Lora J. Knight

Although many people assume that Mrs.Lora Josephine Knight was of Scandinavian ancestry because of her decision to build Vikingsholm in the Scandinavian tradition, she was actually of English decent. She was born Lora Josephine Small in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 - one of a family of four daughters and one son. Her father, Edward A. Small, was a corporation lawyer. In the practice of his profession, he accepted two brothers into his law firm - William Herbert and James Hobart Moore. These young men eventually gained controlling interest in a number of large companies, including National Biscuit, Continental Can, Diamond Match, Union Pacific, and Rock Island Railroad. In the 1880s, Lora Josephine married James Moore, and her sister, Ada, married William.

Lora and James Moore had one son, Nathaniel, who married Helen Fargo of the family of Wells Fargo fame in 1910. Nathaniel died at the age of 25. During most of their married life, Lora and James Moore lived in Evanston, Illinois, and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. They also traveled extensively, making many trips to California as well as abroad. In 1916, they purchased a home in Montecito, a suburb of Santa Barbara, but had little time to enjoy it together since Mr. Moore died shortly thereafter.

In the early 1920s, Lora Small Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker from St. Louis. This marriage was not successful, and they were divorced prior to the building of Vikingsholm. Mrs. Knight is probably known best for the building of Vikingsholm. But many still remember her because of her generous contribution to youth groups in California and Nevada, and provision of educational opportunities for innumerable young people who otherwise could not have afforded them. She was a major benefactor to the Christian Science churches in Santa Barbara, Reno, and South Lake Tahoe. She and Mr. Knight were prime financial backers of Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic.