Los Angeles County
Biographies
JAMES
WILLIAM REAGAN
REAGAN, JAMES WILLIAM, Civil Engineer, Long Beach, California, was born near Mapleton, Kansas, July 21, 1864, the son of Patrick Reagan and Catherine Trayner Reagan. He married Charlotte Stromfeldt at Salt Lake City, Utah, October 7, 1891, and to the there were born two sons, William Nilson and Frank Stromfeldt Reagan.
Mr. Reagan received his early education in schools of Bourbon Co., Kas., and later St. Francis Jesuit College, graduating in 1883. For the following year he was Professor of Latin there.
After a year as instructor Mr. Reagan became Locating Engineer for the Missouri Pacific R.R., then building, and for the next five years was engaged in railroad location and construction. In 1889 he resigned to take charge of construction and location work for the Mexican Southern R.R.
Returning to U.S. in 1891, he was appointed Chief Engineer for Beaver River Irrigation Co., and with others was engaged in general irrigation engineering work until 1896, when he went to South Africa as Engineer and Contractor. His principal work there was the designing of a $5,000,000 sewage system for the City of Johannesburg.
In 1900, returned to America and was immediately engaged by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad Co. to locate and construct branch from Coffeyville, Kas., to Oklahoma City. Work completed late in 1901 and next two years he was engaged in general engineering throughout U.S. In 1903 was selected to re-locate Big Four Railroad’s reconstructed line between Indianapolis and Terre Haute, Ind., a stretch of which was considered among the heaviest work in U.S. In 1904 the Southern Pacific engaged Mr. Reagan for work in Arizona and Mexico. Has been working in the Southwest since. He is Chief Engineer for the Los Angeles & San Fernando Electric Ry., Los Angeles.
Transcribed
2-27-11 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 601, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta.
1913.
© 2011 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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