Josiah Lee Dabbs (1866 - 1958)

Born 10 Mar 1866 in Titus Co., TX

Ancestors

Husband of Norma (Cornwall) Dabbs — married 24 Oct 1917 in San Francisco, CA

Died 12 Feb 1958 at age 91 in Los Angeles, CA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Shayne Davidson [send private message]

Biography

Louise Cook Simpson, a Davidson descendant, tells stories about the Davidson and Dabbs family histories:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRNaYCea918

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8pT1jqYxUU

Name

Name: Josiah Lee Dabbs^[1][2]

Birth

Birth:

Date: 10 MAR 1866

Place: Titus Co., TX^[3][4]

Death

Death:

Date: 12 FEB 1958

Place: Los Angeles, CA^[5]

Census

Census:

Date: 2 JUN 1880

Place: Sulphur Springs, Hopkins Co., TX^[6]

Census:

Date: 6 JUN 1900

Place: 72 Charleston St., Muskogee Town, Creek Nation, Indian Territory (now OK)

Note: President of bank^[7]

Census:

Date: 1930

Place: 1208 West Live Oak Dr., Los Angeles, CA^[8]

Burial

Burial:

Place: Hillside Memorial Park, Redlands-San Bernardino County, CA

Note: orig. 4^[9]

Note

Note: #N1271

User ID

User ID: 2E248C44E8584E2C821B97A084C984078849

Data Changed

Data Changed:

Date: 25 SEP 2011

Prior to import, this record was last changed 25 SEP 2011.

Marriage

Husband: Josiah Lee Dabbs

Wife: Maude Brantley Knight

Marriage:

Date: 1902

Divorce: Y^[10]

User ID: F585D6A4D7634206AFDC94AFB43B39AE1A42

Husband: Josiah Lee Dabbs

Wife: Norma Cornwall

Marriage:

Date: 24 OCT 1917

Place: San Francisco, CA^[11]

User ID: BC8EE45BDED74E70B61284B0D05B2464AB7D

Husband: Joseph Wilks Dabbs

Wife: Sarah E. Dabbs

Marriage:

Date: BEF 1860^[12]

User ID: B7827A06323211DFAD79003065B2943442B4

Child: William A. ?Willie? Dabbs

Child: Joseph Jonathon Dabbs

Child: J. Claude Dabbs

Child: Josiah Lee Dabbs

Child: Jemmie L. Dabbs

Sources

• WikiTree profile Dabbs-31 created through the import of Davidson_Fink.ged on Sep 26, 2011 by Shayne Davidson. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Shayne and others.

• Source: S1122 Type: Vital Record Title: California Death Index, 1940-1997-about Josiah Lee Dabbs Date: 12 Feb 1958 Place: Los Angeles Source Locality: State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics.
• Source: S1123 Type: Census Title: 1930 United States Federal Census Record for Josiah L Dabbs Place: California > Los Angeles > Los Angeles (Districts 1-250) > District 71 > 13 Date: 1930 Media: digital Source Locality: Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls. DATV Mar 2011
• Source: S1198 Type: Newspaper Title: Marriage Periodical: Muskogee Times-Democrat Newspaper Place: Muskogee, OK Date: 29 Oct 1917 Page: 3 Media: digital Source Locality: NewspaperArchive.com
• Source: S1201 Type: Web Site Author: Find-a-grave, Barbara LeClaire Title: Josiah Lee Dabbs (Find A Grave Memorial# 25169863) URL: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=25169863 Date: 10 Mar 2008
• Source: S67 Type: Book Author: Odie B. Faulk Periodical: Louis W. Duncan; A full Service Banker Publication: Western Heritage Books, Inc.
• Source: S764 Type: Census Title: 1860 Federal Census Place: Texas > Titus > Welches > 1 Date: 23 Jul 1860 Media: digital Source Locality: Heritage Quest DATV Oct 2010 Object: Format: tif File: ~/Desktop/My Family/sources/FC1860.jos.w.dabbs.tif Title: FC1860.jos.w.dabbs Type: PHOTO DOCUMENT Primary or Preferred: N
• Source: S769 Type: Census Title: 1880 Federal Census Place: TEXAS > HOPKINS > SULPHUR SPRING; 1-PCT- Date: 2 Jun 1880 Media: digital Source Locality: Heritage Quest DATV Oct 2010 Object: Format: tif File: ~/Desktop/My Family/sources/FC1880.j.w.dabbs.tif Title: FC1880.j.w.dabbs Type: PHOTO DOCUMENT Primary or Preferred: N
• Source: S932 Type: Census Title: 1900 Federal Census-Louisa Townes Place: Indian Territory > Creek Nation > Muscogee > District 61 > 7 Date: 6 Jun 1900 Media: digital Source Locality: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls DATV Nov 2010 Object: Format: jpg File: ~/Desktop/My Family/sources/FC1900.louisa.townes.jpg Title: FC1900.louisa.townes Type: PHOTO DOCUMENT Primary or Preferred: N

Notes

Note N1271

JOSIAH LEE DABBS, son of J. W. and Sarah E.

Dabbs, was born in Titus county, Texas. He

attended the public schools of Texas, and later entered

Eastman's National Business College, at Poughkeep-

sie, N. Y., from which he graduated before he reached

his twentieth year, and immediately entered the arena

of business life, as a member of the firm of Dabbs

Brothers, who were doing a large business in each of

the three towns, Sulphur Springs, Black Jack and

Commerce, Texas, and with which firm he remained un-

til 1889, when he became connected with the City

National Bank of Sulphur Springs, being a director in

1891 and 1892.

When the National Bank of Uvalde was organized

in 1891, he was elected to the presidency, thus becom-

ing a bank president at the age of twenty four. He

has since acted in that capacity, and the rapid growth

of the business of the bank has amply justified the

wisdom of the stockholders in placing the management

of its affairs in his hands, notwithstanding his extreme

youthfulness. The bank's net earnings since its organ-

ization, less than three years ago, have reached

forty-eight per cent, of the capital stock, and this

accounts for the fact, which is not a surprising

one, that it is impossible to find any of the stock for

sale.

Judging entirely from the rare business sagacity and

able management shown by him thus far. Mr. Dabbs

evidently has a brilliant future before him, and having

in mind his past record, it is safe to predict that he will

in the future rank second to none in the West as an

able financier.

Built in 1926 and designed by architect W.C. Tanner for banker and prominent Democrat Josiah Lee Dabbs, the Mediterranean-style mansion, at 2208 W. Live Oak Drive in Los Feliz, has four bedrooms and seven and a half baths, along with a Spanish Churrigueresque main entrance, according to listing information.

Withers, now 80, purchased the mansion in 1969, a year after her husband had been killed in a plane crash, and began a three-year renovation, according to a 2006 Los Angeles Times article on the house. She installed new arched windows and two massive chandeliers in the living room, the Times reported. Withers sold the house in 1989. Davis then purchased the house in 1992 and later sold it.

Now, the mansion is on the market for a much lower listing price than it was a year ago. Features in the villa include a ballroom-size living room, a baronial formal dining room, twin entertainer?s gourmet kitchens, two elevators, a library, an office, a theater, a billiard room, a game room, a cigar lounge, a gym, a bar, maid?s quarters and a sitting room, according to listing information. Given its size, the mansion is on a rather small lot with less than a half-acre of land, according to public records. That said, the secluded grounds have an infinity pool, a spa, a barbecue area, a four-car garage and a motor court, according to listing information.

During the early 20th century, the Uplifters, an offshoot of the prominent Los Angeles Athletic Club, established a social club and ranch in the canyon and built many ranch and cabin style houses as second homes for weekend and annual retreats. The Uplifters later developed a relationship with Will Rogers, whose ranch and estate lay on the other side of Sunset, and built a polo field in Topanga canyon. During the Prohibition era, the Uplifters were known as a high-class drinking club, of which many prominent local politicians and wealthy residents of the city were members. The relative isolation of the area provided an ideal retreat for the wealthy and powerful members of the club, who lived primarily in the upscale areas (of the time) near downtown and in Pasadena to indulge their appetites without undue notice. To this day, a sign reading "Uplifters Ranch" hangs over Latimer Road near the site of the Uplifters former clubhouse, which had been designed by the noted architect William J. Dodd. Following the Depression, the club began to sell off the homes and other holdings in the area and finally disbanded in 1947. The clubhouse and ranch and their appointments, including a swimming pool, baseball diamond and tennis courts were donated to the city in the early 1950s and developed into the Rustic Canyon Recreation Center and park. Perhaps following on the Uplifters' example, the neighborhood has long been known as a home for many of a bohemian leaning desiring privacy along with relative convenience.

Josiah Lee Dabbs built the "Oak Shadows" property; a house on what was originally the private road entrance to the Uplifter's Club (labelled such on census forms) which occupied the property that is now Rustic Canyon Park.^{[13][14][15][16]}

1. ↑ Source: #S769
2. ↑ Source: #S67
3. ↑ Source: #S67
4. ↑ Source: #S769
5. ↑ Source: #S1122
6. ↑ Source: #S769
7. ↑ Source: #S932
8. ↑ Source: #S1123
9. ↑ Source: #S1201
10. ↑ Source: #S1123
11. ↑ Source: #S1198
12. ↑ Source: #S764
13. ↑ Source: #S933
14. ↑ Source: #S1126
15. ↑ Source: #S1124
16. ↑ Source: #S1125