Los Angeles County
Biographies
DELOS ALLEN CHAPPELL
CHAPPELL, DELOS ALLEN, Civil Engineer and Capitalist, Los Angeles, California, was born in Williamson, Wayne County, New York, April 29, 1846, the son of Allen Darwin Chappell and Lydia DeLano (Hart) Chappell. He married Miss May C. Hastings at Trinidad, Colorado, December 19, 1883, and to them there were born two children, Jean Louise and Delos Allen Chappell, Jr.
The record of Mr. Chappell’s ancestors is rich in historical data, the various generations having been represented in the Revolutionary, Mexican and Civil Wars. The founder of the family in America was George Chappell of London, England, who came over in the ship “Christian” in the spring of 1634. He located at Windsor, Connecticut, but moved in 1649 to New London, Connecticut, where one branch of the family still resides. The paternal grandmother of Mr. Chappell was Betsy Allen, niece of Colonel Ethan Allen, a Vermonter whose achievements in the Revolutionary War form one of the most stirring chapters in American history. Mr. Chappell’s father was born in Vermont, but later moved to New York State, where he was a prosperous farmer and held a commission as Captain under Governor William H. Seward of that State. He died in 1899 in his eighty-fourth year.
Mr. Chappell’s wife was also descended of Colonial stock, the daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Alonzo Hastings, formerly of Lexington, Massachusetts. Nineteen of her relatives were among the historic “Minute Men” in the first battle of the Revolution, fought on Lexington Common, April 19, 1775. Mrs. Chappell died July 8, 1912.
Mr. Chappell, looked upon as one of the factors in the industrial growth of the country west of the Rockies, spent his boyhood on a farm in Michigan, whither his family had moved from New York. He attended a public school in the vicinity of Kalamazoo, Michigan, until he was fourteen years of age, then went to Olivet College where he prepared for entrance to the University of Michigan. He enrolled in the University in 1866 and studied there two terms, when he was compelled to give up his college work and remain on his father’s farm, the elder Chappell having been incapacitated through an accident.
For the next five years Mr. Chappell managed the farm, but kept up his studies at home, and in 1873 had affairs in such shape that he was able to go to Chicago, Illinois, and engage in business. He began as an Engineer and Contractor and for several years enjoyed unusual success, his work taking him to various parts of the Middle West, and on some occasions, into New England.
In 1879 at the behest of the citizens of Trinidad, Colorado, Mr. Chappell made his first trip to the then far West. He began operations by building, from his own plans and with his own resources, the first water works system of Trinidad, and through this gave a great impetus to building in that place. He spent much time in Colorado during the next few years and became so impressed with the promise of the country that in 1883, after ten years of successful operation in Chicago, he closed his offices in the latter place and moved to Trinidad. Since that time he has been an active and important factor in business in the western part of the United States.
One of his earliest ventures was the purchase of a quarter interest in the First National Bank of Trinidad, and about the same time he became interested in coal and coke development in Southern Colorado. Later, Mr. Chappell was one of a group of financiers who acquired about thirty thousand acres of coal lands, divided among several mines located in Las Animas, Huerfano and Fremont Counties. These were later merged under the name of the Victor Fuel Company, and Mr. Chappell became one of the directing forces of the corporation. The headquarters of the company were located in Denver and Mr. Chappell, after disposing of the Trinidad Water works to the city, moved his home to the Colorado capital.
In Denver as in Trinidad, Mr. Chappell soon became known as one of the progressive business men and the Victor Fuel Company was considered the largest enterprise of its kind in the State. Mr. Chappell first located in Denver in 1898, and four years later, in the middle of the year 1902, organized the Capitol National Bank. He was associated with H. J. Alexander in this venture.
In 1905 after more than twenty ears of active business life in Colorado, Mr. Chappell decided to take a long rest, and in order to be absolutely free from business cares, sold his interest in the Victor Fuel Company to John C. Osgood, a noted Colorado financier known as one of the “Big Four” of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company group of capitalists. Going at once to Europe, Mr. Chappell traveled for two years, returning to Denver in 1907.
Shortly after his return Mr. Chappell was elected President of the Nevada-California Power Company and the Hydro-Electric Company, and for the last five years has devoted himself almost exclusively to the affairs of these companies, which are engaged in electric light and power projects of great magnitude in Nevada and Southern California. These companies, since their formation, have constructed various long-distance high-power transmission lines supplying light and power to Goldfield, Rawhide, and other parts of Nevada, and now has in course of construction, through the Southern Sierras Power Company, a subsidiary, a high-voltage transmission line from Bishop to San Bernardino, California. This line, two hundred and forty miles in length, is at this writing, the longest of its kind in the world and Mr. Chappell, as one of the executive forces and engineering experts of the company, has had a large part in its planning and building.
In order to be closer to the base of operations on the Bishop-San Bernardino line, Mr. Chappell moved his offices to Los Angeles in 1911 and has been there almost continuously since. Prior to that, he had been accusomed (sic) to spend a part of each year in Southern California, although he maintained his permanent residence in Denver.
Mr. Chappell has other interests outside of the power companies and devotes to them a part of his time and energies. Although he is past sixty-six years of age, Mr. Chappell still devotes many hours a day to his business and performs his duties with the same vim and decision as characterized his efforts at the outset of his business career in Colorado. He is generally regarded as one of the authorities in practical engineering and in the management of his various corporations has been noted for his unusual executive ability and faculty for organization.
Mr. Chappell is a member of various organizations in the West, including the Denver Club, Denver Country Club, and the Santa Barbara (Cal.) Country Club.
Transcribed 10-14-09
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 339, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta.
1913.
© 2009 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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