Los Angeles County
Biographies
GUSTAVUS
OLIVIO NEWMAN
NEWMAN, GUSTAVUS OLIVIO, Chief Engineer, Pacific Light & Power Corporation, Los Angeles, California, was born at Frontuna, Sweden, December 18, 1844. His father was Per Gustav Nyman (English spelling, Newman) and his mother Jeana Fredericka (Hesselius) Nyman. His family is noted in the religious and professional history of Sweden, one of his grandfathers having been a Magister Campanius (Professor) and one of the early settlers in Pennsylvania. He founded and built the Old Swedes’ Church, one of the historic landmarks of Philadelphia, in 1646. This famous old house of worship still stands, and is used regularly. Mr. Newman married Mary Emma Miller at Riverside, California, July 19, 1876, and to them were born four children, Rolph R., a civil engineer at Riverside, Cal.; Olivia E., and Miller and Davis Newman, twin boys.
Mr. Newman received his early education in the common schools of Fellngsbro and Gotlunda, Sweden, and went from the latter place to Caroline University, at Orebro, Sweden. He remained there until 1859 and then entered the Polytechnic Institute of Orebro, from which he was graduated, July 30, 1863. Mr. Newman was second highest man in his class and it being the custom of the Swedish Government to give the two leading scholars of each graduating class State positions, he was made Assistant Engineer of the Government Railroad.
He entered the Government service immediately after leaving school, and it being his desire to accomplish something in the world of machinery, he took a position three years later in the Christinehamns Railroad and Machine shops in Sweden.
In 1868, Mr. Newman came to the U. S. in order to follow his ambition in the engineering field. He had a splendid letter to John Erickson, of New York, builder of the “Monitor,” from the latter’s brother, Nils Erickson, Chief of the Government Railroad of Sweden. Mr. Erickson, however, told Mr. Newman that if he was the fine engineer his recommendation stated he was, he should return to Sweden and work out its problems. Mr. Newman did not have the money to return at that time, so drifted towards the West.
His first position in the United States was under O. Chanute, a famous bridge builder of the middle West, who was engaged at that time in the construction of a bridge at Kansas City, Mo. This was the first bridge across the Missouri River, and before it was completed Mr. Newman, who began as a carpenter, was Asst. Engineer of the work.
In 1869, upon completion of the bridge, Mr. Newman became connected with the Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad and served as Assistant Engineer on the first survey for the road through the Indian Territory. He remained with this company about a year and then went to Rulo, Neb., to collect data on the Burlington Southwestern Railroad, which the “Atchison” afterwards purchased and extended from Rulo to Lincoln, Mr. Newman acting as Asst. Engineer in charge of survey and construction.
In 1873 Mr. Newman was transferred to Tomah, Wis., in charge of the building of the Wisconsin Valley Railroad, which extended from Tomah to Wausau, Wis. He held the position of Asst. Engineer in charge of surveys and construction until Christmas, 1874, when he obtained a leave to go to California and claim his bride.
Mr. Newman arrived at Riverside in 1875, and one year later he married and decided to remain there in partnership with his father-in-law, C. C. Miller, an engineer, with whom he laid out the famous Magnolia Ave. Their first intricate work of importance was the construction, in ‘76-77, of the Lower Canal for the Riverside Canal & Irrig. Co. Immediately following they constructed the Orange County Canal (‘78). In ‘78-80 they engaged in subdividing lands for the Riverside Land & Irrig. Co.
In 1881 Mr. Newman entered the service of the U. S. Geological Survey under Clarence King, and with his chief, Maj. F. A. Clark, made a topographical map of the 400 square miles known as the Eureka mining district in Nevada. Upon leaving the Federal service he became Asst. Engineer on the construction of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, and remained in its employ until it was bought by the Southern Pacific Co. in 1882. He then went with the Central Pacific in charge of bridge and masonry work, also of the construction of the road from Redding, Cal., north through the Sacramento Canyon to Delta, Cal. In 1884, the work having been stopped at Delta, he returned to Riverside as Chief Engineer for the Riverside Water Co., a position he held twelve years.
During this time he perfected the Riverside irrigation system, the first really good irrigation system in California, and numerous engineers from Europe, Australia, Canada and the U. S. visited him to get information on irrigation. Mr. Newman was also the first man to establish the relation between a miner’s inch and a cubic foot per second, which he did in the sumer (sic) of 1876.
In 1897, Mr. Newman was engaged as Chief Engineer for A. C. Balch, manager of the San Gabriel Electric Co., and when this concern was purchased by the Pac. Light & Power Co. he was retained by the latter. He has been a principal factor in modernizing the hydraulic business of the Southwest.
He is a member, California Club, Masons, Knights Templar and Mystic Shrine, and of Engineers & Architects Assn. of Southern California.
Transcribed 10-9-10 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 518, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta.
1913.
© 2010 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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