Los Angeles in the 1900s

Mayor Owen McAleer

1858–1944

by
George Garrigues

 
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From the Los Angeles Times, March 10, 1944

Owen McAleer,
Mayor Here 1905-09, Dies

The funeral of Owen McAleer, 86, Mayor of Los Angeles in 1905-09, who died at his ome after a long illness, will be held today at 1:30 p.m. at the Bresee Bros. & Gillette Mortuary, 950 W. Washington Blvd., under the auspices of the B.P.O.E. Lodge 99. The body will be cremated.

Mr. McAleer, a resident here 56 years, played an important part in the early development of the city, both in civic and industrial enterprise.

 

Helped Get Water

While a member of the City Council from the First Ward in 1903-05, he was given leave by that body to ascertain the feasibility of bringing water to Los Angeles from the Owens River Valley, which cleared the way for the development of the project.

As Mayor, he was a champion of public ownership, and many skirmishes with privately owned utilities and traction [streetcar] companies marked his tenure of office.

After a four-year term as a member of the Board of Public Works, Mr. McAleer retired from public life in 1920.

 

Native of Canada

He was a native of Liscard, Canada. In 1858 he came here and built the first steam boiler in the city. Soon after he became superintendent of the boiler works of the pioneer Baker Iron Works.

He later organized the Republic Iron & Steel Co. with the late Nat Wilshire and

 

Image from the Los Angeles Public Library.
was vice-president and general manager of the firm, now defunct.

Mr. McAleer also was credited with establishing the first municipal playground — on Violet Street.

He leaves his widow, Mrs. Gertrude McAleer, herself a resident of Los Angeles since 1878, now residing at 401 W. 41st St. [see map], and a nephew, J.C. McAleer of Los Angeles.
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From the Los Angeles Examiner,
March 10, 1944
From the Los Angeles Daily News,
March 10, 1944
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Mayors of the City of Los Angeles
1900-1909

Click on a name to read his obituary.
The Mayor
Dates of Birth and Death
Served as Mayor
Sept. 23, 1855–March 12, 1934
Dec. 15, 1898–Dec. 12, 1900
1859–April 7, 1937
Dec. 16, 1896 - Dec. 15, 1898,
Dec. 12, 1900–Dec. 8, 1904
and 1919-1921
1858–March 7, 1944
Dec. 8, 1904–Dec. 13, 1906
1866–Dec. 25, 1948
Dec. 13, 1906–March 11, 1909
1859–April 24, 1944
March 15, 1909–March 26, 1909
1839–Aug. 2, 1923
March 26, 1909–July 1913
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To read more about any of these men, go to the Site Search Engine and type in the mayor’s last name.

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The best single source for biographies of all Los Angeles mayors (through Tom Bradley) is Biographical Dictionary of American Mayors, 1820-1980, edited by Melvin G. Holli and Peter d’A. Jones, published by Greenwood Press in 1981.

Los Angeles history