Florence E. Wells

Florence E. Chapman (September 24, 1864 – April 28, 1966), also known as Florence E. Wells, or Aunt Florence to her friends, was an pioneering property owner who made significant contributions to the real estate industry in Oakland, California and the Monterey Peninsula. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, she played a pivotal role in establishing the Carmel-by-the-Sea, California area as an appealing destination for city dwellers seeking a tranquil escape. In 1908, her cousin and architect George W. Reamer built the first house on Carmel Point for Florence, which she named Driftwood Cottage. The cottage was later the residence of actress Jean Arthur.[1]

Florence E. Wells
Born
Florence E. Chapman

September 24, 1864
Chebanse, Illinois, US
Died28 April 1966(1966-04-28) (aged 101)
Oakland, California, US
OccupationPioneering property owner
Spouse
Frederick E. Wells
​
​
(m. 1888; died 1894)​

Early life
Florence Wells' husband was Frederick E. Wells, born in 1846 and died in 1894.
Fay (McKee) Oliphant (1887-1971), the niece of Florence Wells.

Florence was born on September 24, 1864, in Chebanse, Illinois. She was the daughter of Reynolds C. Chapman (1820-1884) of Connecticut and Susan Mckee (1842-1929) of Ireland.[2][3] Florence and her family moved from Illinois to Oakland, California in 1880.[4] By 1882, they had settled at 29th and Grove Streets where Florence made her home. Her father built another home at 19th and Grove Street. At age 24, she married an older Frederick E. Wells of Wisconsin, (1846-1894), age 41, on October 8, 1888 in Oakland.[5] He was an American Civil War veteran who survived the hardship of Confederate Libby Prison to take part in Sherman's March to the Sea.[6] Fred Wells was previously married to Mary Chaplin Perkins (1857-1883), on December 13, 1875, who died on April 20, 1883 in Wisconsin.[7]

Florence and Frederick had no children, but she helped raise her niece, Fay McKee (1887-1971), wife of attorney David Duncan Oliphant (1886-1968),[8] of Berkeley, who lived with her up to the time of her death in Oakland.[6] In June 1911, Florence hosted the wedding for her nice that included more than 200 guests, at her residence on Montecito Avenue.[9]

Florence was a member of the First Methodist Church in Oakland, Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Oakland, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was the great granddaughter of Sgt. Constant Chapman (1761-1847) of the Revolutioinary Army.[6][10]

A US passport to travel abroad for two years was issued on October 9, 1906, when Florence was 42 years old. It listed her as 4 feet 11 inches (1.50 m) with dark hair and dark complexion.[3] At a birthday dinner party for her mother, Susan Chapman, Florence exhibited traditional dresses from various countries that she had collected during her travels abroad.[11]

Florence continued to be active in the real estate industry well into her later years. A centenary celebration was held in September 1965 in honor of her 100th birthday, hosted by her nieces, nephews, and friends from Oakland and Southern California.[6]

Driftwood Cottage
Main article: Driftwood Cottage

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake, left many people homeless including a group of writers and artists who relocated to Carmel-by-the-Sea along with poet George Sterling. This included Florence and her cousin Sara E. Reamer (1842-1910), who purchased property in 1906. Sara Reamer was the mother of architect George W. Reamer (1864-1938), who they called “Nannu.” George Reamer built a house for Florence, as a summer cottage from a sketch she drew on brown paper. It was the first house to go up on Carmel Point at the southwest corner of Scenic Drive and Ocean View Avenue. The property fronted the Carmel River lagoon at a time when the Point was without trees and any other homes.[12][13] She traveled regularly between her home in Oakland and her residence on Carmel Point.[14]

On June 7, 1911, The Salinas Californian, reported a real estate transaction between the Carmel Development Company and Florence for four lots, 25, 26, 27, 28, and a strip 20 ft (6.1 m) wide off the south-side lots 23 and 24, block B14, addition 7 for $10 (equivalent to $314 in 2022).[15] The lot numbers match the Monterey County legal description for the Driftwood 26398 Ocean View address.[16]

In 1923, Florence later purchased six acres of the beachfront below her house between Scenic Road and the ocean.[17] Two years later the Carmel Sanitary District Board filed a condemnation suit in the Superior Court for .31 acres (0.13 ha) of Well's property on Carmel Point, to establish a right of way from the septic tank, across the beach to the rocks in front of the Florence Wells house that would go into the water. The Sanitary District later dropped the suit.[18][19] In March 1953, Florence sold 8 acres (3.2 ha) of her beach front to the State Park of California under the Beach Acquisition Program.[20]

In 1925, the only homes on Carmel Point were the homes of Col. Fletcher Dutton, poet Robinson Jeffers and his wife Una, Playwright Charles King Van Riper, musician and attorney Edward G. Kuster, George W. Reamer, and Florence Wells.[13]

The Carmel Pine Cone was tracking Florence Wells comings and goings and on July 12, 1929, reported that Wells was visiting her cottage, Driftwood, out on the Point, and that she would be there several weeks.[21] Then, on December 12, 1929, the Pine Cone reported that Florence had returned to her home in Oakland after spending a few weeks at her cottage Driftwood on Carmel Point.[22]

Driftwood Cottage became the first Carmel home of actress Jean Arthur (1900–1991) and her mother Johanna Greene.[23] She first rented the house from Florence in 1937, and then bought it after World War II.[24][25]

Death

Florence Wells died on April 28, 1966, at the age of 101, at her home at 8 Strathmor Drive in Oakland. Funeral services were held in Oakland's Gothic Chapel, and she was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.[6][26][1]

  • Photograph of Carmel Point including the houses of Fletcher Dutton, Robinson Jeffers, Charles Van Riper, George W. Reamer, and Florence Wells, c. 1925
    Photograph of Carmel Point including the houses of Fletcher Dutton, Robinson Jeffers, Charles Van Riper, George W. Reamer, and Florence Wells, c. 1925
  • Carmel Point with Driftwood Cottage at the turn fronting the Carmel River
    Carmel Point with Driftwood Cottage at the turn fronting the Carmel River
  • Lava rock fireplace at Driftwood Cottage
    Lava rock fireplace at Driftwood Cottage
  • Driftwood Cottage at Ocean View Avenue
    Driftwood Cottage at Ocean View Avenue

See also

References
  1. "Florence Wells". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 5 May 1966. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  2. "Chapman". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. January 22, 1929. p. 42. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  3. "Historical Information for Florence E. Chapman". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  4. "Church Worker, Long In Oakland, Dies". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. January 22, 1929. p. 22. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  5. "Licensed To Marry". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. October 10, 1888. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  6. "Funeral Rites for Woman, 101". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. May 3, 1966. p. 34. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  7. "Mrs. Mary Wells". The Journal Times. Racine, Wisconsin. April 23, 1883. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  8. "Historical Information for Fay McKee". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  9. "Olphant-Chapman Wedding, Wednesday". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. June 3, 1911. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  10. "Historical Information for Constant Chapman". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  11. "Oakland - Berkeley". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. July 2, 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  12. Fink, Augusta (2000). Monterey County: The Dramatic Story of its Past. Valley Publishers. p. 243. ISBN 9780913548622. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  13. Hudson, Monica (2006). Carmel-By-The-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 73–74, 78. ISBN 9780738531229. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  14. Rense, Paige (1977). Celebrity Homes, Architectural Digest Architectural digest presents the private worlds of thirty international personalities. ISBN 9780670209644. Retrieved 2023-04-29. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. "Real Estate Transactions". The Californian. Salinas, California. January 7, 1911. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  16. "Parcel Report Web App". County of Monterey. Monterey County, California. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  17. "Property Transactions". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. July 14, 1923. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  18. "Carmel Beach in 1906". Carmel Pine Cone. October 27, 1966. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  19. "Condemnation Suit". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. March 28, 1925. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  20. "Coast Area New Roundup". The Californian. Salinas, California. March 6, 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  21. "The Village News-Reel". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. July 12, 1929. p. 14. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  22. "Sunset School Progress". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. December 12, 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  23. Hale, Sharron Lee (1980). A Tribute to Yesterday: The History of Carmel, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, Point Lobos, Carmelite Monastery, and Los Burros. Santa Cruz, California: Valley Publishers. pp. 54, 120. ISBN 9780913548738. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  24. "Movie Actress Here". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1937-09-03. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  25. Oller, John (1999). Jean Arthur The Actress Nobody Knew. Limelight Editions. ISBN 9780879102784. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  26. "Civil War Survivor Dies in Oakland". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. 5 May 1966. p. 63. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
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