Résumé

Carpenter, Los Angeles, CA, 1884. At this time, there were several men named “Strange” working as carpenters in Los Angeles. They included Charles, his brother Fred W. Strange, his father Stephen Strange, and an S. Strange. Charles and S. Strange lived together at 102 South Alameda Street in 1884, while Fred W. and Stephen resided together at 355 Center Street in Los Angeles. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1884, p. 351.)

Principal, Charles Strange, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, 1892. In 1892, Strange had a business address at 221 South Spring Street in Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 20; FHL Roll Number: 976929, accessed 01/19/2021.)

Superintendent of Buildings, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 1895-1896. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 21; FHL Roll Number: 976930, accessed 01/14/2021.)

Principal, Charles L. Strange, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, -1900. Strange maintained his office at 221 South Spring Street in 1892. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1892, p. 551.) In 1900, he was reported to have had an office in Room #208 of the Henne Building in Downtown Los Angeles. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1900, p. 818.)

Strange left abruptly in 1900 following a split with his wife. The Los Angeles Herald reported: "Charles L. Strange, an architect, who was city superintendent of buildings during Mayor Rader's administration, is reported to be at present in Honolulu, although when he left here in the latter part of June he gave out to his friends that he was going to Mexico on business affairs connected with his profession. From the fact that Mr. Strange gave up his offices in the Henne block shortly after his departure from this city, it is argues that he has no intention of returning. This view is strengthened by the further fact that Mr. and Mrs. Strange are alleged to have had matrimonial disagreements several months ago, and that they have parted. While a resident of this city, Mr. Strange prospered and handled many important building comtracts in this section, among which was that of the Santa Ana court house. Mr. Strange left no unsettled matters behind, and there are no creditors to bewail his departure." (See "He Will Not Return," Los Angeles Herald, vol. XXVII, no. 307, 08/04/1900, p. 5.)

Relocation

Charles L. Strange was born in Ohio in 1865 to a close-knit family.

The 1870 US Census located Charles Strange living with his family in Elyria, OH. The family owned real estate worth approximately $1,000 at the time. The household included his mother Harriet's mother Cynthia Parmelee (born c. 1797 in VT) and Mary Erman, a 26-year-old domestic servant, (born c. 1844 in Germany). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Elyria, Lorain, Ohio; Roll: M593_1235; Page: 505B; Family History Library Film: 552734, accessed 01/14/2021.)

In 1880, Strange continued to live in Elyria, OH, with his parents and a cousin, Jennie Wade (born c. 1864 in MI). At age 15, Charles worked as a store clerk, according to the 1880 US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Elyria, Lorain, Ohio; Roll: 1042; Page: 473A; Enumeration District: 171, accessed 01/14/2021.)

Charles Strange lived at 1825 East 2nd Street in Los Angeles in 1892. His brother Fred lived nearby at 1418 Hawkins Street, and father Stephen at 1815 Pennsylvania Street. Charles worked as an architect, Fred as a carpenter, and Stephen as a building contractor, according to voting records. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 20; FHL Roll Number: 976929, accessed 01/19/2021.)

While he was the City of Los Angeles Superintendent of Buildings in 1895, he dwelled at 1629 Santee Street. (See Maxwell's Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1895, p. 1319.)

He resided at 1724 Maple Avenue in 1896-1897 (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 21; FHL Roll Number: 976930, accessed 01/14/2021 and Maxwell's Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1897, p. 890.)

After the breakup of his marriage c. 08/1900, Strange relocated to Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where he continued to work as an architect.

Strange arrived in San Francisco, CA, from Manzanillo, Mexico, with his wife and two children on the S.S. Indiana in 09/1908. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Customs Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at San Francisco; NAI Number: 4478116; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85, accessed 01/19/2021.) It is possible that he was sick at the time, and was coming back to the US for medical care.

About a month after his arrival in the US, he died in Los Angeles, CA, on 10/10/1908. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information, California, U.S., Death Index, 1905-1939 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed 01/19/2021.) His immediately family all died within three years of one another. His parents passed away in 1907 and his older brother Frederick died a year after Charles in 1909.

Parents

His mother was Harriet "Hattie" Marie Parmelee (born 03/22/1835 in OH-d. 11/23/1907 in Los Angeles County, CA), his father, Stephen Strange (born c. 1829 in KY-d. 11/23/1907). They wed on 05/04/1854 in Lee County, IA. Stephen served in the Civil War, in the 8th Regiment, Ohio Infantry. He entered as a corporal, and left the military as a First Lieutenant. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information National Park Service. U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 01/14/2021.)

In 1870 and 1880, Stephen Strange worked as a carpenter in Elyria, OH. Stephen retired c. 1892 according to his obituary, although he was still listed as a "contractor and builder" in Maxwell's Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1895, (p. 1319), living at 1815 Pennsylvania Avenue. In 1900, Stephen and Harriet remained on Pennsylvania Avenue but by this time worked as a "capitalist." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Los Angeles Ward 9, Los Angeles, California; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0086; FHL microfilm: 1240090, accessed 01/14/2021.) He and his wife owned became landowners in Los Angeles during the 1890s.

According to a 1907 news story in the Los Angeles Times, his parents, who had been married fifty-four years, died within four hours of each other, his mother at 12:15 and father at 4:40 on 11/23/1907. (See “After Half Century Cross the River Together,” Los Angeles Times, 11/25/1907, pt. II, p. 1.)

Harriet and Stephan had two sons, Charles and Frederick W. Strange (born 10/1859 in OH-d. 07/13/1909 in Los Angeles, CA). Frederick worked as a carpenter for much of his life, and during his last decade, he was an employee of the Alta Planing Mill in Los Angeles. (See Maxwell's Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1897, p. 890.)In 1907, Frederick worked for the Alta Planing Mills in Los Angeles. He died of Bright's Disease at age 47.

Spouse

Strange had two wives. He first married Harriet H. Campbell on 06/20/1894 in Jackson County, MO. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Missouri State Archives; Jefferson City, MO, USA; Missouri Marriage Records [Microfilm], accessed 01/14/2021.) They divorced in about 1900 in Los Angeles, CA. This divorce prompted Strange to leave Southern California for Guadalajara, Mexico.

In Guadalajara, Mexico, he wed Maria Garcia (born c. 1889 in Mexico) on 05/22/1908. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Archivo del Registro Civil (Civil Registry State Archives); Jalisco, Mexico, Source Information: Ancestry.com. Jalisco, Mexico, Civil Registration Marriages, 1861-1961 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Mexico. State of Jalisco Civil Registration. Registro Civil del Estado de Jalisco, México. Courtesy of the Academia Mexicana de Genealogia y Heraldica, accessed 01/14/2021.)

Children

He and Maria had a son, Carlos L. Strange, Jr., (born c. 1906 in Mexico) and a daughter, Maria Eugenia Strange (born 12/08/1907 in Guadalajara, Mexico- d. 11/23/1909 in Guadalajara, Mexico), who died at two years old. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Archivo de Registro Civil de Distrito Federal (Civil Registry Archives); Federal District, Mexico, accessed 01/14/2021 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Archivo del Registro Civil (Civil Registry State Archives); Jalisco, Mexico, accessed 01/14/2021.) In 1908, his daughter's name was recorded as "Ernestine" on the S.S. Indiana's passenger manifest when it came to port in San Francisco, CA.

Biographical Notes

At age 31, Strange stood 5-feet, 7-and-¾-inches tall, and had brown eyes and hair, according to 1896 Los Angeles voter records. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 21; FHL Roll Number: 976930, accessed 01/14/2021.)