History Blog: Harvey Divorce

In 1939, the local newspapers were covering the divorce battle of Theodore Harvey and his wife, Marguerite. Theodore Harvey was a well to-do rancher who was a third generation Alvarado resident. His grandfather Sylvester P. Harvey came to Alvarado in the 1850's. Sylvester's son, F. C. Harvey had a mercantile business in Alvarado for many years, in the building that is now Bronco Billy's.

Theodore and his wife lived in a Tudor-style house near the corner Dyer and Alvarado roads. The shopping center at the north west corner of Dyer and Alvarado roads occupies the land now.

Marguerite filed for divorce siting "cruelty and indifference, unexplained absences from home and occasional blows." Theodore filed a cross complaint accusing Maruerite of "continuously accepting and persistently seeking" the company on an 18-year old high school senior. Theodore had letters between Marguerite and the 18-year old and had even hired private detectives to gather evidence in his behalf. It was this supposed relationship with a 33 year-old married women and a young high school athlete that had local tongues wagging.

The trial listed six days and was described as "spiced with sensational testimony." Judge Victor Wagler cleared Marguerite of the charges of "immoral or intimate relations", but still granted the couple the divorce that they were both seeking. The proceeding was to decide on custody of their four-year old daughter and the division of $75,000 in community property, but the details on that part of the decision was not reported in the press.

Interestingly enough, 6 months after the divorce, F. C. Harvey was involved in a suit against Dr. Alex Galbraith, the father of Marguerite, over a long outstanding medical bill.