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Male, born 1897-11-24, died 1958-10-17
Associated with the firm network
Résumé
He served in the US military on 11/27/1919. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: U.S., Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT. USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2019, accesed 08/22/2022.)
Draftsman, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1920.
Contractor, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1930. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: San Marino, Los Angeles, California; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 1433; FHL microfilm: 2339908, accessed 08/22/2022.)
Principal, John Northcliffe Douglas, Architect, Pasadena, CA, c. 1940-1958. In 1942, Douglas maintained his office at 1041 East Green Street in Pasadena, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 480, accessed 08/22/2022.) Douglas ahad an office at 3733 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena in 1954. (See Pasadena, California, City Directory, 1954, p. 4.)
Relocation
John Northcliffe Douglas was born in New Castle, CO, in 1897, although some sources list his birthplace as Colorado Springs, CO. (His World War II draft registratioj card listed "Newcastle" [sic] as his hometown. The usually reliable Find a Grave.com listed his birthplace as Colorado Springs, CO, and his birthdate to have been 1899, although this latter fact was definitely incorrect.)
His family resided in Pittsburgh, PA, by 1900, where his father worked as a carpenter. Pittsburgh offered a great amount of construction work for a carpenter, as its coal and steel businesses grew rapidly between 1870 and 1910. By 1910, it was one of the largest producers of coal and coke, pig iron, crucible steel, and steel rails in the US, creating an economic boom that multiplied Pittsburgh's population more than six-fold.
In 1900, his parents lived on Camelia Street in Pittsburgh with seven people living under the same roof. They included John's parents, his brother Dugald, maternal grandmother Mary Hood (born c. 12/1853 in England), maternal aunt Olive Hood Lasson (born c. 03/1877 in PA) and cousin Fern Lasson (born c. 01/1900 in Pittsburgh, PA) (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 18, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1361; Page: 2; Enumeration District: 0211; FHL microfilm: 1241361, accessed 08/22/2022.)
John and his family resided in a rented house at 5601 McCandless Street in Pittsburgh in 1910. Only four people lived here at this time, John, his parents and brother. According to the census, John M. Douglas had spent 15 weeks unemployed during 1910. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 10, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1302; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 0397; FHL microfilm: 1375315, accessed 08/22/2022.)
The Douglas Family relocated to Los Angeles, CA, by at least 1919 from PA. (He got married in Los Angeles by 04/04/1919.) The 1920 US Census contained two listings for John and his new bridge Elinor Noyes. The first listing of 01/07/1920, recorded that he and his wife had rented accommodations in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, at 438 South Mott Street. (See also Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1920, accessed 08/22/2022.) On 01/12/1920, however, it located John and Elinor as living with his parents at 1911 Michigan Avenue in a nearby eastside neighborhood of Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Los Angeles Assembly District 66, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_110; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 257, accessed 08/22/2022 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Los Angeles Assembly District 66, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_110; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 247, accessed 08/22/2022.)
During the period 1920 through 1946, Douglas and his wife relocated frequently, moving at least eight times within Los Angeles and its northeast suburbs of San Marino, Arcadia, Pasadena and Monrovia. It is possible that the architect built and sold his own houses to earn extra money during this time.
They made their home at 132 North Valencia Street, Los Angeles, in 1924 and 927 North Stoneman Avenue in Los Angeles, as per 1926 Los Angeles County voter's records. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1924 and 1926, accessed 08/22/2022.)
Douglas prospered during the 1920s, enough so to afford a $15,000 house in the posh suburb of San Marino, CA. This house was situated at 1175 Lorain Road, and was completed in 1927. At this time, the 1930 US Census listed his occupation as "contractor." Four people lived here, the contractor, his wife and their two sons, John and Donald. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: San Marino, Los Angeles, California; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 1433; FHL microfilm: 2339908, accessed 08/22/2022.)
He and his wife dwelled at 3801 Michillinda Drive in San Marino by 1934. (See Pasadena, California, City Directory, 1934, p. 187.)
The Douglases rented a house at 408 Ninita Parkway in Pasadena, CA, by 1938. The 1940 US Census also noted that they had lived in Arcadia, CA, in 1935. Los Angeles County voter's records noted that he lived at 1138 West Fairview Avenue in Arcadia, CA, in 1936. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1936, accessed 08/22/2022, Pasadena, California, City Directory, 1938, p. 175, and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00242; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 19-492, accessed 08/22/2022 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 480, accessed 08/22/2022.)
He and his family dwelled at 888 Victoria Drive in 1942. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1942, accessed 08/22/2022).
He and his wife had a house at 1003 West Hillcrest Boulevard in Monrovia, CA, by 1946 and remained here in 1956, at least. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1946 and 1956 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation: United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Monrovia, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 1590; Sheet Number: 16; Enumeration District: 19-1232, accessed 08/22/2022.)
The architect passed away in Los Angeles, CA, on 10/17/1958.
Parents
His mother was Laura Jane Hood (born c. 03/1876 in NJ-d. 12/25/1934 in Los Angeles County, CA) who married John McLeod Douglas (born c. 05/1866 in Scotland) on 08/13/1895 in Allegheny County, PA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016, accessed 08/22/2022.) Laura managed the household and had three children by 1900, two of who survived at that time. John Northcliffe Douglas had a younger brother Dugald A. Douglas (born c. 04/1900 in Pittsburgh, PA).
John McLeod Douglas immigrated to the US from Scotland in 1888 or 1889, and had been naturalized, according to the 1900 US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 18, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1361; Page: 2; Enumeration District: 0211; FHL microfilm: 1241361, accessed 08/22/2022.)
In 1920, Dugald Douglas worked as an apprentice draftsman in Los Angeles.
By 1930, John and Laura resided at 403 8th Street in Alhambra, CA. (See Los Angeles Directory Company's Alhambra, California, City Directory, 1930, p. 108.) At that time, John M. Douglas worked as a cabinetmaker.
At the time of his mother's death in 1934, Dugald Douglas resided in San Gabriel, CA. (See "Douglas, Laura Jayne," Los Angeles Times, 12/27/1934, p. 16.) In 1938, Dugald worked as an esitmator for the Graves Company and lived in San Gabriel. (See Los Angeles A-L, California, City Directory, 1938, p. 599.)
Spouse
He married Fannie Elinor Noyes (born 04/06/1898 in Riverside, CA-d. 04/03/1974 in Monrovia, CA) on 04/04/1919 in Los Angeles, CA. An article in the Los Angeles Evening Express descirbed the wedding: “Last night Miss Elinor Noyes became the bride of John Northcliffe Douglas. The wedding was charming in its appointments and was celebrated at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Reeves, 1426 Martel avenue. Mrs. Reeves being the sister of the bride. The Rev. Herbert Hayes of Hollywood officiated. The bridal couple were unattended. The bride is a lovely girl and looked especially pretty in her costume of white silk and lace and carried a shower bouquet of Bride roses. Throughout the rooms were tastefully adorned in a profusion of pink and white roses and carnations. After the ceremony a wedding supper was served, places being marked for members of the two families. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas left for a honeymoon trip through the south. They will be at home in Los Angeles after June 1.” (See "Marriages Hold Stage in Society," Los Angeles Evening Express, 04/05/1919, part III, p. 2.)
Her parents were Joseph Shipley Noyes (born 09/13/1859 in Marshall, MI-d. 09/05/1913 in Los Angeles County, CA) and Fanny Louise Barrett(born c. 04/1863 in Marshall, MI-d. 02/05/1913 in Los Angeles County, CA).
Children
John and Elinor had two children: John Colin Douglas (born 07/20/1920 in Los Angeles County, CA-d. 08/10/1963 in Los Angeles County, CA) and Donald N. Douglas (born c. 1930 in Los Angeles, CA).
Biographical Notes
In a handful of documents, his last name was spelled "Douglass" rather than "Douglas." One copy of his marriage certificate had this "Douglass" spelling, although this may have been incorrectly transcribed by a county clerk.
His World War II draft registration card indicated that Douglas was Caucasian with a light complexion, brown eyes and gray hair. He stood 5-feet, 10-inches tall and weighed 195 pounds.
Douglas registered as a Republican in the elections of 1920, 1926, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1944 and 1950. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1920, 1926, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1944 and 1950, accessed 08/22/2022.)
SSN: 563102539.
PCAD id: 5905
[none found]