Los Angeles County
Biographies
MARTIN CHARLES MARSH
MARSH, MARTIN CHARELS, Contractor, Los Angeles, California, was born October 16, 1851, at Grosse Isle, Quebec, Canada. His parents were Martin L. Marsh and Mary (McKenna) Marsh. Mr. Marsh married Miss Mary Agnes Fox in San Francisco, California on May 6, 1878. Four children has been born to this union—John Dumont, Martin C., Jr.: Edward B. and Georgina M. Marsh.
After a primary education derived from the Thome School, the Christian Brothers’ School and the Jesuit College in Quebec, Mr. Marsh emigrated to the United States and for a short time was a student at the College of the City of New York.
He engaged in the hotel business and followed this occupation for twenty-two years in the most noted hotels of New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities.
Mr. Marsh began this long and successful hotel career as an elevator boy in the service of the famous old Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York in 1864, in the days when that house was the greatest hotel in the United States. By 1868 he had advanced to the capacity of clerk at the St. Charles Hotel, New Orleans, La. The he became clerk of the West End Hotel at Long Branch, New Jersey, in 1869, in the days when Long Branch was the greatest resort in the United States, and was cashier in the Brevoort House in New York from 1870 to 1876, when he became steward of the Buckingham Hotel in New York, and in the latter year, his fame having reached San Francisco, he was brought to that city under contract to serve as clerk of the Occidental Hotel, where he remained for two years, and where he made the acquaintance of the most noted men of California of the early days. He then became manager of the Tamalpais Hotel at San Rafael for the summer of 1879.
Mr. Marsh went to Los Angeles in 1880 and at once took charge of the much noted hostelry at that time, the Pico House, as proprietor, where he remained until 1882. In those days the Pico House was the scene of the greatest social and political events of the Southwest.
As a result of a constantly successful occupation during the past years, Mr. Marsh had accumulated a considerable capital and was occupied in divers manners from 1882 until 1887, when the wonderful strides being made by the city induced him to enter the contracting business.
This established his natural bent and capacity for such work, and his name soon sprang into prominence, and he was associated with most of the important works undertaken in Southern California.
In 1890 he became associated with Mr. Adolph Ramish, and since that time his efforts have been largely devoted to railway construction, though in street and boulevard projections his work has been notable. As Highway Commissioner he supervised the construction of Sunset boulevard, extending between Los Angeles and Hollywood.
The Randsburg Railway work was under Mr. Marsh, a bit of construction through a desert country that required resources and courage to build. Mr. Marsh’s firm also constructed two sections of the Coast Line of the Southern Pacific Railway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In fact, there are few towns in Southern California which have not called upon Mr. Marsh and his associate at the initiatory stages of development for quick and extensive work of roadway or railway.
Mr. Marsh has always taken an interest in politics and has assiduously sustained his views as a Democrat.
He served as a member of the Board of Education, representing the Second Ward of the City of Los Angeles for two years.
He was State Commissioner of the Sixth Agricultural District for eight years, serving under the administrations of both Governor Budd and Governor Henry T. Gage.
More recently he completed a term as Highway Commissioner for the County of Los Angeles.
Mr. Marsh formerly was vice chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee and served as a member of that committee for twelve years. He has served as chairman of the Democratic County Central Committee, as well as secretary of that body, and was three times chairman of the Democratic City Central Committee of Los Angeles.
He is a member of the Jonathan Club, the Jefferson Club and the Order of Elks, and is president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Loretto Parish.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 604,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2011 Joyce
Rugeroni.
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BIOGRAPIES