William H. Pierce

William Henry Pierce (December 28, 1859 – February 24, 1939) was a founder of Pierce Brothers Mortuary in Southern California, which at the time of his death was the second-largest funeral business in the United States. He was also a member of the Los Angeles City Council and that city's Planning Commission.

Biography Pierce was born on December 28, 1859, in Delaware County, New York, the son of James Washington Pierce of Dutchess County and Francis C. Clark of Delaware County. His brothers were C. W. Pierce, Herbert Pierce and Fred Pierce, and he had a sister, Catherine Pierce. He was married on April 15, 1886, to Mary Jane Newton of Saybrook, Connecticut. They had three children, Sterling N., Gertrude (Mrs. Hyalmar Johnson) and Helen Mary (Mrs. Harry Hum).

Funeral services for William Pierce were held at the First Unitarian Church, and burial was on his ranch property in Hemet, California. He bequeathed most of his estate to his family, with $500 going to the First Unitarian Church.

Public service

City Council

In 1898 Pierce was elected to the City Council from the 1st Ward in Lincoln Heights. He was reelected and served until 1903. His interests centered on the problems of the city's water supply, and he took part in the successful endeavor to establish a municipal water system, with the Los Angeles Water Department, precursor to today's Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, taking over control from private companies in 1908.

Commissions

Pierce helped organize and was president of the City Planning Commission from 1920 to 1922. The 51-member group was "an outgrowth of the City Planning Association formed primarily to prepare a program of civic improvements to create employment for returned soldiers of the World War." He was next a member of a new planning commission until 1925. He was also an organizer and president for one term of the city Traffic Commission.