Letter From Aunt Clara Gruetzmacher to Elizabeth Newton, 1924

Los Angeles, June 30th, 1924

My Dear Niece,

I received your card of June 14th. I am sure you must be a bright girl to graduate so young. I wish you the best of health, wealth and happiness, and a long and usefull life. for every thing will change for you. I can't form any ideor how you look as I have never seen your father and your mother, I think, a few years before she married, but she was pretty and her eyes were always so bright and beautifull. I look just like my [last ?] picture. Am amused to hear that you have it on display, but don't get the ideor that I am rich because I am in California. I am here for my health, that is I suffer with asthma, but not since I came here. So as I have to work. I of course like it. The climate suits me. I would like to be with my sisters and relatives but had to make my visit short last fall, on account of those awfull attacs I had while in S.A. [San Antonio?] and Galveston. I supose you have read and heard much about California. it truly is a land of sun shine, fruit and flowers. I hope you will some day take the trip. I have been here eight years, and in 1905 I came here and went back to Texas in 1907 but I had to come back. I will mail you some [postcard?] folders of California to day. I addresses a Sunday Times to you but was down town and I know I got your address wrong. So you might be on the look out for it. I put 1007 Oak st. No body home up stairs [Words in last sentence underlined!] I will close with love for you and the family.

from: Grand Aunt Clara [return address of 160 E. 49th St.]

By the way I lived in Beaumont six months, but that was long before the oil boom, lived on Liberty Ave. Was a saw mill town then.

160 East 49th Street, Los Angeles, CA (Built 1912, photo circa 2010.)

Timeline for Clara Gruetzmacher Lang McIntyre: 

• 1857: born in Germany
• 1860: Navasota, Texas with parents.
• 1870: Galveston, Texas with mother.
• 1876: Marries Henry Lang in Galveston.
• 1877: Daughter Sarah Lang born.
• 1880: At Indianola with husband Lang.
• 1887-88: Builds two buildings in Galveston.
• pre-1900: At Beaumont, Texas for 6 months.
• 1901: Daughter Sarah marries in Galveston.
• 1914: First appearance in San Francisco city directory as wife of Anthony McIntyre.
• 1921: Last appearance in San Francisco city directory as widow.
• 1924: Living in Los Angeles, letter with address of 160 E. 49th St.
• 1927: Los Angeles City Directory lists a Clara Lang (Miss California Womens Wear and Lang's Mlnry) residence at 803 S. New Hampshire Ave.
• 1932: Los Angeles City Directory lists a Clara T. Lang (Miss California) home at 1102 W. Sta Bar.
• 1936: Los Angeles City Directory lists a Mrs. Clara A. Lang res. at 902 W 9th, and Clara T. Lang (Miss California Shoppe) res 4231 Edgehill Dr.
• 1942: Los Angeles City Directory lists a Clara T. Lang res 4231 Edgehill Dr.