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Male, US, born 1894-01-20, died 1967-05-29
Associated with the firms network
Masten and Hurd, Architects; Masten, Hurd and Gwathmey
Résumé
Student officer, US Army, Presidio, San Francisco, CA, 05/1917. His World War I draft card of 05/26/1917 indicated his occupation as "student officer Presidio." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: California; Registration County: Alameda Source Information: U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 12/03/2024.)
Captain, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1917-1919.
According to the U.S. Census of 1920, Hurd worked in the art field at that time.
Partner, Masten and Hurd, Architects, 1919-1959; Partner, Masten, Hurd, and Gwathmey, Architects, San Francisco, CA, 1959-?;
Professional Activities
Member, Northern California Chapter of the AIA, 1926- .
Director, AIA, Northern CA Chapter, 1930.
Vice-President, AIA Northern California Chapter, 1941.
Vice-President and Director, AIA Northern California Chapter, 1946.
High School / College
Graduate, Berkeley High School, Berkeley, CA, 06/1912. (See Berkeley High School Olla Podrida Yearbook, 1912, p. 54.) Hurd graduated in the same Berkeley High School class of 1912 as the architect Eldridge "Ted" Spencer (1893-1978) and architect Henry Temple Howard (1894-1967), son of University of California Berkeley professor, John Galen Howard (1864-1931).
Member, San Francisco Architecture Club, San Francisco, CA, Member, Beaux-Arts Society, San Francisco, CA;
Relocation
Lester W. Hurd moved with his family several times during his life, dwelling in both Dalbo, MN and various cities in CA. His father worked as a barber, but seems to have relocated the family routinely. In 1883, his parents--George and Alma-- resided in MN, likely in the vicinity of Dalbo, MN, but had relocated to CA by 1885. His brother Clifford was born in Rio Vista, CA, in 1888, and Lester in Winters, CA, on 06/20/1894.
In 1900, he lived with his parents, sister and two brothers in Ukiah, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Ukiah, Mendocino, California; Roll: 93; Page: 17; Enumeration District: 0079, accessed 12/03/2024.)
According to the 1910 US Census, 16-year-old Lester lived with this parents George and Alma on Hope Street in Fremont, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Fremont, Santa Clara, California; Roll: T624_105; Page: 3a; Enumeration District: 0068; FHL microfilm: 1374118, accessed 12/03/2024.) The caption to his 1912 Berkeley High School yearbook photo indicated how many times Hurd changed addresses. In 1908 and 1909, he attended Alameda High School. He went to Mountain View High School in 1910, and Berkeley High during 1911-1912.
On 05/26/1917, Hurd resided at 1808 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: California; Registration County: Alameda Source Information: U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 12/03/2024.)
Between 1920 and 1924, at least, Lester and Genevieve Hurd lived in rented quarters at 3125 Arkansas Street in Oakland, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1924, accessed 12/03/2024.)
In 1927, Hurd and his family resided at 1891 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Berkeley, CA. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1927, p. 996.)
Ten years later, the family, including a son, Lester B. Hurd, resided in their own home at 1891 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, in a West Berkeley neighborhood of middle class houses. (It had an appraised value of $11,000, about average for the area.)
His last residence was in the 94563 zip code of Orinda, CA. Hurd was buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, CA.
Parents
His father George H. Hurd (born 08/1863 in IA) worked as a barber in both 1900 and 1910. As noted in the 1910 decennial census, George's father had been born in ME, his mother in Scotland. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Ukiah, Mendocino, California; Roll: 93; Page: 17; Enumeration District: 0079, accessed 12/03/2024 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Fremont, Santa Clara, California; Roll: T624_105; Page: 3a; Enumeration District: 0068; FHL microfilm: 1374118, accessed 12/03/2024.)
Three years younger than George Hurd, Alma Martinson (born c. 11/1866 in Sweden-d. 02/14/1920 in Placer County, CA), his mother, immigrated from Sweden. (The US Census of 1900 indicated that she had come to the US in 1868, that of 1910 recorded the date to have been 1876.) Alma worked in the home, and had had four children, three of whom survived in 1910. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Ukiah, Mendocino, California; Roll: 93; Page: 17; Enumeration District: 0079, accessed 12/03/2024 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Fremont, Santa Clara, California; Roll: T624_105; Page: 3a; Enumeration District: 0068; FHL microfilm: 1374118, accessed 12/03/2024.) Alma's family likely settled near Dalbo, MN, a town founded by Swedish immigrants in the east-central part of the state.
His siblings included: Alma Hurd (born c. 12/1883 in MN-d. 01/12/1892 in Dalbo, MN); Howard G. Hurd (born c. 10/1885 in CA-d. 02/1905 in Ukiah, CA); and Clifford Wilbur Hurd (born (born 04/26/1888 in Rio Vista, CA-d. 09/09/1966 in Alameda County, CA)
Spouse
He married Genevieve G. Hickman on 09/01/1917 in Oakland, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1850-1941 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 12/03/2024.) In 1920 and 1930, Genevieve worked in the home.
Children
A son, Lester B. Hurd, was born c. 1922 in Berkeley, CA.
Biographical Notes
As per his World War I draft registration card, Hurd was Caucasian with blue eyes and brown hair. He was of medium height and build. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: California; Registration County: Alameda Source Information: U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 12/03/2024.)
No source has been found to this point indicated what his middle initial "W" stood for. His brother Clifford had the middle name "Wilbur,"
SSN: 559-50-8582.
PCAD id: 347
