Franklin Pierce Buyer

Buyer

Franklin Pierce Buyer (1878–1963), who went by Franklin P. Buyer, was a traveling salesman who was on the Los Angeles City Council between 1933 and 1939. He was a Democrat.

Biography

Buyer was born on October 23, 1878, in Edgewood, Illinois, the son of Mary Carter. He went to public schools in Browns, Illinois. He and his wife, Dorothy, were married on November 35, 1907, and they adopted a daughter. He was a salesman who traveled about the country, but in 1920 he moved to Los Angeles.^[1]

After he completed his City Council term in 1939, he became the manager of an American Express office at 10810 South Broadway, where he was held up at least twice: The first time, in January 1947, he rousted the bandits "with a well-placed right hook," and they escaped with no money; he was left with head lacerations. He was then living at 156 West 109th Place.^[2][3] The second holdup was in January 1959, when he was slugged and three gunmen escaped with $400 from a cash drawer.^[4]

Buyer died in March 1963. leaving a wife, Viola.^[5]

Elections

See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1933–39.

Buyer was elected to Los Angeles City Council District 15 in 1933, defeating incumbent Councilman A.E. Henning. Then, as now, the 15th District included the Los Angeles Harbor and the Shoestring Strip; in 1937 it went as far north as Manchester Avenue. Buyer was reelected in 1935 and 1937 but lost in 1939 to Wilder W. Hartley.

In 1941 he was a candidate for election to the Los Angeles School Board.^[6]

City Council

In 1939, Buyer was said to be the leader among City Council members in winning the largest amount of city funding for improvements in any council district. During the preceding two years the city allocated $530,726 for his district. This sum did not include the construction and furnishing of a branch city hall in Watts, which was achieved during his term.^[7]

References

Access to the Los Angeles Times links requires the use of a library card.

1. Los Angeles Public Library reference file
2. "Ex-Official's Fist Rout Three Bandits," Los Angeles Times, January 30, 1947, page 2
3. Location of the Buyer residence as shown on Mapping L.A.
4. "Bandits Slug Office Manager, Take $400," Los Angeles Times, January 10, 1959, page B-1
5. "Vital Record," Los Angeles Times, March 16, 1963, page A-9
6. "School Board Candidates Give Pledges to Public," Los Angeles Times, May 4, 1941, page A-1
7. "Records Show Buyer Lead in Achievements," Los Angeles Times, March 25, 1939, page A-3

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