Andrew Glassell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrew Glassell
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Glassell (c. 1868)
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| Born |
Andrew Glassell Jr.
September 30, 1827 Orange County, Virginia, U.S.
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| Died | January 28, 1901 (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Alabama |
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| Known for | Founder of Orange, California |
| Spouse(s) |
Lucy Toland
(m. 1857; died 1879)Virginia Micou Ring
(m. 1885; died 1895) |
| Relatives | Susan Thornton Glassell (sister) |
Andrew Glassell Jr. (born September 30, 1827 – died January 28, 1901) was an American attorney and investor. He was known for his work with land and property. He was also one of the people who helped start the city of Orange, California.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Andrew Glassell was born in Orange County, Virginia. His parents were Andrew Glassell and Susanna Thornton. In 1834, his family moved to Greensboro, Alabama. There, his father worked with cotton farming. Andrew went to the University of Alabama and finished his studies in 1848. After that, he studied law.
Starting His Career
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In 1853, Glassell moved to San Francisco and began working as a lawyer. Soon after, he was chosen to be the United States attorney in Sacramento, California.
During the American Civil War, Glassell supported the Southern states. Because of this, he refused to take an oath of loyalty to the United States government. Lawyers were required to take this oath. So, he left his public job and stopped practicing law for a while. Instead, he worked at a lumber mill near Santa Cruz, California.
Law Work in Los Angeles
After the war, Glassell moved to Los Angeles in 1865. He started a law firm with two other lawyers, Alfred Chapman and Colonel George H. Smith. Their firm was called Glassell, Chapman & Smith. They mostly worked on buying and selling large pieces of land. They often got paid in land instead of money. This helped them become very wealthy.
When Glassell first came to California, he worked with a special government group. This group looked at old land grants from Mexico. Because of this, he knew a lot about land laws. Chapman was good at business. Together, they often ended up owning parts of the large lands they helped divide.
Glassell was involved in a big legal case in 1871. This case was about dividing the Rancho San Rafael property. This land was in the eastern San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains. The part of the land that Glassell and Chapman received later became the community of Glassell Park, Los Angeles. In 1875, Andrew Glassell also bought Rancho Tujunga, another large ranch in the Valley.
Andrew Glassell also helped start the Farmers and Merchants' Bank. He was the first president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association from 1878 to 1880. He also helped create the 'Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad'. He was important in running this railroad until it was bought by the Southern Pacific Railroad. After that, he became the main lawyer for the Southern Pacific Railroad in Southern California. He worked there until he retired in 1883.
Founding Orange, California
Glassell, Chapman & Smith also worked for the Yorba family, who owned the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. After a long dry period, the Yorba family didn't have enough money to pay their lawyers. So, Glassell and Chapman accepted thousands of acres of land as payment. This land later became the city of Orange, California.
In 1872, Andrew Glassell started selling parts of this land. It was called the Richland Farm Tract. Glassell and Chapman asked Andrew's younger brother, Captain William T. Glassell, to plan the town. Captain Glassell measured the land in 1871. He divided it into 60 lots, each about 10 acres. He also planned a town center that was about 40 acres. He called the town Richland, named after his father's plantation.
In 1873, people wanted to open a post office in the new town. But they found out there was already a town named Richland in California. So, they chose the name Orange instead. This was to honor Andrew Glassell's home county in Virginia, which was also called Orange.
Family Life
Andrew Glassell's sister, Susan Thornton Glassell, came to live with him in Los Angeles. She was the grandmother of a famous general, George Patton.
In 1857, Andrew Glassell married Lucy Toland. She was the daughter of a well-known doctor from San Francisco. They had several children together. After Lucy passed away in 1879, he married Mrs. Virginia Micou Ring in 1885. She was from New Orleans.
Andrew Glassell died at his home in Los Angeles when he was 73 years old. He is buried at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Legacy
The Glassell Park neighborhood in Los Angeles is named after him. Also, Glassell Street in Orange County, California is named in his honor.
