Sierra
County
Biographies
DAVID K. McCOLLUM
Among
the old and trusted employees of the Clover Valley Lumber Company, none holds a
more responsible position than does David K. McCollum, who for the past twenty
years has served as master mechanic, the duties of which position are broad in
their scope and require the highest degree of efficiency in mechanics and
engineering. Mr. McCollum was born at Broughshane, twenty miles west of Belfast, in the north of
Ireland, May 11, 1886, and was reared there and in Scotland, his family being
of Scotch origin. He received a good
education and learned the machinist’s trade and mechanical and electrical
engineering in various cities of northern Ireland and
Scotland. He was also employed in the
great shipbuilding works on the Clyde and became an expert in his special
fields of labor.
In 1905, when eighteen years of age, he came to the United States,
arriving at New York City in September.
He made his way direct to California and his first work here was that of
foreman in a paper mill, in which he was employed for one and a half
years. He was next locomotive engineer
for the Hobart Mills, working on the timber road until 1908, when he went with
the Truckee River Power Company, at Reno, Nevada. In 1910 he entered the employ of the Verdi
Lumber Company, at Reno, where he remained until 1920, when he changed to the
Clover Valley Lumber Company, as they have interlocking directorates. Here he has served as master mechanic to the
present time. His supervision extends
over sixty-five miles of logging railroad of the Clover Valley Company, the
machine and railroad shops, with four locomotives and one hundred and twenty
cars, thus covering the entire shop and railroad equipment and machinery. He has seven men under him in the machine
shop and eighteen men on the railroad, and he has made a splendid record for
keeping everything in good running order, so the mill and road operations may
be continued without interruption.
At Verdi, Nevada, Mr. McCollum was
united in marriage to Miss Florence Lonkay, who was
born in Virginia City, Nevada, a daughter of Eli and Olive Lonkay,
the father having organized the Verdi Lumber Company. To this union have been
born three children, Esther, Florence and David James. In his political views Mr. McCollum is a
Republican, while, fraternally, he is a member of Loyalton
Lodge, No. 359, F. & A. M., at Loyalton; Reno
Consistory, A. A. S. R., at Reno, Nevada; and Kerak
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Reno. He
is a lover of outdoor life and is particularly fond of hunting, being an expert
shot. In the fall of 1930 he was the
first deer hunter at Loyalton to bring in two
bucks. He went out into the Clover
valley on September 15th, the first day of deer hunting season, and
on that same day brought in his quota of two bucks. Though a very busy man, he is cordial and
kindly in manner, and, possessing a pleasing personality, he easily makes friends,
while among his fellow employees of the lumber company he is held in high
regard for his ability and accomplishments.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3 Pages 198-199. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Sierra County Biographies