Edward Gardner Lewis

Born:	1869-1950 Connecticut U.S.A
Occupation:	Publisher; investor; entrepreneur

Edward Gardner Lewis (1869 - 1950) was a flamboyant and controversial promoter, magazine publisher, political activist, and founder of two utopian colonies -- University City, Missouri, and Atascadero, California. Image File history File links EGLewis. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... University City is a city located in St. ... Atascadero is a city located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ...

Lewis (commonly known as "E.G. Lewis") was born in Connecticut, and came to St. Louis in the late 1890s, selling insect extermination products and medicines which were said to be highly questionable. He bought a magazine called "Winner," based in downtown St. Louis, which he renamed "Woman's Magazine." He quickly built its circulation to the largest in the country, amassing a fortune in the process. Penny-per-pound postage rates and Rural Free Delivery brought him a large rural readership, and mail order ads in the magazine allowed him to sell annual subscriptions for $0.10, and still make money. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Rural Free Delivery was and still is the means by which the United States Postal Service delivers mail directly to residents in areas defined as rural at no cost to them (The money is supplied by the USPS). ...

In 1902, Lewis purchased 85 acres (344,000 m²) near the construction site for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, which became the nucleus for University City. In 1903, with his publishing operation outgrowing its downtown St. Louis location, he began the construction of a new Lewis Publishing Company headquarters and Press Annex at this site. Between 1903 and 1915, he continued to acquire surrounding parcels and develop subdivisions. After incorporating University City in 1906, he served three terms as mayor. During this time he built the Woman's Magazine Building, an Egyptian temple and an Art Academy. He also founded the American's Woman's League, the People's University, and the American Woman's Republic, started two daily newspapers and two banks. 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

During this time, Lewis was indicted several times on federal charges. He had attracted the enmity of Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou, who accused him of defrauding the Post Office by mailing his periodicals with the magazine rate, when in fact they were advertisements. Although Lewis was acquitted of all charges, Cortelyou was successful in shutting down Lewis' "U.S. People's Bank," a mail-order bank which would have offered services in direct competition with postal money orders. G.B. Cortelyou Brian William Cortelyou (July 26, 1862–October 23, 1940) was an American Presidential Cabinet secretary of the early 20th century. ...

In 1912, Lewis began purchasing the land which would become Atascadero, California -- a colony for his American Woman's Republic. At the same time, his financial empire in Missouri was collapsing, and ended in bankruptcy and litigation. But Lewis was undeterred by these developments, and by 1915, he had borrowed more money and moved his base of operations to the Atascadero colony. His planning ideas were heavily influenced by both the City Beautiful movement and, to a lesser extent, Ebenezer Howard's Garden City designs. He built a highway from Atascadero to the Pacific coast at Morro Bay, which is now a section of California State Highway 41 officially designated as the "E.G. Lewis Highway". 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The City Beautiful movement was a Progressive reform movement in North American architecture and urban planning that flourished in the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities to counteract the perceived moral decay of poverty-stricken urban environments. ... Ebenezer Howard (1850 - 1928) was a prominent British urban planner. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... Morro Bay Docks with Morro Rock in the background. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE SR-1 SLO 0. ...

By 1924, Lewis declared bankruptcy a second time, and in 1928 he began serving a jail term for mail fraud. He died in 1950. His contributions are celebrated annually in University City and Atascadero. 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

External links

• University City, MO -- History in Photographs
• The Capitol Women of America