J. Ponet, his devoted
companion for four decades, survived her husband for five years, passing away
on the 18th of February, 1919.
Transcribed
By: Michele Y. Larsen on 19 January
2012.
Source: California
of the South Vol. II, by
John Steven McGroarty, Pages 13-15, Clarke Publ., Chicago,
Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 Michele
Y. Larsen.
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