1674-4 Whitman Family STANLEY WHITMAN 866-0311
JUNE 28, 2004
1932 No Roy France, Matanzas Hotel, W.J. Crawford, mgr
1933 Roy France, Manager, Matanzas Hotel 506 Espanola Way
1937 Matanzas Hotel 506 Espanola Mrs. Clara DeHart, mgr
Had no biz here; Chicago architect. Had to know each other there.
First job Indian Creek Apts in 1932; he gave job Matanzas Hotel
Brought down to this work, no work.
Indian Creek opened 1932. Stores here play over $1,000 sq. foot. Rent parents got on
Indian Creek almost unexplainable. Unusually high rents. Father must have employed
years earlier. Crash, no work for France. Father took Matanzas back from Roney, put
France there. Was a drag on father's life.
Father did Sears-Roebuck; Spiegel, etc. Think as printer, not developer. Minor part of his
life. No development in Chicago. Father and mother had love affair with MBeach.
Asked parents: How did you meet France?Mother immigrant Sweden, game to US at 8.
30 years younger than father. Father's ancestors came to US in 1620. when John
Whitman landed. Immensely wealthy. Owned own company when 17. He saw her riding
on a streetcar. Found where she worked. Worked in architectural office. He hired that
architect to meet mother..
Oveeview: In early days of MB hotel industry, about 1920s or 30s. Hotel owners meet to
decide how to promote product and owner and owner got up and talked about how get
NY society. Roney gets up with NY Social Directory and you tell me any NY socialite
who ever came to your hotel. You're making gross mistake. We don't have market for
NY society; PB had lock. We've got horse racing, gambling, entertainers, people who
made fortune. Let PB have the socialites. They own the country, we want those who run
it.