Early Monrovia Structures Research

George & Harriet

Birthdate:

George Barry was born in October 11, 1846 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,  and his wife Harriet was born in Wisconsin in 1885. Census records  indicate they were 19 years old when they got married, which would have  around 1904. It is unclear when they came to California, but Charles F.  Davis reports in his book History of Monrovia that the Barrys came to  Monrovia from Ventura, most likely to join A.E. Cronenwett in the  publishing of the new Monrovia newspaper the Monrovia News.

Specifically,  Cronenwett had established the paper in 1903 and involved Harriet Barry  with the editorial department, specializing in society news (Wiley  92).  Cronenwett sold the paper to the Monrovia Publishing Company,  which had been formed in October of 1906 specifically to take over the  Monrovia News.  The officers of the company were A.P. Seymour,  president; Paran F. Rice, vice president; Hugh Sutherland, treasurer;  and George A. Barry, secretary.  Barry also served as editor and manager  of the paper, while his wife did much of the writing.

The  location of the Monrovia News was originally on East Olive, but around  1911, it was changed to 115 E. Lime Avenue, and the Barrys lived there,  as well as working there.  At this time, the newspaper was renamed the  Monrovia Daily News.

The 1908-1909 Monrovia directory has them  living at the La Vista Grande Hotel.  In 1910, they were living  somewhere on South Myrtle, and in 1911, they are listed at the 115 E.  Lime address where they lived for many years.

Besides the News,  the Barrys also put out the following publications: the Weekly  Monrovian, Pacific Poultry Craft, and Harriet’s specialty, "California  Woman’s Bulletin."

The Barrys were also active in the community.   In 1909, George Barry was nominated to act as officer and director of  the Board of Trade (Los Angeles Herald, May 17, 1909), and Harriet Barry  was an active member of the Saturday Afternoon Club.

According  to his own account, Charles F. Davis arrived in Monrovia shortly before  World War I and was associated for a short time with the Barrys  publications, but he left the Monrovia Daily News in 1919.  The Barrys  carried on with a small staff until 1922, when they sold the paper to  C.C. Howard.  They continued living in at least part of the brick  structure at 115 E. Lime because their address changes to 115 ½ E. Lime.  

No death dates have so far been found for them.

The  Barrys had two sons: Richard Hayes, born September 21, 1881, who became an  author and lived most of his life in New York.  He married a women named  Elizabeth, and there seems to have been no children from this  marriage.  Their other son, Griffin Randolph, wrote and also worked  overseas for the American Red Cross.  He married Dora Winifred Black,  and they had two children, Roderick and Harriet.  No death date has been  discovered yet for Richard, but Griffin died of an aneurysm in London,  England in 1957.