Résumé

Howard H. Riley worked in Seattle from c. 1910 until 1950.

Draftsman, unspecified architectural office, Seattle, WA, 1910.

Partner, [Louis H.] Yelland and Riley, Architects, Seattle, WA, 1914. This partnership had an office in Room #638 of the Burke Building in Seattle. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1914, p. 1808.)

Draftsman, unspecified architectural office, Seattle, WA, 1915. (See R.L. Polk's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1915, p. 1320.)

Draftsman, B. Marcus Priteca, Architect, Seattle, WA, 1916. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1916, p. 1318.)

Architect, Link and Haire, Architects, Butte, MT, 1916-1917. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Montana State Historical Society; Helena, Montana; Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1830-2011, accessed 05/30/2023 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: Montana; Registration County: Silver Bow Source Information: U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 05/30/2023.)

Partner, [Edwin J.] Ivey and Riley, Architects, Seattle, WA, 1919-1921. They had an office in Room #615 of the Pacific Building in 1921. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1921, p. 1555.)

Private, US Army, Battery C, 146th Field Artillery, Seattle, WA, 1923-1926. He joined the US Army on 10/09/1923 at Seattle, WA. He enlisted on 10/09/1923 and was discharged on 10/09/1926, and seems to have served in the Seattle area. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Military Records; Reference: AR82-2-0-9, accessed 05/30/2023.)

During his years of independent private practice, 1922 and 1950, Riley switched offices periodically. This frequent office relocation can sometimes suggest that business was uneven, necessitating periodic relocation. That being said, it does appear that Riley managed to make it through the Depression's most difficult years, c. 1930-1936, working on his own.

Principal, Howard H. Riley, Architect, Seattle, WA, c. 1922-1950. Between 1922 and 1924, the architect maintained his office in Room #4087 of the Arcade Square Building in Seattle. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1922, p. 1552 and Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1924, p. 1200.) He operated in Room #6110 in 1927-1928, and, by 1931, he worked out of Room #4141 of the Arcade Building. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1927, p. 1349, Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1928, p. 1425 and Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1931, p. 2030.) Riley worked In Room #403 of the Vance Building in 1938-1939 and In 1942, he had Room #1201 of the same building. (See (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1938, p. 1379, Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1939, p. 1296, and Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 171, accessed 05/30/2023.) By 1948, two years before his death, he leased space at 1425 4th Avenue, Room #1714. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1948, p. 1155.)

College

The 1940 US Census indicated that Riley completed two years of college. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: McGilvra, King, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04345; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 17-126, accessed 05/30/2023.)

Relocation

Riley was born in the west-central Ohio town of Lima, OH, although various dates have been indicated for his birth. The US Social Security Administration's Application and Claims Index listed it as 08/21/1886, as did the 1900 US Census and his World War I and II draft registration cards. The State of Washington Select Death Index, 1907-1960, however, listed an estimated birth year "abt 1890." Find a Grave.com also listed a birth date of 08/21/1890. (See Ancestry.com Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007, accessed 05/30/2023 and Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., Select Death Index, 1907-1960 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 05/30/2023.) As his parents married in 1885 and he was the eldest of three children according to the 1900 US Census, the 08/21/1886 birthdate seems certain.

Interestingly, at the time of Riley's birth, Lima, OH, experience a oil-drilling boom, transforming the city into the nation's oil production capital for about fifteen years. The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, Incorporated, operated here until reserves were depleted, and developed new processes of refining, difficult to pump, high-sulfur oil. By 1895, the state of OH was the largest producer of oil in the nation, and the cities of Lima and Findlay became temporarily wealthy centers of oil and gas production, respectively. The Marathon Oil Company, founded in Lima in 1887, temporarily became part of the Standard Oil Company trust (1889-1911), until it was broken up by anti-trust litigation.

Riley's family likely stayed in Lima while there was prosperity there, until the mid-to-late 1890s, when it relocated to Lawrence, CO. John M. Riley, Howard's father, worked as a miner there. the household included five people, Howard's parents and his two siblings. The family had moved to Lawrence by c. 06/1899, when his younger sister Genevieve Riley was born. Howard was then 13. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Lawrence, Teller, Colorado; Roll: 130; Page: 5; Enumeration District: 0136, accessed 05/31/2023.)

In 1914, Riley lived at 514 Terry Avenue in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1914, p. 1443.)

A year after his marriage to Veta Burkholder, he lived at 1521 7th Avenue, Apartment #208. (See R.L. Polk's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1915, p. 1320.) For some of 1916, he lived at McGilvra's Landing on Mercer Island, WA, while working for B. Marcus Priteca. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1916, p. 1318.)

In later 1916, Riley and his wife Veta moved to 621 West Diamond Street in Butte, MT, while he worked in the office of Link and Haire, Architects. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Montana State Historical Society; Helena, Montana; Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1830-2011, accessed 05/30/2023.) He may have had an address of 516 East Thomas Street in Seattle, c. 1918.

Riley, his wife Veta and their daughter Marjorie lived on Mercer Island, in 1920. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Mercer, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1925; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 47, accessed 05/30/2023.) They continued to live on Mercer Island in 1932. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1932, p. 1218.)

As per the 1940 US Census, Riley and his family resided in Seattle in a residence they owned on North Mercer Way. Their dwelling had an approximate value of $4,000 in that year. The houshold included his wife Veta and two of their children, Patricia and Huston. This census indicated that they had lived in the same house in 1935. In 1940, each member of the family had a job; Howard was an architect, Veta an assistant manager of a travel agency, Patricia a draftswoman in an archtiectural office, and Huston a newspaper carrier. Patricia was in her third year of college, while Huston was a senior in high school. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: McGilvra, King, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04345; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 17-126, accessed 05/30/2023.)

By 04/27/1942, Riley may have been separated from his wife, who lived on Mercer Island. He resided at the Imperial Hotel, 1414 4th Avenue in Seattle, according to his World War II draft registration card.

Between 1948 and 1950, the architect dwelled at 2855 Alaska Street with his second wife Mabel and her son Kenyon H. Riley (born c. 1939 in WA).

Parents

His parents were John Merriman Riley, Sr., 09/09/1859 in Mansfield, OH-d. 01/21/1947 in Paul, ID) and Martha Ellen Huston (born 12/22/1859 in Lima, OH-d. 05/29/1953 in Boise, ID). In 1880, By 1880, John Riley lived on Main Street in Lima, where he worked as a clerk in a feed store. He boarded with the family of Morton E. Webber, Sr., a "commercial agent," according to the US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Lima, Allen, Ohio; Roll: 990; Page: 510A; Enumeration District: 225, accessed 05/31/2023.)

He wed Martha Huston c. 1885 in Lima.

John, Martha and Genevieve moved to ID from CO, c. 1910. According to the US Census of that year, they lived in Kimberly, where the family operated a farm. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Kimberly, Twin Falls, Idaho; Roll: T624_228; Page: 11a; Enumeration District: 0266; FHL microfilm: 1374241, accessed 05/31/2023.) The three lived in Twin Falls, ID, in 1920, at 455 3rd Avenue East. They continued to run a general farm. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Twin Falls Ward 1, Twin Falls, Idaho; Roll: T625_295; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 252, accessed 05/31/2023.)

He had a younger brother John M. Riley, Jr., ((born 04/09/1890 in Lima, OH-d. 03/1970 in Kirkland, WA) and a sister Genevieve Huston Riley Rustay (born 06/07/1899 in Colorado Springs, CO-d. 01/16/1997 in ID)

Spouse

Howard H. Riley married at least two times. He first married Veta Bernice Burkholder (born 11/10/1890 in NE-d. 08/26/1963 in Fairfax, VA) on 08/25/1914 in Everett, Snohomish County, WA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., County Marriages, 1855-2008 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 05/30/2023.) Veta's parents were John T. Burkholder (born In MO) and Lucy M, Sears (born in MA). The 1940 US Census noted that she had completed three years of college. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: McGilvra, King, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04345; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 17-126, accessed 05/30/2023.) She died of heart disease in Fairfax, VA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Virginia Department of Health; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia Deaths, 1912-2014, accessed 05/30/2023.)

He wed Mabel M. Weber (born c. 1895 in WA) on 04/06/1944 in Seattle, WA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013; Reference Number: kingcoarchmcvol126_813, accessed 05/30/2023.)

Children

He and Veta had at least three children: Marjorie Elizabeth Riley Turner (born 11/14/1916 in Butte, MT-d. 02/03/1998 in Kaneohe, HI), Patricia Luclille Riley Aurand (born 05/09/1920 in Seattle, WA-d. 10/12/1988 in Honolulu, HI) and Huston Riley. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Montana State Historical Society; Helena, Montana; Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1830-2011, accessed 05/30/2023.)

Biographical Notes

According to military records, Riley had a "medium" Caucasian complexion, with blue eyes and brown hair. He stood 5-feet, 9-and-1/4-inches tall. His World War I draft registration card listed him as having "medium" height and build, with gray eyes and brown hair. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: Montana; Registration County: Silver Bow Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 05/30/2023.)

• Lima, OH (Architect's Birth)
  Lima, OH 45901

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