10 / 0 ultizen La Torie AND HIS FAMILY ... LOVELY, OVERSIZED Victorian manor on Light- house Avenue sets the mood for a relaxed way of life for one of Pacific Grove's busiest men, and his family. William Ray La Porte boughtthehousein1945onthespur of the moment. "1 was mowing the lawn and suddenly it dawned on me that the house would be a good investment - remodel it into apartments." The house was not for sale but the lady that owned it said he could buy it. "1 went home and told my wife and when she saw it she wanted to move in immediately," said the quick thinking and acting La Porte who more or less followed in the footsteps of his father, Elie La Pgrte, who was a successful automobile and financial businessman of Lowell, Massachu- setts. "1 can remember the day well when the family drove down from San Francisco to the Peninsula and landed in Pacific Grove. My father went into a real estate office to inquire about land values and he came out to announce,'1 bought a house!"' This happened in 1924 and from that day 51 years ago, Bill La Porte has been contributing a style and service to the area and its people. A warm friendliness emerges from his conversation without affectation. Ask him where and how he met Peggy (nee Faller), his wife, and he laughs, "At a social in Tulare. Swan Nord, a fellow that was over me while I was with Standard Oil in the San Joaquin Valley, introduced metohis wife's sister. Let's see, we were married in 1925 in Stockton during a big rain and thunderstorm." Peggy's father, Frederick Rupert Faller, operated the Everett Steelmills in Everett, Washington. He also had large lumber interests. Mr. Faller married Myrta Ann (nee Havercraft) and in time they became the parents of five children - three boys and two girls. Peggy was the next to the youngest. .e @r m *CA I = 6- 1.,. Ef I --31=/1/.- -- I /8/hz& i ' C,E..A 'i -14&-4 0 . 5 --- ir * 1 . _ . 6.: 4 (t 4"· N.; I 42 - 47 -€.2. '* 11 - 4 * u ·St i * - ... Al. rl- 61 7. r_ - Ii.OF--w„,Ii 'Fi....Fal,Al.7 4*-1--1. y - ...i.-S r ... b- U. /94.,r : . .-' ' /- ·I t - .4'r 7 V e:C ... n .4 .1 1 ..4 - D. r F4 ./ .* :- 6.2. ..:J'-i -- 4 liff ;U *:' y- A - ilp 'f*¥.g'V * *, . 'i Mrs. Elie (nee Flavia Groulx) La ' 14 ' 41 f i Porte (1930) I W. 1 211 2£41*n.Jka k - ki f - -- 1.- * - - -- 4 9 -" Mr. Elle La Porte (age about 30) -- - . 1.1 - 1 1* *d 1. * 47 , 21 - William Ray La Porte as a prep student at Feller Institute, Mass. -4 U . 0 <.. L.k - - L r¥ The three children of the Elle La 3- - , .6 X f 9.- f Portes - Bill, Laurette and Doris. las.., 4 Um..... Mr. and Mrs. William La Porte with .4,11 /151. I P daughter Shirley. .. 1, r , OCR Text: 10 / 0 ultizen La Torie AND HIS FAMILY ... LOVELY, OVERSIZED Victorian manor on Light- house Avenue sets the mood for a relaxed way of life for one of Pacific Grove's busiest men, and his family. William Ray La Porte boughtthehousein1945onthespur of the moment. "1 was mowing the lawn and suddenly it dawned on me that the house would be a good investment - remodel it into apartments." The house was not for sale but the lady that owned it said he could buy it. "1 went home and told my wife and when she saw it she wanted to move in immediately," said the quick thinking and acting La Porte who more or less followed in the footsteps of his father, Elie La Pgrte, who was a successful automobile and financial businessman of Lowell, Massachu- setts. "1 can remember the day well when the family drove down from San Francisco to the Peninsula and landed in Pacific Grove. My father went into a real estate office to inquire about land values and he came out to announce,'1 bought a house!"' This happened in 1924 and from that day 51 years ago, Bill La Porte has been contributing a style and service to the area and its people. A warm friendliness emerges from his conversation without affectation. Ask him where and how he met Peggy (nee Faller), his wife, and he laughs, "At a social in Tulare. Swan Nord, a fellow that was over me while I was with Standard Oil in the San Joaquin Valley, introduced metohis wife's sister. Let's see, we were married in 1925 in Stockton during a big rain and thunderstorm." Peggy's father, Frederick Rupert Faller, operated the Everett Steelmills in Everett, Washington. He also had large lumber interests. Mr. Faller married Myrta Ann (nee Havercraft) and in time they became the parents of five children - three boys and two girls. Peggy was the next to the youngest. .e @r m *CA I = 6- 1.,. Ef I --31=/1/.- -- I /8/hz& i ' C,E..A 'i -14&-4 0 . 5 --- ir * 1 . _ . 6.: 4 (t 4"· N.; I 42 - 47 -€.2. '* 11 - 4 * u ·St i * - ... Al. rl- 61 7. r_ - Ii.OF--w„,Ii 'Fi....Fal,Al.7 4*-1--1. y - ...i.-S r ... b- U. /94.,r : . .-' ' /- ·I t - .4'r 7 V e:C ... n .4 .1 1 ..4 - D. r F4 ./ .* :- 6.2. ..:J'-i -- 4 liff ;U *:' y- A - ilp 'f*¥.g'V * *, . 'i Mrs. Elie (nee Flavia Groulx) La ' 14 ' 41 f i Porte (1930) I W. 1 211 2£41*n.Jka k - ki f - -- 1.- * - - -- 4 9 -" Mr. Elle La Porte (age about 30) -- - . 1.1 - 1 1* *d 1. * 47 , 21 - William Ray La Porte as a prep student at Feller Institute, Mass. -4 U . 0 <.. L.k - - L r¥ The three children of the Elle La 3- - , .6 X f 9.- f Portes - Bill, Laurette and Doris. las.., 4 Um..... Mr. and Mrs. William La Porte with .4,11 /151. I P daughter Shirley. .. 1, r , Heritage Society of Pacific Grove,Historical Collections,Names of People about town,L through M File Names,LaPorte,LAPORTE_011.pdf,LAPORTE_011.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: LAPORTE_011.PDF, LAPORTE_011.pdf 1 Page 1