FRANK HALL JOYNER

JOYNER, FRANK HALL, Highway Engineer, Los Angeles, California, is a New Englander by birth, being born at North Egremont, Massachusetts, January 20, 1862. His father was Loomis M. Joyner and his mother Mary L. (Cross) Joyner. Mr. Joyner is a direct descendant of Joseph Loomis, who settled in Windsor, Connecticut, in 1639, and the original founder in America of the large Loomis family. He is also descended from Robert Joyner, one of the heroes of the Revolutionary War. On both sides Mr. Joyner is a pure Yankee. He married Clara Estelle Curtiss, October 4, 1888, at Brooklyn, New York. There is one child, Mary C. Joyner.

Mr. Joyner attended a district school in North Egremont, Mass., and later the High School of Great Barrington, Mass. He studied at Carter’s Commercial College, Pittsfield, Mass., and took a course at the Massachusetts Agricultural College, Amherst.

The first actual work of his career began in 1881, when he became a chainman with the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railroad. His intelligent effort won him the advanced position of assistant engineer, which station he held for nearly three years. In 1885 he was made resident engineer for the Wisconsin Central Railroad, with headquarters at Des Plaines, Illinois. There he remained and practiced for the following year.

In the latter part of 1886 Mr. Joyner became engineer at the end of track and assistant superintendent of construction with the Fitzgerald and Mallory Company, and the D. M. and A., a branch of the Missouri Pacific system. He was continued in this position for a period of over a year. During all this time Mr. Joyner was not merely performing his duty, he was making a deep study all the while of the great engineering problems of the day and seeking that branch which held the greatest promise for the future.

In 1887 he left railroad engineering to take a responsible position with Morrison and Corthell, engineers in Chicago. He was given charge of the preparation of stone for the bridge over the Ohio River at Cairo and bridges over the Mississippi River at St. Louis and at Memphis. He had charge of the construction of a number of minor bridges in and around Chicago.

He also filled the office of City Engineer at Bedford, Indiana, where he continued until the latter part of 1891, when he resigned and at the same time resigned from the Morrison and Corthell Company.

In 1892 he accepted a position with the Pejepscot Paper Company, one of the largest establishments of its kind in the State of Maine. He became Assistant Engineer on the construction of dams and pulp mill plants for this company.

Mr. Joyner took up highway engineering in 1896. His first services in that great field were with the Massachusetts Highway Commission. After two successful years he was advanced to Division Engineer in 1898, which position he held until February 1, 1911, when he resigned to accept the position of Engineer in charge of Maintenance and Repair of Main Highways of Los Angeles County.

His fame as a highway engineer had become so well known throughout a greater part of the continent that during the early part of 1911 the Los Angeles County Highway Commission, finding themselves in need of a professional head, determined to send for him.

He accepted their offer and went at once to Los Angeles and took up the duties of the position.

He held the position until the following July, when he was appointed Chief Engineer for the Los Angeles County Highway Commission, which position he holds at the present time.

Transcribed 2-15-09 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 198, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.

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