Tulare County Biographies

J. CARL THAYER

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
The architect is able to show forth his good works as no other man, except, 
perhaps, the editor; though the architect's exhibit is permanent as any human 
creation, the editor's comes into being today and is gone tomorrow. Only in 
musty and dusty files, half hidden in a dark corner of some library, is the 
editor's record available after he has himself passed away, but out in the 
sunshine the work of the architect has its place in its own chapter of the 
history of the men who have lived and builded�on Earth's great open page, where 
men and the sons of men may see and read. So is the record of the professional 
achievements of J. Carl Thayer spread before those of this generation and of 
generations to come, everywhere in the business district and in the residence 
districts of Visalia, Tulare county, Cal.
In Lewis county, N. Y., Mr. Thayer was born. He was educated in the Booneville 
(N. Y.) High School, at Cornell University and at Syracuse University, 
graduating with the degree of C. E. and other professional degrees, after having 
pursued a collegiate course in architecture. The first six years of his 
professional career were passed in Pittsburg, Pa. Then, after two years in New 
York City, he came to California and located at Visalia for the practice of his 
profession. Here his success has been commensurate with his abilities and his 
personal popularity. He has drawn plans for the following mentioned buildings, 
among others: The R. A. Little residence, the Episcopal church, the Levey 
building, the Willows district school, the C. W. Berry residence, the A. D. 
Wilson residence, the George Baker building, the J. E. Richardson residence, the 
C. B. Moffatt residence, the N. H. Grove residence, the Presbyterian church, the 
Visalia club, the L. Lucier residence, the theater block erected by E. O. Miller 
at Hanford, the Lemoore grammar school building, which cost $40,000; the 
Methodist church at Lindsay, the Second National Bank building at Lindsay, L. L. 
Brown's store block in Exeter, the store building of Frank Mixter at Exeter, the 
store block of George Tinker at Lindsay
and the store building of Tinker & Smith in the last-named town. Considering the 
comparatively recent date of his advent in Visalia, it will be seen that he has 
been very successful in a professional way. It should be noted that he is not 
merely an artistic designer, but is at the same time a practical designer, all 
his buildings being admirably calculated for the uses to which they were to be 
put and all giving the best of satisfaction in actual use.
It was in 1905 that Mr. Thayer came to California. He married Miss Mary Morrell, 
a native of the state. As a citizen he is public-spiritedly helpful to all 
important interests of the community. January 1, 1912, he removed to Fresno, 
where he is a member of the firm of Thayer, Parker & Kenyon, 348-9 Forsyth 
building.
 
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913, Pp 773-774