LAPL
Lewis L. Bradbury wasn't the only early-L.A. muckety-muck with a much-younger wife (28 years younger). Another old goat was the fourth mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio F. Coronel, 33 years older than the Mrs. They built this house at the southwest corner of Central and 7th in either 1886 (according to USC) or 1888 (according to the
Times of Sept 17, 1888). Above is a pic of the house early on, interestingly retouched.
Antonio serenading Mariana at what appears to be the porch with the ladies on it in the top photo:
LAPL
The earlier Coronel house seen below may have been somewhere else on the Coronel property, or the big Victorian may have replaced it:
USCDL
The LAPL's caption: "Exterior front view of the one-story residence of former Mayor Don Antonio Franco Coronel at 7th Street and Central Avenue, where Helen Hunt Jackson wrote the famous book, 'Ramona,' circa 1880."
A news item from the
Times of July 23, 1887, describes Coronel's granting of a right-of-way through his property for the extension of Central Avenue:
LAT
And now for the juicy parts...
LAT May 2, 1899
Dr. Smith went on to have at least one other contentious marriage. And he owned--get this--the "St. Edgar" hotel in Redondo Beach.