Alameda County
Biographies
EDWARD J. PIERCE
EDWARD J. PIERCE, one of the leading builders and
architects of Oakland, was born in Cambridge, Mass.,
November 25, 1847, a son of James P. Pierce. He was reared
and educated in Charlestown, of his native state, and early in life began the
study of drafting, at nineteen years of age commencing work for
Simons & Lord, of Charlestown, where he thoroughly mastered the
trade. Later he spent two years in Worcester, Mass., after which he located in
Cambridge and began business as contractor and builder, being then but
twenty-four years old. In the meantime he made a specialty of all the arts and
points of drafting, ambitious to perfect himself in every little detail which
might in any way contribute to his success. In 1873 he came to California and
went to Hayes valley, where he immediately began contracting and building. He
remained there but five months, when he decided to locate in Oakland, where his
ability was appreciated from the beginning of his work in that city. In 1881 he
formed a partnership with R. S. Ruch, which
continued for eight years, since which time he has carried on the work alone.
Resides his general work on houses, stores, etc., his contracts and much of
drafting and architectural work is represented by various public buildings,
among them being the Temescal School; Piedmont
School; the Cahn Block at Twelfth and Washington streets; the remodeling of the
Masonic Temple; also the Pardee Block, the
construction of four houses for himself, and his own residence, which is finely
finished on the interior, showing every evidence of superior workmanship; he
also remodeled the state building for Governor Pardee,
at Sacramento; and has put up many fine residences in Oakland, as well as
having taken several contracts in San Francisco, improving plants, etc. The key
to his gratifying success in the prosecution of his work lies in the fact that
he has always made it a point to oversee all his own work and permit of nothing
that would ever diminish his deserved reputation, in this way guaranteeing
satisfaction to all with whom he has been associated. Mr. Pierce has also
been associated for some time with the Hedrick Plaza Mine (gold) of Calaveras
county, where he put up all the building shafts, hoists and such work as was
called for in that mine, spending about a year so engaged.
In Ashland, Mass., Mr. Pierce was united in marriage
with Susie Hill, a native of that place, and to them were
born the following children: Frank; Mabel; Ida, who married Elmer Mott;
Louis, a mechanic; Thurston, also a mechanic; and William, a draftsman.
Mr. Pierce is a member of Oak Lodge No. 188,
F. & A. M., and of Oak Leaf Chapter No. 8,
O. E. S. For six years he served as a member of the California
National Guard, acting as sergeant of Company A
of Oakland.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard 26 October 2015.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages
830-831. The Chapman Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Marie
Hassard.
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