Arthur Duvernoix Houghton (June 8, 1870 – January 23, 1938) was an English-born American medical doctor, a botanist specializing in cacti, a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council from 1904 to 1906 and one of the founders of the American Legion. In his early years he was a showman who presented performances in hypnotism and conducted seances.

Personal

Houghton was born in London, England, on June 8, 1871, and was educated at Oxford University and the Royal Military School of Engineers. He served in the British Army. Houghton had a medical degree and a doctorate of philosophy. He lived in Chicago, Illinois, where he was secretary of the South Side Business Men's League, and he was said to be in Los Angeles in November 1894, when he conducted seances in that city. He moved to Los Angeles around 1902. He was married to Florence Gildersleeve of Chicago in June 1913.Los Angeles Public Library reference file"Dr. Houghton Can't Make Denial Stick," Los Angeles Times, September 16, 1904, page A-1"Dr. Houghton Succumbs," Los Angeles Times, January 25, 1938

Houghton played the role of Doctor Caius, a French physician, in a benefit Los Angeles performance of William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor in April 1904."Players in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor,' " Los Angeles Herald, April 17, 1904 He was said to be of slight build"Mayor Ejects Sixth Warder," Los Angeles Herald, March 16, 1906 and to have "auburn" or "pink topped" hair."Says Examiner Is Liar and Devoid of Truth," Los Angeles Herald, November 28, 1905"Rantings of Dock Are Brought to Close," Los Angeles Herald, February 29, 1906

Houghton suffered a heart attack on November 29, 1933, as he was waiting to testify as an expert witness in a lawsuit."Expert Witness in Insurance Case Suddenly Becomes Ill While Waiting to Testify," Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1933, page A-3

He died on January 23, 1938, after being stricken on the train as he was returning to California from a trip to New York with others in a successful bid to have the 1938 American Legion convention held in Los Angeles. He was survived by his widow; their home was at 14714 Chatsworth Drive, San Fernando. His body lay in state in the rotunda of the Los Angeles City Hall, guarded by a phalanx of American Legionnaires; services were held at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral and private cremation followed."Dr. Houghton Casket Will Lie in State," Los Angeles Examiner, January 25, 1938"Late Dr. Houghton to Lie in State," Los Angeles Herald-Express, January 25, 1938

Botany

Houghton was a noted botanist. He was author of The Cactus Book, published in 1931 by the Macmillan Company He was said to have discovered a "purple orange" in 1911, and he "boasted he was one of the few persons who could grow orchids in an open flower bed." He developed a succulent called "Houghton's Hybrid", Kalanchoe ×houghtoni (Kalanchoe delagoensis × daigremontiana). Kalanchoe ×houghtoni 'Pink Butterflies' has pink plantlets on its phylloclades.

In Los Angeles, his collection was a notable one, valued at $20,000 in 1906, with specimens of 800 varieties from "inaccessible deserts", from "Argentina, Patagonia, Mexico and other places. . . . German and Italian botanists have sent him specimens of the rarest kinds." He offered to donate it to the city for a park in Boyle Heights, but the offer was refused by the parks commission because the property offered by J. Harvey McCarthy on Stephenson Avenue between Pioneer Drive and Fresno Street already had a wooded ravine with an assortment of "magnificent trees"."Accept Pioneer Park; Reject Dock's Cacti," Los Angeles Herald, July 13, 1906

By 1928, Houghton had moved to San Fernando, California, at 11224 Chatsworth Road, and he was specializing in development of the Watsonia. "This is the finest crop I have had in twenty years," Houghton told a reporter."Scientist Has Newest Flower," Los Angeles Times, May 11, 1928, page A-12 In 1929 Houghton was president of the Cactus Society of America"Cactus Show at Pasadena Draws Crowd," Los Angeles Times, March 17, 1929, page C-27

Municipal service

1904–1906 term

Ciry Councilman James P. Davenport, a Republican, was recalled by the voters on September 16, 1904, because he had voted in favor of a city printing contract awarded to the Los Angeles Times even though the Times''' bid was $10,000 higher than its nearest competitor."Recall Elections," Los Angeles A to Z, Leonard Pitt and Dale Pitt, University of California Press (1997) The recall petition also accused him of "aiding and abetting in the erection of a large and offensive slaughter-house.""History of the Davenport Case," Los Angeles Times, September 16, 1904, page A-1

Houghton, a nonpartisan,"Character, But No Beauty Is His Abode," Los Angeles Examiner, September 18, 1904, page 1 was elected on the same ballot to fill the balance of Potter's term."Los Angeles Voters Sustain City's Charter," San Francisco Call, September 17, 1904 Houghton thus became the first person in the United States to succeed an ousted public official after a recall."Recall Candidate Wins," Los Angeles Herald, September 17, 1904 He was seated in the council on September 20, 1904.

Houghton was elected to serve only until the end of Davenport's term, on December 8, 1904, so he faced another election on December 5, which he won in a plurality vote over Scholl, a Republican, and Weber, a Democrat.Los Angeles Times, December 6, 1904, page 8

Shortly after he was elected, Houghton told a reporter he supported the ideas of Herbert Spencer, the prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era, and he said that he was "in favor of less grade crossings and more statues."

Newspaper endorsements

Davenport was supported by the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Herald. Houghton had the backing of the Los Angeles Examiner, the Los Angeles Express and the Los Angeles Record."Houghton Defeats Davenport by a Large Majority," Los Angeles Examiner, September 17, 1904, page 1

Los Angeles Times

The Times questioned whether Houghton had ever become a U.S. citizen, and after the September election it hired a Chicago firm to check the records in that city. When none were found, the Times stated that "He has not shown that he is an American citizen.""Can a Spook Be a Citizen?" Los Angeles Times, September 20, 1904, page A-1 The Examiner, however, was able to produce a telegram from Chicago verifying that Arthur Howton, as the name was spelled, "took out his naturalization papers on March 31, 1892." The telegram was presented to the City Council by an Examiner reporter, and the council on September 20 thereupon seated Houghton by a unanimous vote.Los Angeles Examiner, September 21, 1904"In Stormy Session Houghton Is Seated," Los Angeles Herald, September 21, 1904

The Times, at that time edited by the publisher, Harrison Gray Otis, generally spelled Houghton's name as "Howton"."Howton Goes Into Council, Admits His Identity, Confesses Assumed Name," Los Angeles Times, September 21, 1904, page 2"More Malicious Falsehoods," Los Angeles Times, September 22, 1904, page A-4"Bearded Fish," Los Angeles Herald, April 21, 1909 "We notice with interest the demotion of Doctor Houghton in the columns of a morning pro-vice contemporary. This sheet used to refer to him as 'Doc' Howton. When he was advocating causes dear to the heart of our contemporary he was promoted to 'Dr. A.D. Houghton.' But he is demoted, and again he is 'Doc' Howton." and called him a "seancer" and a "spook" or a "spook doctor".

In a front-page article published on September 21, 1904, the Los Angeles Examiner, owned by William Randolph Hearst, claimed that reporter Fred Hopewell of the Times had stated in front of witnesses that:

General Otis says that he will drive you and your woman out of Los Angeles penniless. . . . we are to make a personal canvass among your friends and patients to prevent you from getting a practice. Before you go into the council we will make you sweat blood. We will make you cringe and go upon your knees and sue us for peace."General Otis' Threat to Dr. Houghton," Los Angeles Examiner, page 1

Hopewell denied the accusation in a signed statement in the Times the next day."Malicious Lie Nailed Hard," Los Angeles Times, September 22, 1904, page A-2

On September 22, 1904, the Times published a story alleging that "Arthur Howton" had moved from Chicago to San Francisco during the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894 and took work as an electrical wireman. "He soon announced that this work was too strenuous and soon blossomed forth as a professor of hypnotism." The Times quoted articles from the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Call, published on February 28, 1894, stating that Howton had attempted suicide by swallowing morphine and that authorities had discovered a note he had written expressing anguish over his unreturned love for a woman, The Times said Howton had then come to Los Angeles where he was "ordained a minister in the Spiritualist church and in little more than a week . . . he was exposed as a fake medium." The newspaper then said that "Prof. Arthur" subsequently made appearances in Denver, Colorado, and in Kenwood Hall, Chicago."Howton History: Many 'Warm' Chapters," Los Angeles Times, September 22, 1904, page A-2

The Times continued:

In 1902 he came to Los Angeles and commenced to practice medicine without the formality of taking out a physician's certificate. This was objected to by the health officers and he later secured a certificate which passed the muster of the Health Office.

Los Angeles Express and Los Angeles Tribune

Houghton received financial support from Edwin T. Earl, publisher of the evening Express and the morning Tribune, according to Houghton's testimony when he was a witness in a $150,000 libel action that Earl unsuccessfully brought in 1917 against the Los Angeles Record. Houghton said he had had two conferences with Earl during the 1904 councilmanic campaign, the second including a question from Earl asking "Why didn't you tell me that you had a past?" "He was very angry that I didn't go into my past, from the cradle up," Houghton testified, adding that the publisher said he had assigned a detective to follow Houghton for six weeks "and that he had the goods on me."Roger M. Grace, "E.T. Earl Pulls the Strings of Woolwine's Election Challenger," Metropolitan News-Enterprise, June 5, 2007

'Resignation' In a council session on June 9, 1905, Houghton submitted his resignation and left the council chamber after the council refused to bar Attorney C.C. Wright from speaking. He was insulted, Houghton said, because Wright had referred to him as Mister, rather than Doctor."Doc Howton's Resignation," Los Angeles Times, June 10, 1905, page II-1 Houghton returned in person on June 19 and, saying that his previous action had been "temporary", requested his seat be returned to him. After some public discussion and a closed meeting, the council allowed him to retain his position."For Election in Ward Six" Los Angeles Times,June 20, 1905, page II-2

1917 and 1919 elections

By 1917, Los Angeles had adopted a new city charter, by which all City Council members ran on an at-large basis, with the top eighteen who survived the primary facing a runoff and the top nine of those being chosen at the second election. Houghton put his name in nomination, with one of his election planks being the construction of a new city jail with a modern receiving hospital. He survived the primary but in the final balloting in June 1917 he placed twelfth and so was not chosen."Big Reception Planned for Tomorrow Evening," Los Angeles Times, April 11, 1917, page II-6"City Election Final Figures," Los Angeles Times, June 7, 1905, page II-2