Horace Hiller (18441898) was a businessman in Los Angeles, California, during the 19th century and served on the city's governing body, the Common Council. He died after he was struck by a falling window frame as he walked beneath construction work on a downtown building. Hiller was born in 1844 in

Hudson, New York Hudson is a city and the county seat of Columbia County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 5,894. Located on the east side of the Hudson River and 120 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, it was named for the rive ...

, the son of Henry and Henrietta Winans Hiller. He was married in 1867 to Abby Pearce, and they had one daughter and two sons. Hiller also had two brothers, Sidney and Henry, who survived him when he was killed on May 20, 1898."Horace Hiller Killed," ''Los Angeles Times,'' May 21, 1898, page 7
/ref>H.D. Barrows, "Horace Hiller," ''Annual Publication of the Historical Society of Southern California and Pioneer Register, Los Angeles.'' Volume 4, Number 2, 1898, page 187
/ref> Interment was at Rosedale Cemetery. Hiller came to Los Angeles via the Southern railroad route in 1870 and "became engaged in the lumber business." He was president and general manager of the Los Angeles Lumber Company and was a

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

of the California Sewer Pipe Company. Hiller was elected on May 6, 1886, to represent the 5th

Ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

on the

Los Angeles Common Council The Los Angeles Common Council was the predecessor of the Los Angeles, California, City Council. It was formed in 1850 under state law, when the city had only 1,610 residents, and it existed until 1889, when the city had about 50,400 residents and ...

and was reelected to a term ending on December 10, 1888. A

coroner's jury A coroner's jury is a body convened to assist a coroner in an inquest, that is, in determining the identity of a deceased person and the cause of death. The laws on its role and function vary by jurisdiction. United Kingdom In England and Wale ...

found that Hiller's death was due to workers being "negligent and grossly careless" when they were handling a 8x15-foot window frame they were placing in the Henne Building on Third Street and it fell to the sidewalk, striking Hiller and breaking his skull. The family home was at 147 West 24th Street, in today's

South Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of downtown. It is "defined on Los Angeles city maps as ...

district.
Location of the Hiller home on ''Mapping L.A.''

References and notes

Access to the ''Los Angeles Times'' links may require the use of a library card. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hiller, Horace 1844 births 1898 deaths Los Angeles City Council members People from Hudson, New York Accidental deaths in California Businesspeople from Los Angeles 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople Burials at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery