Los Angeles County
Biographies
HARRY JOSEPH RUESS
RUESS, HARRY JOSEPH, Real Estate, Los Angeles, California, was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, May 28, 1883, the son of William Emil Ruess and Katherine (Heit) Ruess. He married Alice Woodward Godbe at Los Angeles, June 21, 1908, and to them there has been born a son, Joe Wallace Ruess. His great-grandfather on the paternal side served in the army of Napoleon Bonaparte and was with him at the battle of Moscow. His maternal grandfather was a soldier in the Civil War.
Mr. Ruess was taken to Los Angeles by his parents when he was less than five years of age and has made that city his home ever since. He received his primary education in the public schools of the city and also attended Los Angeles High School and the State Normal School there. He supplemented this with six months of study at the Los Angeles Business College, where he learned stenography.
For the first six months after leaving the business college Mr. Ruess worked as student telegraph operator for the Santa Fe Railroad at Monrovia, California, but he left this to accept a position as stenographer in the office of the Chief Engineer of the San Pedro, Salt Lake and Los Angeles Railroad and there began a career of several years as a railroad stenographer, a field in which he established a reputation as one of the most expert of his profession.
After one year he entered the office of the Operating Department of the Santa Fe at Needles, California, and served there for nearly two years. In 1903 he became associated with the California Citrus Union, but resigned at the end of six months to return to railroad work, becoming associated with the Southern Pacific.
In August, 1903, he was offered a better position in the Traffic Department of the Salt Lake Road, as stenographer and clerk, and he returned to its employ. He served in that capacity until March, 1905, and then was selected by the General Manager of the road as stenographer and confidential clerk. At the end of six months he obtained a transfer to Chicago, where he was associated with the General Agent of the company, but the weather in the Illinois metropolis did not appeal to him and he went back to Los Angeles and the balmy climate of Southern California.
The first year after returning to Los Angeles Mr. Ruess was associated with the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company of Los Angeles, but left its employ upon being appointed, in November, 1906, to the office of Assistant Secretary of the Los Angeles Chamber of Mines. He served in that office during the organization period of the Chamber and in March, 1907, resigned to re-enter the railroad business, this time in the Traffic Department of the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad. While in this position Mr. Ruess commenced to give serious study to the real estate and land business with the idea of embarking in that field for himself.
He remained with the company until `909 and then resigned his place to go into the real estate business. He formed a partnership with E. W. Gillett, with whom he had been associated in the railroad business, and together they began operations in Southern California. The first two years were spent largely in the study of conditions in Los Angeles and surrounding country, but Mr. Ruess foresaw great opportunities in the future when the Panama Canal should be opened and Los Angeles made one of the principal ports of the Western World.
His partner, however, did not share his optimism and Mr. Ruess early in 1912 bought the interest of Mr. Gillett. He reorganized his firm under the name of H. J. Ruess & Company and has an active corps of salesmen with him and is today engaged in the handling and development of various tracts which he has acquired.
These properties are not confined to any one section, but are located in various parts of the State, from San Francisco as far south as San Diego, California, and include both residence and farming lands.
Although he has been in the business only a few years, Mr. Ruess is one of the most active young realty dealers in Southern California and occupies a firm place there in the business world.
He is enthusiastic for the upbuilding of Los Angeles and Southern California, and, while he is ready to aid any movement having the betterment of the city and vicinity for its object, he confines himself strictly to business and takes no active part in politics or club life.
Transcribed 8-6-09
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 323,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2009 Marilyn R. Pankey.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPIES