San
Joaquin County
Biographies
EDWARD SPIEKERMAN
In studying the record of the life
of Edward Spiekerman, for many years a prosperous merchant in his native state
of Iowa, one cannot but be convinced that there is no such word as failure to
the man who is determined to succeed. He
was born, reared and married in Iowa, his wife being, before her marriage, Miss
Nettie McCartney. They had removed to
Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where Mr. Spiekerman engaged in the dry goods business
until 1908, when on account of failing health; he removed with his family to
California and settled in Lodi. Two
years later, in 1910, he established his business of concrete pipe manufacture;
at first making concrete pressure pipe for irrigating purposes. His business has steadily increased until in
1920 he made and laid 200,000 feet of concrete pipe, and up to June 1, 1921,
has laid over a half-million feet. His
manufacturing plant is located at No. 412 South Sacramento Street, Lodi, with a
branch factory in Stockton. The pipe
which he manufactures is known as Amoroc pipe, the
highest standard pipe on the market. The
machine with which he constructs the pipe is known as the K. T. and with the
mixer and tools were installed at a cost of $10,000. This machine makes pipe four times as strong
as the old hand method and straight, true and water-tight, under a test
pressure of one hundred pounds, and every foot of pipe is guaranteed
water-tight. Each carload of material is
tested and graded and includes three grades of sand and three sizes of
rocks. The plant has a capacity of from
1,500 to 1,800 feet daily, or 400,000 feet of pipe yearly. Mr. Spiekerman has installed irrigation
systems on most of the ranches in San Joaquin County, but more particularly in
the Lodi, Stockton, and Delta and Manteca districts. His honest and intelligent work has been a
real factor in the development and prosperity of the northern part of San
Joaquin County. Recently he has added
the manufacture of sewer pipe and made and furnished the city of Stockton with
25,000 feet, the first big contract of the kind in the county. Before the pipe was laid it was thoroughly
tested in every particular and was found to be 100 per cent perfect; he also
manufactures concrete ornaments, such as fences, posts, vases, etc., for
beautifying residence property. He is a
member of the California Association of Concrete Pipe Manufacturers, whose
chief engineer is F. W. Stanley, formerly senior engineer of the U. S.
Government.
Mr. and Mrs. Spiekerman are the
parents of one son, Fred, who is the efficient manager of his father’s
business. He was born on March 1, 1898,
while his parents were residing in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and was brought to
Lodi when he was ten years old. After
finishing the grammar and high schools of Lodi he entered the University of
California and was graduated in 1918 with the degree in pharmacy, and after his
graduation he became associated with his father.
Mr. Spiekerman is a great lover of
horses and at the present time has two in training at the Stockton agricultural
park, which are showing great possibilities as racing
horses, and he anticipates entering them in the fall racing events.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1151. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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