Newton T. Bass
Newton Thornberry Bass (28 Oct 1903 [1]– 6 February 1983), was a prolific oil executive and the founder of Apple Valley, California, United States. He and partner Bernard "Bud" Westlund owned Apple Valley Ranchos Land Development Co. Begun in 1946, the company was the beginning of the development that became the incorporated Town of Apple Valley, CA.
Early life[]
Bass was born in South Dakota and grew up on an Indian reservation.[1] He was the son of Charlotte Lee Spinsby and Lewis Claude Bass who was a descendant of John Bass of the Nansemond Indian tribe of Virginia.
Newton Bass married May Loretta Pigott (1904-1933) in 1922. He married Virginia Westlund (1914-1986) in 1939.
Oil career[]
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Bass was an executive with numerous oil firms including Hobbs Petroleum, Loma Verde Oil Company and Riviera Petroleum company.[2]
Land developer[]
Newton T. Bass was also involved in the development of the Hollywood Riviera Section of the City of Torrance in the early 1930s.
Residence[]
His hilltop house on what is now Bass Hill in Apple Valley had architectural significance and was one of the scenes of the Perry Mason TV episode, "The Case of the Roving River." The house was primarily used as an entertainment venue for the Apple Valley Ranchos Land Development Company.
The house, after falling into disrepair, was purchased by the Town of Apple Valley in 2016. In 2017, the house became part of the Town of Apple Valley Parks system and a committee was established to determine the future of the historic property. [3]
He also resided in the Los Cerritos neighborhood of Long Beach, California.[4]
Legacy[]
The following public structures are named for Bass:
- Apple Valley Newton T. Bass Branch Library in Apple Valley, California opened in 1946[5]
- Newton T. Bass Stadium serves the Apple Valley Unified School District
Further reading[]
- "Apple Valley Desert Dream Come True", Pasadena Independent (Nov 7, 1948)
- "Pigeon Airlift Is Started by Keeper of Inn", Amarillo Daily News (Dec 31, 1948)
- "Son's Link to Slaying Shocks Newton T. Bass: Apple Valley Developer Says Youth Never Had Been in Any Trouble Before", Los Angeles Times (July 25, 1955)
- "Bass Builds Quarter-Million Dollar Home", San Bernardino County Sun (June 21, 1959)
- "Brisk Comet is Apple Valley Visitant" by Bill Emery, Independent Press-Telegram (Feb 3, 1963)
- "Oil, Property Firms Plan to Merge", Daily Independent Journal (Nov 24, 1965)
- "Developer of Apple Valley Dies at 79: Newton T. Bass Turned Oil Profits into a Real Estate Boom", Los Angeles Times (Feb 9, 1983)
References[]
- ^ a b Grobaty, Tim. "Country Club house was the home of Apple Valley's founder". Long Beach Post. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ California Oil World Directory. Petroleum Publishers, Incorporated. 1938. pp. 43, 50, 66.
- ^ "Hilltop House | Town of Apple Valley". www.applevalley.org. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
- ^ Grobaty, Tim. "Country Club house was the home of Apple Valley's founder • Long Beach Post News". lbpost.com.
- ^ "Apple Valley Newton T. Bass Branch Library". San Bernardino County. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- People from Apple Valley, California
- 1903 births
- 1983 deaths
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- American business biography, 1900s birth stubs