Otto Zahn

Background

Zahn was the son of Frances and Johann Carl Zahn, a wealthy Prussian-born physician who lived in Victoria, Australia, and who moved to San Francisco, California, with his family in 1871.

Education

Otto was educated "in private institutions." He raised homing pigeons at 426 South Hope Street and on Santa Catalina Island, where he and his brother Oswald established a messenger service to and from Los Angeles, a distance of some 50 miles.

Career

He died in October 1901 at the age of 79. Among other messages, the birds carried news items about the island for publication in the Los Angeles Times. Zahn was the second husband of Frances May Sproston, whose first husband, Doctor Louis Carleton Harmon, had died.

She was active in Los Angeles social and cultural circles.

She died in December 1947. During World War I he was divisional secretary of the Southern California Four-Minute Men.

The organization gave four-minute speeches on topics dealing with the American war effort in the World War I and which were presented during the four minutes between reel-changing in movie theaters. Zahn, 94, died of a heart attack on October 12, 1965, while vacationing in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He was buried at Evergreen Cemetery.

He took out his nominating petition for the City Council on March 13, 1919. At first seen as a "dark horse," Zahn was unanimously appointed by the City Council on September 11, 1925, as a substitution in the 10th district for Charles East. Downs, whom the council had suspended after he was indicted on bribery charges. Downs was later convicted and Zahn"s temporary appointment was made permanent.

In 1927, he lost a bid for election to East. Snapper Ingram.

In 1934, Zahn, a registered Prohibitionist, was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Assemblyman in the 55th District against Emory J. Arnold, who had the endorsement of the Times.

Achievements

• Arnold won the nomination.

Membership

Zahn was a charter member of the City Planning Association and a member of the City Club, California Club, Knights Templar and the California Audubon Society. Zahn was a candidate for the California State Assembly in 1918, running on the Republican ticket, and he was also a member of the city"s Humane Animal Commission.