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rank R. Hart and his wife moved into to 831 Lighthouse upon their return to Pacific Grove in 1916. Frank used the Hart Mansion as his office, which was listed as “Hart’s Sanatorium” in the 1916-1917 phone directory.
It didn’t take Frank long to get involved in civic matters. On April 12, 1916, he was elected president of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce. The next morning, the Monterey Daily Cypress reported the event as follows:
Chamber Accepts the
Resignation of President
Marked by the largest attendance in many weeks, the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce held a most enthusiastic meeting at the city hall last evening. E.C. Smith tendered his resignation as president of the chamber, offering as his reason the fact that he has been elected city trustee. The resignation was accepted, Dr. F. R. Hart was elected to fill the vacancy and the first vice presidency was allotted to Daniel Freeman.
Upon the United State’s entry into World War I, Frank enlisted early and became a commissioned officer in the Medical Corps. He trained at Camp Fremont and went overseas as first lieutenant with the Eighth Division, stationed at Brest. Later, he was with the Seventy-ninth Division and was also with the Three Hundred and Fifteenth Field Artillery of the Fifth Division, at Luxembourg, belonging to the sanitary train of the Field Hospital. He spent altogether one year and nine months in France. Returning, he organized the American Legion Post No. 283, of Pacific Grove.
He resumed his medical practice in Pacific Grove upon his return from the war. He joined the Monterey Lodge, No. 1285, B.P.O.E., and the Pacific Grove Lodge, No. 331, A.F. & A.M, and belonged to the Monterey County and California medical associations.
[Include short history of Pebble Beach here. …. In 1915, the Pacific Improvement Company sold its properties, including the Del Monte Forest, to Samuel .F.B. Morse. 1919 started what became Pebble Beach.]
In 1922, Frank moved his office to 569½ Lighthouse, and he and his wife moved back into the Hart Mansion.
Mrs. Carrie Ryan, a longtime resident of Pacific Grove, was once employed by Dr. Frank Hart. In the April 1, 1966 issue of Game and Gossip magazine, Mrs. Ryan spoke of Dr. Hart with fondness: “He and Mrs. (Mary) Hart used part of their house at 649 Lighthouse to help out folks, from young babies up, who needed medical attention for a few days and could not get to the county hospital which at that time was not very attractive.”
According to Mrs. Ryan, it was Dr. Hart, too, who with W. R. Holman was responsible for the Pacific Grove cut-off, the road leading up to Carmel Hill. “Dr. Hart and Mr. Holman,” recalled Mrs. Ryan, “walked that way every day to establish the route for the road from Pacific Grove to Carmel Hill.” Today, that part of Highway 68 is called the W. R. Holman Highway. Though the highway was named after Mr. Holman, it is perhaps fitting that atop Carmel Hill sits a hospital, the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
In 1924, Dr. Hart purchased the entire city block bounded by Cedar, Pine, Locust and Laurel (Lots 1 through 20 of Block 70 of the Third Addition of the Retreat) from Shelley Pickles of Monterey, who had owned the unimproved lot since 1918. Shelley Pickles, described once as a “master engineer and machinist” had served as the Chief Engineer of the Del Monte Hotel since 1892.
Dr. Hart had 14 cottages built on property. The following notice appeared in a column called "Society-Club-Studio" in the Friday, December 5, 1924 edition of the Peninsula Daily Herald:
The group of houses belonging to Dr. Frank R. Hart at Laurel and Locust will hereafter be known as "Whispering Pines."
An October 1933 San Francisco newspaper article [FIND ARTICLE] on Pacific Grove mentioned that if you live in Pacific Grove and feel you might be getting sick, “You ring up Dr. Hart, and ask him if one of his houses in ‘The Pines’ is vacant. It is? Okey. You take it, knowing that a couple of weeks living there will set you right as rain. And there is no fee included.”
Still existing today, these historic cottages comprise the following addresses: 822 and 832 Pine; 303, 307, 311 and 315 Locust; 823 and 831 Laurel; and 302, 306, 310, 314 and 318 Cedar. (According to the county tax assessor’s records, the original addresses assigned to these lots were: 303, 307, 311, 315, and 319 Locust; 304, 306, 310, 314, 318, and 320 Cedar; 821, 823, and 831 Laurel).
Dr. Hart again served as President of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce in 1926, 1927, and 1928. The following article appearing in the July 7, 1928 edition of the Peninsuula Daily Herald attested to Dr. Frank Hart's standing in the community.
Dr. Hart Resigns
From Civic Board
Dr. Frank Hart, a past president of the Pacific Grove chamber of commerce and a director for the last several years, has resigned from the governing board of the organization. He still retains his membership in the chamber at large however.
J. B. McFarland, associate in the Grove office of the Del Monte Properties company, has been elected to the position vacated by Hart. Both Hart and McFarland are prominent citizens of Pacific Grove.
Acceptance of the resignation and election of the new man occurred at noon yesterday in Del Mar cafe where the directors of the chamber held their regular monthly meeting. Hart gave no reason for his withdrawal.
Dr. John Gratiot, in his Medical History of Monterey County, remembered “a white dog that rode on the running board of his car" as Dr. Frank Hart made the rounds. Dr. Gratiot was a local physician and surgeon with offices in the Spazier Building and a home at 365 Ocean View in Pacific Grove.
[Dr. Frank Hart and his wife Mary had two sons: Archie J. Hart, who became a dentist, and Franklin J. Hart. [GET DATE OF BIRTH OF FRANKLIN, ETC.]]
During the 1920s, Archie lived in the Hart Mansion with his parents, except when he was away at school, as the following notice appearing in a column called “Newsy Notes, Arriving and Departing Guests in P.G.” on Wednesday, November 26, 1924 in the Pacific Grove Daily Review:
Archie Hart, son of Dr. Frank Hart, is expected to arrive this evening from the University of California Dental College, in San Francisco. He will spend the week end with his parents.
Upon his graduation, Archie opened his dental practice in Pacific Grove and took an office in the Spazier Building. The November 10, 1931 issue of the Pacific Grove High Tide carried the following notice of Archie's marriage:
Miss Hook and Dr. Hart
United In Marriage
The marriage of Dr. Archie J. Hart and Miss Rubye Winifred Hooke was quietly solemnized at 12 o'clock Saturday at St. Angela's Parrish house, Father T.O. Kerfs uniting the couple. They were attended by Major and Mrs. Lee Watson. Immediately after the ceremony they left for a honeymoon for parts unknown. Upon their return they will be at home at 310 Cedar street.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Hooke and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. H. Hooke of Monterey. She has lived for some years in Monterey and was graduated from the high school. The groom, who is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Frank Hart, was graduated from both the local schools. He is also a graduate of the dental department of the University of California and now has his office in the Spazier building.
[Research question: Does the Spazier building exist today?] The cottage at 310 Cedar exists today as one of the fourteen comprising “Whispering Pines.”
[Dr. Hart moved out of his medical office at 569½ Lighthouse in 1933.]
In July, 1935, while on a visit to San Francisco, Frank Hart was suddenly hospitalized with a serious infection. According to a report in the Pacific Grove Tribune (August, 2, 1935), Dr. Hart’s two sons brought him to Pacific Grove. Frank was admitted to Bayview Hospital where he was treated for “urenic poisoning.”
Within a week, Dr. Frank Hart died at the young age of 56, leaving his wife Mary, and two sons. His obituary was published on Friday, August 9, 1935 in the Pacific Grove Tribune:
Funeral Services
Are Held Sunday
For Dr. F. Hart
Dr. Frank Hart, 56, for many years a prominent local physician, died here last Friday afternoon and was given funeral services in the Paul Mortuary chapel, Sunday afternoon.
Although the physician was a native of Modesto he had lived in Pacific Grove since boyhood, had attended the local schools, and practiced here since the completion of his medical training. He had studied at Stanford, San Francisco College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Hahnemann College of Medicine, which has since become a part of the college of medicine of the University of California.
During the World War, he enlisted and become a commissioned officer in the Medical Corps, serving at Camp Fremont and later going overseas.
Dr. Hart served the chamber of commerce as president a number of years ago, and was a member of the American Legion post, the Masonic order and Elks Lodge.
Surviving relatives include his wife, Mrs. Marie E. Hart, two sons, Dr. Archie J. Hart and Franklin J. Hart, of Pacific Grove, and a brother, Dr. Charles E. Hart of San Francisco.
The Rev. J. H. N. Williams of the First Methodist church conducted the funeral service and cremation took place at Cypress Lawn.
Franklin was married in 1939, and the notice of his wedding appeared on the Friday, June 23, 1939 issue of the Pacific Grove High Tide:
Riverside Girl Weds
Franklin Joseph Hart
In the presence of relatives and a few close friends Miss Ruth Marjorie McFarland became the bride of Franklin Joseph Hart of Pacific Grove last Saturday afternoon in the patio of the Riverside home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chauncy McFarland.
The services were read by Judge George R. Freeman and the wedding music was played by the bride's uncle Mr. W. T. Henderson.
… Mr. and Mrs. Hart left for a wedding trip to Northern California. They will be at home to friends in Pescadero after September first.
South for the wedding were the bridegroom's mother, Mrs. Frank R. Hart of Pacific Grove and Dr. and Mrs. Archie Hart.
The bride is a Stanford graduate and her husband a graduate of the University of California.
The Friday, April 30, 1943 issue of the Pacific Grove Tide reported:
Hart Brothers Go
Into Armed Forces
In the last war, Dr. Frank Hart of Pacific Grove served in the army overseas. This time, his two sons are in the service.
Lt. Archie J. Hart prominent local dentist is now in the Navy stationed at Mare Island.
Franklin Hart, Jr., better known as "Bill," has completed flight training at Miami. It has interrupted his career as a high school teacher.
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