Los Angeles County
Biographies
WILSON GUSTIN TANNER
TANNER, WILSON GUSTIN, Investments, Los Angeles, California, was born in Preble County, Ohio, April 7, 1857, the son of Michael L. Tanner and Mary (Banta) Tanner. He married Emma Miller at Dayton, Ohio, April 20, 1882, and to them there were born two children, Mary (deceased) and Flora Tanner. The Tanner family was prominent in Virginia for many generations and Mr. Tanner’s father, who represented a wholesale grocery firm for many years, was among the leading members of the Order of Odd Fellows, and a supporter of the Republican party in Ohio.
Mr. Tanner, whose family moved to Dayton, Ohio, when he was about eight years old, received his education in the public schools of that city. He gave up his studies when he was sixteen, but from the time he was twelve years of age until he was fourteen, had spent his vacation months working as a clerk, and from fourteen to eighteen devoted most of his time to farming. At the age of seventeen, however, Mr. Tanner was teaching in a winter school, an occupation which he followed for about three years.
When he was twenty years of age he became bookkeeper for a firm in Dayton, and three years later was superintendent of the book store department of the United Brethren Publishing Company in that city. He filled this position for eight years, resigning at the end of that time to engage in the banking business as Cashier for the Mutual Home & Savings Association.
In 1892, after four years as Cashier of the above named concern, Mr. Tanner went into business for himself, forming a partnership with August F. Diers in the shoe business, under the firm name of Diers & Tanner. Mr. Tanner was very successful in this venture and attained a place among the leading business men of Dayton, but at the end of about five years was compelled to retire from business on account of ill health, and so disposed of his interest to his partner.
In 1897, shortly after retiring from the shoe business, Mr. Tanner moved to California, where he first located at San Diego. He only remained there a short time, however, moving to Los Angeles to take a position as assistant buyer for the shoe department of a large department store there. He retained this position about four years, resigning to accept appointment as instructor in the Los Angeles Commercial High School. He was placed at the head of the Bookkeeping and Commercial Arithmetic Department and served for about four years.
In 1904 Mr. Tanner became Cashier of the Dollar Savings Bank & Trust Company of Los Angeles, and when that institution was merged in 1907 with the Park Bank he was retained in the same capacity for some time, later being appointed Vice President. He retained this office until October, 1912, when he resigned to devote his attention to other affairs.
Mr. Tanner’s chief interest, since severing his connections with the bank, has been in the Pyramid Investment Company, of which he is Secretary and Manager. He was one of the organizers of this company, which was incorporated in September, 1911, and has been a potential factor in its success. The company, which includes among its officers and directors men prominent in business and professional circles of Los Angeles, was formed for the purpose of engaging in a general real estate business, but more especially in what is known in Los Angeles as “home building business.”
In this latter field it has become part of the unique system of development which is adding largely to the population of Los Angeles and giving it place among the leading home cities of the United States. Within recent years thousands of homes have been built by these companies and sold to the public on easy terms, with the result that many persons of small means have been enabled to have their own homes, a fact which has given the population of the city more permanency than any other single influence. Mr. Tanner entered into the work of his company with enthusiasm, having in charge the subdivision of various tracts of land into residence sites and the building thereon of attractive bungalow homes.
Mr. Tanner has never been active in politics, but has taken a keen interest in religious and uplift work during the greater part of his life. While a resident of Dayton, Ohio, he was a member of the Board of Trade, served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees and class leader of the High Street United Brethren Church. For fifteen years he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Young Men’s Christian Association of that city. Upon transferring his residence to Southern California he continued his interest in these matters and has been one of the prominent workers in church circles. For twelve years he has been Superintendent of the First United Brethren Sunday School, is First Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles Young Men’s Christian Association, and a member of the Central Committee of the Sunday School Association of Southern California. He also is Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Sunday School Association.
He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, a Knight Templar, Odd Fellow, and member of the Independent Order of Foresters. He also belongs to the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. His clubs are the Union League and Federation, of Los Angeles.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 525,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2010 Joyce
Rugeroni.
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