Frank Julious Fisher was born fourth of eleven children. His father, William A., and mother, Mary Baxter Fisher, lived in Lima, (Allen County) Ohio. William was a carpenter by trade. Mary's family, the Baxters, were early Ohio settlers.
Frank Julious was like most boys of his day. One Halloween he and his brothers disassembled a neighbor's carriage, hauled it piece by piece to the roof of the neighbor's barn and reassembled it. He attended a one room school from first through sixth grade. About the fourth grade there was a new teacher. When the teacher was called roll for the first time she asked young Fisher his name.
"Juls", he replied.
"Is that short for something? We will have only full names in my class. So what is it Mr. Fisher?"
"JUL-IOUS" he said.
She then asked the next boy his name.
"BILLY-IOUS", the boy replied not wanting to get in trouble.
By the eight grade Julious had dropped out of school and went to work as an apprentice harness maker. He did some minor repairs on a bridle belonging to Frank James (of bank robber fame).
Around 1905, Julious began working with his older brother Vernon as a wallpaper hanger. Julious was fascinated with the designs, would study everything he could find on Art Nouveau, Michelangelo and Italian Renaissance.
A traveling troupe of artistians passed through Lima. Vernon and Julious joined them and worked west to California, landing in Los Angeles sometime in 1910.
Julious met Anna N. Hansen while working for John and James Sheehan. She was their bookkeeper and he one their artists.
The two were married in San Bernardino, California on September 2, 1911.
Anna would direct work to Julious to build up a following; in 1912 they both quit the Sheehan's and opened their own business. Vernon joined the two to help with the store.
In April, 1913 their first son William Baxter was born and two years later son Frank Jr. The store was across the street from Westlake Park were Anna would spend afternoon with the boys.
Above is Julious on left about 1907 in New Washington, Ohio. Fellow artists are unidentified.
Photo at left is Earl Crawford and Julious Fisher in Lima, Ohio 1902
The William A. Fisher Family Lima, Ohio around 1906.
Julious Fisher 1911.
Fisher on the far right with his buddys at Westlake Park in Los Angeles. Below is Anna Fisher with sons Frankie and Billie also at Westlake Park, 1916.
In 1920, the Fishers relocated to Long Beach, California. They rented a small bungalow on Hellman Avenue, then moved to a house on Newport Avenue just south of 7th Street.
By 1923 Julious's decorative art business was in full bloom. He had landed a large contract decorating the newly constructed Sunnyside Mausoleum, and his Home/Studio in Belmont Heights, two years in the making, was completed.
The twenties were certainly "Roaring" for Julious and Anna.
Anna would entertain her society friends at the house, showing it off to sell Julious's work. Acting as his agent, she would negotiate the contracts and collect the monies. She also did quite well dealing in real estate.
In 1926 Julious bought a new Packard Phaeton to impress the "Boys Uptown". "Good for business, you know." He would take several months off a year to hunt and fish with his two sons. Life was good.
The Fishers built another home in the area in 1929 as a "spec" house. It was a Spanish Revival exterior with an Art Deco interior. Julious carved many of its heavy wooden doors.
The Home/Studio was sold prior to the 1929 crash and the spec house sold soon after.
Anna, Julious, Frankie and Billie spending a weekend at the beach in 1921.
Photo above is a movie being filmed at the Fisher Home/Studio prior to its completion.
Photo on right: The Fishers 1923 at the completed home.
Julious had a life long love of the outdoors.
Julious's decorating success continued well into the 30's. By then he was well known throughout Southern California, having worked from San Diego in the south, to Santa Barbara and San Francisco in the north. Stencil art began to lose favor in the mid 1930's, mainly due to the Great Depression and the high cost of the work.
Julious was a skilled wood carver and brought his carving to the forefront. He opened "The Little Green Shack" on Broadway in Long Beach, were he taught wood carving and created fireplace mantels and surrounds. He continued to take on stenciling work when it became available.
In 1939 or 1940 Julious was in a near fatal automobile accident. His injuries affected his ability to work on high scaffolding. His stenciling style also changed, his designs were the same, but with less detail.
From an ad for "Julious Fisher's Wood Carving Classes" in the Long Beach Independent dated 9-13-42, in part it reads: "And when it comes to Interior Wall Decorating, you will find many homes in Long Beach and other places throughout the Southland that have been decorated by me, as this has been my life work. Now is the time to remodel and redecorate old homes, making them modernistic."
