Early Monrovia Structures Research

Thomas

Birthdate:

Thomas Wardall was the oldest of six children born to English immigrants Charles Adam Wardall (1817-1906) and Sarah Hewlit Wardall (1815-1900).  His family arrived from Otter Creek, Ripley, Indiana to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1827.  According to History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, Charles was one of 11 children which may be one of the reasons he limited his family to six. His father Charles must have been financially successful in the U.S. as he, with two others, bought property and laid out the town of Northwood, Ohio, in 1857.  He built the first mill and ground wheat and corn for his neighbors as well as sawing lumber for them.  Eventually, he bought a farm and continued to live comfortably.  Later he retired and spent much time with Thomas in Monrovia.  Records show that Thomas Wardall was in partnership with his father in buying up property in Monrovia, and he may have helped Thomas financially.

Thomas Wardall was born in 1841 when his parents were living in Otter Creek, Ripley, Indiana, and he and his siblings moved around with their parents until they settled in Iowa.  The 1900 census shows Thomas living and working on his father's farm. He married Jane Eleanor Bigalow (1851-1922) in 1867 in Worth County, Iowa.

According to author James Miller Guinn who wrote a history of the Los Angeles area in 1915, Thomas Wardall arrived in Duarte, California, (ajacent to Monrovia) in 1878 and began cultivating citrus fruit.  There was a small handful of growers, farmers, and miners in the area at that time.

The population didn't grow much even after the arrival of the Monroe brothers in 1883/1884.  Duarte families such as the Wardall, Fowler, and Bliss families joined with the few others in the area to socialize at the few opportunities available to them.  Any talk of establishing a town with the benefits that would bring was closely followed at social gatherings.  Additionally, Duarte residents were very familiar with the land that was going to be up for sale, and those thinking getting on the ground floor of the land boom had their eyes on choice plots.  When the Monrovia Tract became available, Thomas Wardall was ready,

In November of 1886, Wardall purchased land in Lots B &C of Block 9 of the Monrovia Tract and subdivided it, naming it the Wardall Subdivision.  In November of 1887, he purchased Lot A in Block nine of the Monrovia Tract and added it to the Wardall Subdivision.

In 1906-07, Wardall purchased two lots in Block 17 of Addition No 2 to the Monrovia Tract and subdivided it into Wardall's Orange Grove Tract.  He retained 12 lots in that tract for himself. On Lot 8 and and the east 45 feet of Lot 9, he built a two-story bungalow style house for him and his family.  This house still stands at 412 E. Colorado Boulevard.

Between 1886-1907, Wardall purchased 16 lots sprinkled through four other subdivisions.  Unlike many others who invested their money in real estate and then lost it all at the end of 1888, Thomas Wardall held on through bust and emerged to be able provide himself and his family with a very comfortable living.  But this didn't save him from tragedy.

Thomas and Jane Wardall had seven children the first four of whom were born in Iowa: Sarah, who may have died at birth; Mabel Esther, her twin (1869-19450); Ralph Hewitt (1873-1927; and Jennie Anita (1878-1959).    Mabel married in 1890 and moved to northern California.  Ralph Hewitt attended college at Stanford, worked for the U.S. government as a trade representative, got married, and ran a grocery store in Pasadena until his death.  Jennie Anita married and moved to Long Beach, living there until her death.

The next two were born in Duarte.  Ray Clifford married, went into the grocery business and lived in Pasadena for the rest of his life.  Gladys' life was short.  Her obituary indicates she was well-liked by the other young people in Monrovia and participated in many activities with them.  Her picture shows her to be very attractive even though it was well-known she suffered from a weak heart.  On September 22,  she was seen in downtown Monrovia shopping, and the next day she began to feel unwell and died that afternoon in the family home at 412 E. Colorado

Clyde, Jefferson F.  History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, 1918, Vol. II, S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, pp 295-297.