Isaac Colton Ash
Encyclopedia
Isaac Colton Ash was a banker, real-estate dealer and member of the Los Angeles City Council in the 20th century.
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Ash was born on January 26, 1861, in Shelby County, Indiana
, the son of Eli and Mary Hooper Ash, both of Richmond, Virginia
. He went to school in Shelby County, then earned a bachelor's degree in 1885 at Purdue University
in Indiana. He was married to Sarah Morris of Salt Lake City, Utah
, in 1902 in Indianapolis, Indiana
. She died in 1928. They had no children. He was a Methodist and a Republican.
Ash worked at Indianapolis Bank and Trust Company for 27 years, where he became vice president and credit manager. Ill health of his wife impelled the pair to move to Los Angeles in 1912, where Ash invested heavily in Highland Park real estate. In 1914 he was vice president of the York Boulevard State Bank.
On July 15, 1933, Ash was stricken with a heart attack shortly after alighting from a streetcar in downtown Los Angeles. At the time of his death, his residence was at 5116 Meridian Avenue, Highland Park. He was survived by two brothers and a sister.. Burial was in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
.
Ash was the first representative of Los Angeles City Council District 14
after a new city charter was put into effect in 1925, besting James H. Dodson Jr., 4,750 votes to 4,596.
He did not run for reelection. He was a supporter of the George E. Cryer administration.
Ash's two-year term was marked by controversy over his being appointed by City Controller John B. Powell as one of the "guards" for $15.7 million in bonds that were to be delivered to a bank in New York City — this after Ash had praised Powell and successfully urged the City Council to increase Powell's salary. He "went once before on one of these junkets and he wants to go again," a Los Angeles Times political commentator said. Ash later announced he would not go.
A "large delegation of his constituents . . . hooted and jeered" at Ash during a City Council meeting to protest the paving of Avenue 57 from Highgate Avenue to York Boulevard "within a few feet" of property that he owned. A resident complained that Ash's property value would be increased by $5,000 but that the councilman's land had been omitted from the tax district that would have to pay for the improvement. Ash denied the charge but nevertheless the council abandoned the proceedings.
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Biography
Ash was born on January 26, 1861, in Shelby County, Indiana
Shelby County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,445 people, 16,561 households, and 12,056 families residing in the county. The population density was 105 people per square mile . There were 17,633 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
, the son of Eli and Mary Hooper Ash, both of Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. He went to school in Shelby County, then earned a bachelor's degree in 1885 at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in Indiana. He was married to Sarah Morris of Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, in 1902 in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. She died in 1928. They had no children. He was a Methodist and a Republican.
Ash worked at Indianapolis Bank and Trust Company for 27 years, where he became vice president and credit manager. Ill health of his wife impelled the pair to move to Los Angeles in 1912, where Ash invested heavily in Highland Park real estate. In 1914 he was vice president of the York Boulevard State Bank.
On July 15, 1933, Ash was stricken with a heart attack shortly after alighting from a streetcar in downtown Los Angeles. At the time of his death, his residence was at 5116 Meridian Avenue, Highland Park. He was survived by two brothers and a sister.. Burial was in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
.
City Council
See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1925Ash was the first representative of Los Angeles City Council District 14
Los Angeles City Council District 14
Los Angeles City Council District 14 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council. It is a primarily Latino district in Boyle Heights and Northeast Los Angeles...
after a new city charter was put into effect in 1925, besting James H. Dodson Jr., 4,750 votes to 4,596.
He did not run for reelection. He was a supporter of the George E. Cryer administration.
Ash's two-year term was marked by controversy over his being appointed by City Controller John B. Powell as one of the "guards" for $15.7 million in bonds that were to be delivered to a bank in New York City — this after Ash had praised Powell and successfully urged the City Council to increase Powell's salary. He "went once before on one of these junkets and he wants to go again," a Los Angeles Times political commentator said. Ash later announced he would not go.
A "large delegation of his constituents . . . hooted and jeered" at Ash during a City Council meeting to protest the paving of Avenue 57 from Highgate Avenue to York Boulevard "within a few feet" of property that he owned. A resident complained that Ash's property value would be increased by $5,000 but that the councilman's land had been omitted from the tax district that would have to pay for the improvement. Ash denied the charge but nevertheless the council abandoned the proceedings.
Other sources
- Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials: 1850—1938, Compiled under Direction of Municipal Reference Library City Hall, Los Angeles March 1938 (Reprinted 1966)
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