Los Angeles County
Biographies
JOHN PEDEN GARDNER
GARDINER, JOHN PEDEN, Civil Engineer, Los Angeles, California, was born in Creswick, Australia, November 7, 1871, the son of William Gardiner and Barbara (Peden) Gardiner. He married Virginia M. Bowman at Oakland, California, December 26, 1906.
Mr. Gardiner entered the public school in Geelong, Victoria, in the year 1880, and after finishing there enrolled in Geelong College, from which he was graduated in 1888. He then entered Melbourne University and was graduated in the class of 1893 as a Bachelor of Civil Engineering.
For approximately two years after he left the university Mr. Gardiner was engaged in engineering work in Melbourne, and in 1895 sailed for America. He arrived in Los Angeles in August of the same year and became associated in various electrical and irrigation works, and in 1898 had charge of the engineering work in connection with the building of the Southern California Power Company’s plant in the Santa Ana Canyon, under Mr. E. M. Boggs.
In December, 1898, Mr. Gardiner left this field to study railroad construction and accepted a position in Kingman, Arizona, to build a line to the mines of Chloride, Arizona. Finishing this work in June, 1899, he accepted a position with the Oregon Short Line Railroad, with headquarters at Salt Lake City, Utah, and remained there until July, 1901.
At that time Mr. Gardiner became connected with the El Paso Northeastern Railroad System, and after serving for two years as Engineer of Construction, continued his railroad work by accepting a position with the Moffatt Railroad, running from Denver to Salt Lake City.
In March, 1905, he left the Moffatt road to enter the Reclamation Service of the United States, and aided in laying out what was known as the Huntley Project in Montana, but left that in September of the same year and joined the New York Central Railroad.
He remained with the New York Central Road for about six months, leaving to take charge of the construction of a large mill and cyanide plant at the Guadaloupe Mine in Durango, Mexico. This work kept him engaged until July, 1907, and upon its completion he made an extensive trip through the lower part of Mexico, returning by way of the Pacific Coast, whence he sailed to visit his Australian home.
When he first came to America Mr. Gadiner’s idea was to spend five years in the study of engineering practice in this country, with particular attention to electric light and power development, railroad and irrigation problems. At the end of his five years’ time, however, Mr. Gardiner found the work in the new country so interesting he decided to remain in the United States.
After a stay in Australia he returned to America in April, 1908, and associated himself with Manifold & Poole, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers at Los Angeles, engaged in the development of electric power in Inyo and Mono counties, California.
This development work kept Mr. Gardiner occupied for about two years, but in 1910 he resigned his connection with Manifold & Poole and decided to devote his entire time to caring for his private interests. During his several years in the Western country Mr. Gardiner became possessed of considerable property and he is at the present time engaged in the development of his holdings in Los Angeles and vicinity.
Outside of his immediate personal business, Mr. Gardiner holds an interest in the firm of Ball & Welch, Propy, Ld., one of the largest dry-goods establishments in Australia.
Mr. Gardiner for many years has been an enthusiastic patron of the arts and has become noted as an amateur collector. He now has an interesting private gallery, including several especially noteworthy studies. Because of his artistic inclinations, he has been honored by election as an associate member of the Southern California Art Club, and to this he devotes a considerable portion of hi time, although he is an ardent supporter of any movement which means for the development of the city in which he has elected to make his future home.
In addition to his Southern California Art Club membership, Mr. Gardiner is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Jonathan Club of Los Angeles.
Transcribed 3-19-09
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 217, International
News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston,
Atlanta. 1913.
© 2009 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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