Gaylord Wilshire facts for kids
Henry Gaylord Wilshire (born June 7, 1861 – died September 7, 1927) was an American land developer, publisher, and a strong supporter of socialist ideas. He is famous because Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles is named after him.
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About Gaylord Wilshire
Early Life and Los Angeles Development
Henry Gaylord Wilshire was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 7, 1861. He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1884.
In 1895, he started developing a large area of land. This land stretched west from Westlake Park. He wanted to create a fancy neighborhood for homes.
Wilshire gave a piece of this land to the city of Los Angeles. He wanted a boulevard, which is a wide street, to be built there. At the time, it was just a field where barley grew. He had two important rules for his gift: the street had to be named after him, and no trains or big trucks could use it. This street became the famous Wilshire Boulevard.
In 1900, Wilshire had an incident while speaking in a public park in Los Angeles. A judge later dropped the charges. However, this event made Wilshire decide to leave Los Angeles and move to New York.
Wilshire's Political Journey
Gaylord Wilshire was very active in politics. He ran for office many times in different places. He was a candidate for the U.S. Congress in California in 1890 and again in 1900. He also ran for Attorney General in 1891.
His political interests weren't just in the United States. He even ran for the British Parliament in 1894 and the Canadian Parliament in 1902. In 1909, he ran for city council in Los Angeles. He was part of the Socialist Party, which believed in sharing resources and helping everyone.
Around 1911, Wilshire started to doubt if running for elections was the best way to make change. He began to support the idea of workers uniting to create big changes, sometimes through a "general strike." He even edited a magazine called The Syndicalist in 1913. During World War I, he worked with Emma Goldman in New York. They both supported free speech.
Sharing His Ideas Through Magazines
In 1900, Wilshire started his first magazine in Los Angeles. It was called The Challenge. He published many issues of this magazine.
Later, in 1901, he changed the magazine's name to Wilshire's Monthly Magazine. Then it became Wilshire's Magazine and finally just Wilshire's. He published it in New York and Toronto. This magazine, which started small and later became a newspaper, continued until 1915. It was his way of sharing his political and social ideas with many people.
Later Life and Lasting Impact
Wilshire eventually returned to Los Angeles. By then, the boulevard named after him had become very famous. He wasn't directly involved in its growth while he was away.
Wilshire also became interested in health products. In 1925, he started selling an electric belt called the Ionaco. He claimed it could make people healthier. Many people bought the belt because of his marketing. However, medical experts said it did not work.
Gaylord Wilshire passed away in New York on September 7, 1927. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York.
Even today, places are named after him. Wilshire Drive in Phoenix, Arizona, is named for him. Also, Wilshire Avenue in Fullerton, California, carries his name. Fullerton was where he first ran for Congress in 1890.
Works by Gaylord Wilshire
Gaylord Wilshire wrote many books and pamphlets to share his ideas. These writings covered topics like why working people should support socialism, free trade, and the problems with large businesses called trusts. He also wrote about his health product, the Ionaco.
