Board in Venice is unlike most genealogy books.
What began as a family story—the vivid memories of the kindly Mrs. Moore boarding house landlady who bent her own rules to accommodate a family with children and a dog—evolved into an extraordinary genealogical detective story. Who was this remarkable woman who dedicated her life to caring for others? And what stories lay behind the other residents who called 3981 Wade Street home?
Board in Venice reveals the compelling human drama that unfolded within the walls of Kate Moore’s boarding house from the 1930s through the 1960s. Through meticulous research and genealogical sleuthing, these pages bring to life a diverse cast of characters: immigrant barbers seeking the American dream, elderly women requiring daily care, aircraft workers building planes for World War II, a naval officer, and countless others whose paths crossed in this unique corner of Los Angeles.
Kate Moore herself emerges as an unforgettable figure—a woman who journeyed from the workhouses of Victorian England to become a beacon of stability for those in transition. Her story intertwines with the broader narrative of American immigration, westward migration, and the boarding house as a crucial but often overlooked institution in American social history.
This is more than just a collection of genealogical sketches—it’s a window into how ordinary people navigated extraordinary times, how communities formed in unexpected places, and how one woman’s compassion created a sanctuary for those seeking new beginnings.
167 pages
Includes 600+ source citations
Includes surname index
Vanessa Wood is also the author of Notable Americans of the 1930 Census, and Antique Names.
Board in Venice: Stories of The House, The Landlords, and The Boarders at 3981 Wade Street in Venice, California
by Vanessa Wood
published 2025
167 pages
ISBN 9798308450498
Size: 6 in. x 9 in.
Paperback
Surnames included in the book:
Acre, Adams, Adcock, Aitchinson, Aitchison, Andrews, Andrusejko, Armstrong, Ashkinas, Asserson, Ballard, Bates, Bettingen, Birdno, Black, Blundy, Bohn, Brantmeyer, Brinkenoff, Brist, Brust, Burchard, Burnett, Burt, Calahan, Calvert, Campbell, Carney, Christiansen, Clark, Clarke, Conrad, Cook, Crowder, Currie, Daily, Damon, Daugherty, Davis, DeLapp, Dennison, Dexter, Dillingham, Dorris, Dudley, Dykstra, Emmerson, Engel, Farnsworth, Ferster, Fischer, Fisher, Fletcher, Frimmersdorf, Fritchoff, Goldberg, Goley, Gomer, Goodwin, Gregg, Gregory, Griffith, Guffey, Guhlemann, Halloran, Hannagin, Harmstead, Harrison, Hassey, Hecker, Hentz, Hess, Hobbs, Hoke, Hufmeister, Hunt, Jacobs, Jenkinson, Jones, Kimball, King, Koehn, Kohn, Koonz, Krahwinkel, Kramer, Kuhn, Kyler, LaChute, Lacy, Lich, Lucas, Lumgair, Mallicoat, Marmaduke, McDonald, McNeill, Meyer, Moore, Newton, Nye, Overmeyer, Pagan, Pearson, Pierson, Porter, Pryor, Rauh, Reith, Riese, Robbins, Roberts, Rogers, Roll, Roesser, Roser, Ruebeling, Rundalle, Saeger, Schrack, Schrage, Smith, Sorber, Stanley, Story, Stubbington, Stuckey, Temple, Therolf, Thirolf, Thomas, Thompson, Tibbett, Tibbitts, Tilleson, Torolf, Tracy, Troy, Walter, Western, Whipple, Wilcomb, Williams, Winstanley, Wykell, Yanyk