Perry Newberry

Perry Harmon Newberry (October 16, 1870 – December 6, 1938) was an American journalist, writer, actor and producer. After working in Chicago and then in journalism in San Francisco, he moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in 1910. There he became involved as an actor and producer at Forest Theater, and in writing, directing and producing large-scale outdoor historical pageants. In 1922 he became the fifth mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, known for his efforts to maintain the rustic atmosphere of Carmel's art colony by resisting infrastructure improvements and to "keep Carmel free from tourists". In 1924 became the editor and co-publisher of the Carmel Pine Cone.

Early life and career

Newberry was born on October 16, 1870, in Union City, Michigan. His parents were Frank D. Newberry (1840–1912) and Frances "Fannie" Ellsworth Stone (1848–1942). His father was a captain in US Army, serving in the American Civil War. His mother was a writer of children's literature. Newberry married Bertha née Blair in 1892.

Newberry started out as a printer and real estate agent in Chicago, Illinois. In 1897, he and his wife Bertha moved to San Francisco, California, where he was a reporter and editor of several newspapers, including in the art department of the San Francisco Examiner, and the San Francisco Post; he purchased the San Francisco Wave in 1901. He then reported for and edited papers in San Jose, California, and dipped his toe into politics and law enforcement there. At Frank Coppa's restaurant, known among Bohemians in San Francisco, he heard about an art colony at Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.