Franklin Pierce Buyer
Franklin Pierce Buyer (October 23, 1878 – March 1963) was a Democratic traveling salesman and Los Angeles city politician. He served on the Los Angeles City Council from July 1, 1933 to June 30, 1939, representing the 15th district. He defeated incumbent A. E. Henning in 1933 and was reelected in 1935 and 1937, but lost in 1939 to Wilder W. Hartley. Buyer was known for securing a large amount of city funding for his district, including money for the construction and furnishing of a Watts branch city hall.
Born in Edgewood, Illinois, he was the son of Mary Carter and attended public schools in Browns, Illinois. He and his wife Dorothy married in 1907, and they adopted a daughter. He spent much of his career as a traveling salesman before moving to Los Angeles in 1920.
After leaving the council, Buyer became the manager of an American Express office at 10810 South Broadway. He survived two robberies there: in January 1947, he fought the robbers and was left with head injuries but no money taken; in January 1959, he was slugged and $400 was stolen from the cash drawer. He lived at 156 West 109th Place at the time of the 1947 incident.
Buyer died in March 1963 in San Pedro, Los Angeles, leaving a wife.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 23:34 (CET).