The Street Seen: Carpet Cleaning
Ocean Spray Tract
On Wednesday August 24, 1887, San Francisco entrepreneur H.L. Jones1 puts his 20 acre “Ocean Spray” subdivision up for auction.
OCEAN SPRAY is the “Nob Hill” of all Santa Monica. Grandest view of mountain, valley and ocean, combined with such perfect accessibility to the most desirable part of Santa Monica.
Jones puts splashy advertisements in the newspapers; has a horse-drawn wagon with musicians and signs; and organizes two special trains from downtown Los Angeles - round trip 5 cents.
Sale will commence immediately on the arrival of the train. At the close of the sale lunch will be served, after which everybody can go to the beach and spend the afternoon. Two trains coming back. One leaves at 4 pm and the other at 5 pm giving those out of town an opportunity to return in time to connect with outgoing trains and residents of Los Angeles can stay an hour longer and enjoy a bath, an hour under your umbrella with you Sunday girl or to do as you please.
Less than 30 of the 120 lots sell. By 1888, the land boom of the 1880’s collapses. Jones heads back to San Francisco where he tries to re-start his carpet cleaning business. Legally prevented from doing so,2 he starts a household furnishings auction business. Intermittently between 1890 and 1895, Jones advertises “Ocean Spray” for lease – 2 cottages on 20 acres; and from time to time visits his Ocean Spray Villa with his family (wife Emma & daughter Hazel).
On Saturday July 11, 1896, Jones revives his "Ocean Spray" tract.3 The recently opened Ocean Park Loop electric trolley line runs down 4th St past the Ocean Spray tract. Another old-time auction sale - "lunch will be served" and offers "one lot free to the lucky holder of a thirty round-trip ticket." The round-trip ticket from Los Angeles is now 30 cents. Ben E. Ward (1856 – 1907) is the auctioneer. All 88 remaining lots sell.
In 1908, Jones buys a lot near downtown Los Angeles and builds a home. Emma gets one party in the new house before Jones sells it to Adolph Fleishman4 in 1909. Jones dies in San Francisco in 1923. On his death certificate, Emma, who has been living with her daughter, lists his occupation as “carpet cleaning.”
Henry Latimer Jones, Jr (1859 – 1923)
Born in Albany NY, H.L. Jones (no close relation to Santa Monica founder J.P. Jones) comes to San Francisco in 1885. He starts a carpet cleaning business and marries Emmaline “Emma” Wise (1860 – 1924). In 1885 in Los Angeles, Jones buys 20 acres (Blocks 18 & 19) of the Lucas Ranch from John N. Bontty for $2,353.
Jones has a carpet cleaning business (“City Carpet Cleaning Works”) on 8th Street in San Francisco. In 1887, he sells the business. The sales contract includes a covenant that Jones, for a period of 10 years, will not enter into the carpet cleaning business in the county of San Francisco, nor in the county of Alameda or in the county of San Mateo. After the unsuccessful “Ocean Spray” auction of 1887, Jones returns to San Francisco in 1889 - and opens a new carpet cleaning business on 8th Street - directly across the street from his old business.
In 1890, the new owners, “City Carpet Beating and Renovating Works”, sue and obtain a decree enjoining Jones from the carpet cleaning business until the expiration of the 10 year time limit in the contract - but waive damages, on account that Jones is insolvent. In 1892, on the basis that the inclusion of Alameda and San Mateo counties make the entire contract illegal, Jones appeals to the Superior Court - and loses. Jones appeals to the California Supreme Court - which rules in 1894 (City Carpet Beating Works v Jones) that the contract is valid in San Francisco, but void in Alameda and San Mateo. In 1897, 10 years after selling the business, Jones re-starts his San Francisco carpet cleaning business.
An out of town resident, Jones is free with naming streets in his 1887 “Ocean Spray” subdivision. In 1896, to conform with citywide street names, Jones Street is changed to 5th Street, and California Street becomes 6th Street. Later, Temple becomes Pacific, and Hill becomes Strand. The existing Abbie had already become 4th Street in 1895.
Adolph Fleishman (1869 – 1946) is a wealthy Los Angeles wholesale fruit seller (Loeb Fleishman & Co). In 1908, he marries San Francisco society woman Helen Marion Bremer (1884 – 1961). They live at the downtown Los Angeles Hotel Alexandria. After a son is born, they need more space, and in 1909, Fleishman buys Jones’ new house for $20,000 cash.