Thomas Douglas Stimson (1827–1898) was one of the wealthiest men in Los Angeles.
He was known as a self-made man who left his home in Canada at age 14, and worked a trader in Michigan.
He later moved to Chicago where he built a successful lumber business.
In 1890, he moved to Los Angeles at age 63, seeking a more pleasant and healthful climate for his retirement.
However, rather than retiring, Stimson became one of the most active members of the Los Angeles business community.
He became one of the largest shareholders in the Citizens Banks and was vice president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.

In 1893, Stimson used the same architect who had built Stimson House (H. Carroll Brown) to build the Stimson Block, a six-story office building at the corner of Spring and Third Streets downtown.
The Stimson Block used many of the same architectural features employed in Stimson House, and when it opened in 1893, the Stimson Block was the tallest building in Los Angeles.
The Stimson Block was demolished in 1963 to make room for a parking lot.

Stimson died at Stimson House in February 1898.
His widow, Achsah, lived in the house until she died in 1904.

Stimson's son Charles D. Stimson followed his father into the timber industry and was the patriarch of the Seattle-area Stimson family whose other members have included Dorothy Stimson Bullitt and the conservative pundit Charles "Cully" D. Stimson.
The Seattle scion also built a notable home, the Stimson-Green mansion on First Hill, and another descendant built a notable house in Capitol Hill's Harvard-Belmont Landmark District on the site of Horace C. Henry's former mansion.
Thomas Douglas Stimson (1827–1898) was one of the wealthiest men in Los Angeles. He was known as a self-made man who left his home in Canada at age 14, and worked a trader in Michigan. He later moved to Chicago where he built a successful lumber business. In 1890, he moved to Los Angeles at age 63, seeking a more pleasant and healthful climate for his retirement. However, rather than retiring, Stimson became one of the most active members of the Los Angeles business community. He became one of the largest shareholders in the Citizens Banks and was vice president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
In 1893, Stimson used the same architect who had built Stimson House (H. Carroll Brown) to build the Stimson Block, a six-story office building at the corner of Spring and Third Streets downtown. The Stimson Block used many of the same architectural features employed in Stimson House, and when it opened in 1893, the Stimson Block was the tallest building in Los Angeles. The Stimson Block was demolished in 1963 to make room for a parking lot.
Stimson died at Stimson House in February 1898. His widow, Achsah, lived in the house until she died in 1904.
Stimson's son Charles D. Stimson followed his father into the timber industry and was the patriarch of the Seattle-area Stimson family whose other members have included Dorothy Stimson Bullitt and the conservative pundit Charles "Cully" D. Stimson. The Seattle scion also built a notable home, the Stimson-Green mansion on First Hill, and another descendant built a notable house in Capitol Hill's Harvard-Belmont Landmark District on the site of Horace C. Henry's former mansion.
Stimson House