Amelia earhart: Who was she? By

In November 1934, Earhart moved to a rented house in Toluca Lake, in North Hollywood as part of her arrangements to plan an upcoming flight. Shortly afterward, a fire broke out at the Putnam residence, Rocknoll, in Rye, New York, gutting the first floor and destroying many Putnam and Earhart family treasures and mementos. Although Putnam had already sold his interest in the New York based publishing company, Putnam &Sons, to his cousin, Palmer Putnam, he continued to maintain his residence on the East Coast because of his other business interests. This series of events marked the beginning of a quiet separation between GP and AE, in which the two basically maintained their residences on opposite coasts, due in large part to Earhart’s loathing of the cold gray climate of the East. In late 1934, after her move to Toluca Lake, Earhart contacted Hollywood stunt pilot Paul Mantz to ask him to be her technical advisor on her upcoming Hawaii to Oakland flight. Mantz lived not far to her, which seemed to facilitate matters, although this later backfired on Earhart somewhat when she was named correspondent in Mantz’ messy divorce in 1935. In the spring of 1935, GP did purchase a house in the Toluca Lake area and spent more time there, for various reasons including his position at Paramount Pictures.

In mid 1935 Earhart and Mantz formally established a business partnership they had been considering since late 1934 by creating Mantz Air Services, in which Mantz was given a 51 percent controlling interest. The company was located at the Burbank Airport about five miles from Earhart's Toluca Lake home.

BUSY 1935