James Franklin Devendorf
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Franklin Devendorf | |
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.jpg) James Franklin Devendorf (1877), 21 Years Old | |
| Born | James Franklin Devendorf April 6, 1856 Lowell, Michigan, US |
| Died | 9 October 1934 (aged 78) |
| Occupation | Real estate development |
| Spouse | Lilliana Augusta Potter |
| Children | 5 |
James Franklin Devendorf (April 6, 1856 – October 9, 1934), was a pioneer real estate developer and philanthropist. Devendorf and attorney Frank Hubbard Powers (1864-1921), founded the Carmel Development Company in 1902. He became the "Father" of an artists and writers' colony that became Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, which included the Carmel Highlands, California. Devendorf spent the next 30 years of his life developing Carmel and the Carmel Highlands into a community of painters, writers, and musicians.[1][2]
Early life
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Devendorf was born in Lowell, Michigan, on April 6, 1856. He was one of the three children of Thomas Jefferson Devendorf a merchant, and Grace Congdon. Devendorf attended public school at Lowell.[2]
Professional background
[edit]In 1874, the family moved to California where he became interested in business and land development. He got a job as a clerk at Hale Bros. Department Store in San Jose, California. On February 19, 1879, in San Jose, he married Lilliana Augusta "Lillie" Potter (1859-1940). They had five children.[3][2]
Carmel Development Company
[edit]Devendorf was one of the founders of the Carmel Arts and Crafts Club to support artistic works. In 1927, the club was replaced with the Carmel Art Association. He donated the site that would become the Carmel Forest Theater; and gave land for the Devendorf Park.[2][4][5][6]
Death
[edit]Devendorf died on October 9, 1934, at the age of 78, at his home in Oakland, California. His funeral was at his family home in Oakland.[6]
Legacy
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The mountain behind the city of Carmel was named after him.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Dramov, Alissandra (2019). Historic Buildings of Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. Arcadia Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 9781467103039. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
- ^ a b c d e White, James Terry (1893). "Devendorf, James Franklin". The National Cyclopædia of American biography: Being the History of the United States as Illustrated in the Lives of the Founders, Builders, and Defenders of the Republic, and of the men and women who are doing the work and moulding the thought of the present time. New York: J. T. White & Company. p. 154. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ Grimes, Teresa; Heumann, Leslie. "Historic Context Statement Carmel-by-the-Sea" (PDF). Leslie Heumann and Associates1994. p. 16. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ Seavey, Kent (2007). Carmel, A History in Architecture. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Pub. pp. 7, 34–39, 45. ISBN 9780738547053. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
- ^ Hale, Sharron Lee (1980). A tribute to yesterday: The history of Carmel, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, Point Lobos, Carmelite Monastery, and Los Burros. Santa Cruz, California: Valley Publishers. p. 20. ISBN 9780913548738. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ a b "Devendorf, Art Patron, Realty Dealer, Dead". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. 10 Oct 1934. p. 17. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
External links
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