John Dustin Bicknell facts for kids

John D. Bicknell (born June 25, 1838 – died July 7, 1911) was an American lawyer and investor who focused on real estate. He studied law in Wisconsin and became a lawyer there. From 1872 to 1907, he was a big part of the Los Angeles real estate boom. He also started a law firm that is now called Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Bicknell helped found the California cities of Monrovia and Azusa. He was also involved in finding and developing oil in the Santa Maria Valley.

John Bicknell's Early Life and Career

John Bicknell was born in Jericho, Vermont. He was the older son of Nathaniel and Fanny (Thompson) Bicknell. He was also a direct descendant of Hannah Dustin, a famous early American woman.

Bicknell moved to Wisconsin to go to college. In 1860, he went to Missouri and worked as a school teacher for two years. Because he had asthma, he decided to move to California. In 1862, he joined a group of people traveling west and was chosen as their leader. He guided them to Knights Landing, California. Bicknell stayed in California until 1863. Then, he decided to go back to Wisconsin to study law. He became a lawyer in 1865, allowed to practice by the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. After that, he worked as a lawyer in Greenfield, Missouri.

Bicknell's first marriage was to Maria Hatch in Vermont in 1868. Sadly, she passed away just two months later in Wisconsin, where they were living. Bicknell married again in 1871 to Nancy (Christian) Dobbins, who was a widow.

Working as a Lawyer in Los Angeles

In 1872, Bicknell moved to Los Angeles. He was very active in the real estate boom there, both as a lawyer and by investing his own money. In 1887, the Southern Pacific Transportation Company chose Bicknell as their lawyer because he was so well-known for his real estate work. Later, Bicknell also became a lawyer for Henry E. Huntington and the Los Angeles Railway. He even represented General William Rosecrans in a case to prove ownership of a large piece of land south of Los Angeles. In 1890, Bicknell became the president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, a group for lawyers in the area.

From 1872 to 1875, he worked in Los Angeles with a partner in a firm called Bicknell and Rothchild. From 1875 to 1886, he worked by himself. From 1886 to 1890, his firm was called Bicknell & White. After 1890, it became Bicknell & Trask. Later, the firm's name changed to Bicknell, Trask & Gibson, and then Crutcher and Dunn were added to the name. Bicknell stopped working in 1907.

John Bicknell: Real Estate Investor

Bicknell played a key role in the founding of the cities of Monrovia and Azusa in California. He also helped develop oil in the Santa Maria Valley. Several places are named after him, including Bicknell Park in Montebello, California, Bicknell Avenue in Santa Monica, California, and the ghost town of Bicknell near the Orcutt Oil Field, south of Santa Maria.