Robert "Bert" L. Farmer (February 27, 1875 – May 31, 1939) was an American politician who served in the
California State Assembly and in the
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tem ...
. He unsuccessfully challenged
George E. Cryer
George Edward Cryer (May 13, 1875 – May 24, 1961) was an American lawyer and politician. A Republican, Cryer served as the 32nd Mayor of Los Angeles from 1921 to 1929, a period of rapid growth in the city's population. During his administ ...
in the
1923 Los Angeles mayoral election.
Early life and career
Farmer was born on February 27, 1875. He and his family, resided in both
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo.
Junípero Serra founded the Miss ...
and
Merced County
Merced County ( ), is a county located in the northern San Joaquin Valley section of the Central Valley, in the U.S. state of California.
As of the 2020 census, the population was 281,202. The county seat is Merced. The county is named after ...
before he moved to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
in 1893, where he became an insurance adjuster. In 1903, Farmer was chosen by the Board of Education to become the census marshal. In 1906, he became a city purchasing agent before becoming a deputy city clerk, city schools census marshal, and later the regional supervisor for the
1910 United States census.
Political career
In November 7, 1916 California State Assembly election, Farmer won the seat for the 71st district over Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...
incumbent Lewis A. Spengler, Progressive candidate John H. Martin, and Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
candidate James Gillespie. On July 1, 1917, while still serving as an Assemblyman, Farmer won a seat on the Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tem ...
.[
On January 3, 1918, Farmer was elected by the Council to become the President of the Los Angeles City Council, succeeding James Simpson Conwell. During his one-year tenure, he presided over the renaming of Central Park to Pershing Square, helped with city celebrations for ]Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker or Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.[Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...]
Frederick T. Woodman to "suppress ..sedition in Los Angeles."
In 1920, he was a candidate for Los Angeles County Supervisor
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States.
History
On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Sessions as their first ...
for the 4th district, but lost the election. In the 1923 Los Angeles mayoral election, he unsuccessfully challenged incumbent George E. Cryer
George Edward Cryer (May 13, 1875 – May 24, 1961) was an American lawyer and politician. A Republican, Cryer served as the 32nd Mayor of Los Angeles from 1921 to 1929, a period of rapid growth in the city's population. During his administ ...
for the office of Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
, to which he advocated for a new city charter.
Personal life and death
Farmer was married to Maude Farmer, and the two of them had two children, Ada Carroll and Dorothy Reamer. He became ill during the last three years of his life, dying at his home in Pico Union
Pico-Union is a neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California. The name "Pico-Union" refers to the neighborhood that surrounds the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Union Avenue. Located immediately west of Downtown Los Angeles, it is home to ...
on May 31, 1939.
References
Access to the ''Los Angeles Times'' links requires the use of a library card.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farmer, Bert L.
1875 births
1939 deaths
Presidents of the Los Angeles City Council
Republican Party members of the California State Assembly