Sacramento County
Biographies
ROBERT
POWELL
ROBERT
POWELL—What builders have done to develop their
systems, so that they may the more successfully carry out extensive contracts,
is well illustrated in the operations of Messrs. Robert Powell & Company,
progressive contractors located at 1309 Sixth Street, Sacramento. Robert Powell was born in Manitowoc, Wis. on October 17, 1869, when he entered the
family of George and Margaret (Woodfield) Powell, the
former born at Shrewsbury and the later near Manchester, England. The parents emigrated
to Rhode Island in 1842, and later to Wisconsin as pioneers of the Manitowoc region. George Powell responded to the
call to the colors from his adopted country and served in the 44th
Regiment of Wisconsin Infantry in the Civil War. Both he and his estimable wife
are now deceased.
Robert Powell attended the public schools
of his locality, and then, as a young man, set out for Massachusetts, where he remained twelve years. There
he learned and followed the carpenter’s trade. Afterwards he lived for five
years in Colorado
Springs, Colo. He had been associated with a brother in
contracting in Massachusetts, and when he came to California in1905, he located in Sacramento and engaged in contracting and building.
At the same time he continued his business with his brother in Massachusetts until about 1911, when he sold his
interest. In California he has done a large business and been very successful. Among the buildings contracted and
erected by him are the Yolo and Rio Linda schools. He also made improvements in
the Newton Booth School, and he has executed a large amount of
residence work. In these activities, he has as a partner his son, Milton. The
firm is one of the oldest building firms in Sacramento.
In 1889, Robert Powell was married to Miss
Eliza Birdsall, born in Manitowoc, Wis., a daughter of Coe and Margaret
(Spencer) Birdsall, natives of Clitheroe, England, who emigrated to Rhode Island and later to Wisconsin, where they were farmers near Manitowoc. There Mrs. Powell grew up, and there,
too, she met and married Mr. Powell. Their union has been blessed with three
children. Marguerite is the wife of L. M. Miller, of Sacramento. Milton married Miss Winifred Kime, and they have two children, Jean and Barrett; he is
now a partner of his father in the building business. Evelyn is still under the
parental roof. In national politics, Mr. Powell is a Republican. He is a member
of the Builders’ Exchange and the Mater Builders’ Association, and also of the
Chamber of Commerce.
Transcribed
by Gloria Wiegner Lane.
Source: Reed, G. Walter,
History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Page 644. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.
© 2007 Gloria Wiegner
Lane.