Friday, January 8, 2010

People Names of the Salt Tram


Friends of the SALINE VALLEY SALT TRAM
www.SaltTram.blogspot.com   SalineValleySaltTram@gmail.com

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We started a list in a word document of all people associated with the Salt Tram, along with the source of their name and position. This list to continues to grow, as our periodical search expands to include more publications and the entire range of dates of the Salt Tram period. Eventually, we hope to have photos that go along with these names.


Photo 1 (click on photo to make it larger): A photo (courtesy of the Eastern California Museum Collection) that listed a few names with the photo. Wonder who the folks labeled with a red question are?


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Database of People Associated with the Planning, Construction and Operation of the Salt Tram (last name in alphabetical order).

Note on Dorothy Stewart, who donated the 1920 Stock Certificate: Stewart, Dorothy: 3715@bellsouth.net 2010.09.16: I am confused.  The Saline Valley Salt Company stock certificate I have says the company was incorporated in Arizona on 16 June 1903.  Was this an Arizona company or a California company, or both?  2010.09.16:I just googled this company for the first time, and found your website, and your request for information.  I have a stock certificate, number 135, dated 6 May 1920, for 250 shares of this company, par value $1.00 each, made over to my grandfather, E. B. Houseal.  The secretary's signature looks looks like "Jno. M. Ray" and the president, "J. A. Goodman."  It's a good-looking stock certificate.  I could not figure out how my grandfather would know about such a company, since he lived in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1920.  I have only skimmed over a couple of articles so far, but have already found a reference from a 1910 newspaper article referring to Tennessee investors, and in another to a "go-devil," a term my grandmother used--she grew up in the Texas panhandle on an early cotton farm (1900 or so).  From her description, I thought of it as a plow, but now I think it was something used to clear land. I inherited the certificate about 20 years ago, but was unable to find out much at the time.  This was before I had access to the World Wide Web!!!  This is so interesting!  Thanks for the information, Dorothy H. Stewart, St. Simons Island, Georgia. 2010.09.17: Will do, but probably not before November.  I am attending a family reunion in S. C. next week, and trying desperately to put together old photos and history to share.  Then visiting some cooler climes hopefully until end of October, when it gets liveable here in South Georgia  again.  Glad to hear back from you.  I will investigate scanning the certificate, etc. Dorothy Stewart, 3715@bellsouth.net The secretary's signature looks looks like "Jno. M. Ray" and the president, "J. A. Goodman." 

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Documents
Doc-002: ASCE 1917 = Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers (Instituted 1852), Vol. LXXXI, New York, Published by the Society, 1917, Paper No. 1394, “An Aerial Tramway for the Saline Valley Salt Company, Inyo County California, Presented at the meeting of May 2d, 1917, By F. C. Carstarphen, M. Am.Soc. C. E., with discussion by Messrs. Richard Lamb, H. F. Scholtz, and F. C. Carstarphen
Doc-003: Cal. Mineralogist’s Report – Dec. 1917 = California State Mining Bureau, Ferry Building, San Francisco, Fletcher Hamilton – State Mineralogist, San Francisco, [December 1917], Report XV of the State Mineralogist, Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report, Biennial Period 1915-1916, California State Printing Office – Sacramento – 1919
Doc-005: Agricultural  Survey 1917 = Agricultural and Industrial Survey of Inyo County, Calif. Made by the California Development Board of San Francisco, California at the request of the Board of Supervisors of Inyo County, June – July 1917, Thalia Wood Newcomb, Field Agent, Copyright applied for September 1917
Doc-007: Report of J. A. Goodman,  Eastern Director, to the Stockholders of the Saline Valley Salt Co., After His Investigation In September 1912 Illustrated. 

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Albert, J. C. - Test Dept, Bureau of Power & Light, Los Angeles, CA
Allmendinger, A. - Dept of Public Service, City of Los Angeles, Independence CA.
Alvord, J. H. R. – name found written on inside of water tank below Control Station 2
Anderson, L. M. - Controller, Dept of Public Service, City of Los Angeles (circa 1918)
Arculariou, Louis
Benson, S. W. – Chief Draftsman (Doc02: ASCE 1917)
Bolser, M. O. – Electrical Engineer  (Doc02: ASCE 1917)
Carstarphen, F. C., Assoc. M. Am. Soc. C. E. – Author of main body of ASCE 1917 Article (Doc02: ASCE 1917)
Chalfant, W. A. (named in a salt tram period photo with Bob Crosby, George Diebert and Arthur Hess – Crosby and Diebert were pallbearers at Chalfant’s funeral)
Cooley, N. J. – Director (6/23/1911 Inyo Independent) - Finance and Executive Committee (6/23/1911 Inyo Independent), County Supervisor (Inyo Independent – date?)
Cooper, E. W. – one of 2 stockholders from Anna, Illinois in Sept. 1912 (Doc-007: listed as accompanying White Smith, J. A. Goodman and others on stockholder investigation trip and report).
Crosby, Bob (named in a salt tram period photo with W. A. Chalfant, was a pallbearer at Chalfant’s funeral)
Davenport, M. W. – one of 2 stockholders from Los Angeles in Sept. 1912 (Doc-007: listed as accompanying White Smith, J. A. Goodman and others on stockholder investigation trip and report).
Diebert, George (named in a salt tram period photo with W. A. Chalfant, was a pallbearer at Chalfant’s funeral)
Ferrell, Geo. D. – Director (6/23/1911 Inyo Independent)
Fields, John D. (lived in los Angeles, CA in 1928) Big Silver Mining Co.  He was requesting an electrical connection from the Salt Tram in SV to supply power to his nearby mining operation.  The line distance was approximately 6000 ft of 2200 volt power line.
Fitzpatrick, J. J. - Chief Clerk, DWP (believe he was located in Independence.  Letter from him to TMC drafted in 1926).
Flickinger, Mr. - Superintendent, Sierra Salt Corp (named in October 17, 1930 letter from GW Russell to Z. H. LaPrade of the DWP)
Forbes, A. A. – photographer, credited with a massive historical photography resume, authored numerous Salt Tram photos
Fraser, A. T. - Secretary/Treasurer, Taylor Milling Company
Fraser, Walter C. - Also in Sierra Salt Co sales brochure and in several Salt Tram photos from the later years.
Gibson, Wm. A. – has a position with SVSC (12/22/1911 Inyo Independent)
Glasscock, Harry A. – Editor and Proprietor of the Inyo Independent, as of 5/31/1912 (and surely other dates as well)
Goodman, J. A. – Director (6/23/1911 Inyo Independent)
President (2010.09.17: Dorothy Stewart donated a stock certificate, number 135, dated 6 May 1920, for 250 shares of the SVSC, par value $1.00 each, made over to her grandfather, E. B. Houseal.  The president’s signature is "J. A. Goodman." On the stock certificate);
Eastern Director (Doc-007 is a report dated September 1912, title: Report of J. A. Goodman, Eastern Director, to the Stockholders of the Saline Valley Salt Co., After His Investigation In September 1912 Illustrated; 28 pages long of which 11 pages are blank) (Germania Savings Bank and Trust Company: J. A. Goodman, cashier, Memphis, TN; Doc-007 page 24 is signed by Goodman as “85 Madison Ave., Memphis, TN”, “Care Germania Savings Bank & Trust Co.”) (Director, The Memphis Street Railway Company in 1910 to 1920 timeframe) (Goodman was a new member of the National Assoc. of Credit Men, Sept. 1909) (Goodman attended the Tennessee Banker’s Convention held in April 1913).
Granquist, Mrs. – salt tram relation unknown. Name listed in 2 photos taken in October, 1929 in Saline Valley that is in the Eastern California Museum collection (HILD 31a, HILD 31b); shown in the photos along with a Lillian Hilderman and a G. W. Russell.
Hall, George – Field Engineer of American Steel & Wire Co. (Doc02: ASCE 1917)
Hall, R. H. – Field Engineer of American Steel & Wire Co. (Doc02: ASCE 1917)
Hays, R. H. – Field Engineer of Trenton Iron Co. (Doc02: ASCE 1917)
Hess, Arthur (named in a salt tram period photo with W. A. Chalfant)
Hewitt, Wm – Mechanical Engineer  (Doc02: ASCE 1917)
Hilderman, Harry – Foreman of Construction  (Doc02: ASCE 1917), married Lillian Larson Hilderman in 1929, died in 1933 (Chalfant Press, Eulogy of Lillian by Henry Raub, undated)
Hilderman, Lillian Larson – wife of Harry Hilderman (Chalfant Press, Eulogy of Lillian Hilderman, by Henry Raub, undated); born 5/18/1886 in Minnesota, moved to Independence in 1909, moved to Keeler in 1919 and took job as postmaster, married Harry Hilderman in 1929, died in 1976. Name listed in 2 photos taken in October, 1929 in Saline Valley that is in the Eastern California Museum collection (HILD 31a, HILD 31b); shown in the photos along with a G. W. Russell and a Mrs. Granquist.
Holmes, George R.
Houseal, Eugene B. – Dorothy Stewart’s grandfather, who lived in Tennessee, once owned a SVSC stock certificate, number 135, dated 6 May 1920, for 250 shares of this company, par value $1.00 each. The secretary's signature looks looks like "Jno. M. Ray" and the president, "J. A. Goodman." Dorothy inherited the stock certificate around 1990. Her grandfather, Eugene B. Houseal was born in 1883, in Meridian, Miss. to John I. and Augusta Houseal, both of Newberry, South Carolina, until 1875, when they moved to Mississippi.  John I. Houseal was a locomotive engineer for the LNO&T Ry and the Illinois Central, died Memphis 1908.  Grandfather married Edna R. Thacker in Memphis in 1917.  My grandmother was born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, near the Red River.
Hubbard, A.A. - President of Board of Public Works, City of Los Angeles.  Name appears on 1912 contract with White Smith and Fred R. Smith to build 33,000 volt power line to the Salt Tram. 
Jones, Dallas - Salt Co employee (named in a letter dated August 30, 1920)
Kuhnle, Daniel – Superintendent  (Doc02: ASCE 1917)
Lamb, Richard – participant in discussion section of Doc02: ASCE 1917 document
La Prade, Z. H. - Dept of Light & Power, Independence, CA
Leahey, E.F. - Supervisor, Dept of Public Services, City of Los Angeles
Leffingwell, W. H., Am. Soc. C. E. Chief Engineer  (Doc-002: ASCE 1917), Chief Engineer of the Mono Power Company (4/21/1911 Inyo Independent),  Sales Agent for Saline Valley Salt (series of 3 ads in the Inyo Register and Inyo Independent in November, 1910) (Doc-007: Page 4 of this doc contains a photo attributed to W. H. Leffingwell, C. E. of Bishop, California – date of photo unknown)
Lewdis, John A., Superintendent, Owens Valley Salt Company (Doc03: Cal. Mineralogist’s Report – Dec. 1917)
Mairs, Omie
Mattheis, F. - one of 2 stockholders from Anna, Illinois in Sept. 1912 (Doc-007: listed as accompanying White Smith, J. A. Goodman and others on stockholder investigation trip and report).
Mathews, W. B. - Special counsel, Dept of Public Services, City of Los Angeles
May, T. S. - (not sure of the initials) - Appears to work for DWP
Miller, Kenton A. - VP, Taylor Milling Co.
Moody, Burdito - Business Agent, Bureau of Power & Light, City of Los Angeles (Burdito worked out of the Independence office)
Morton, Mr. Arthur - Pacific representative of the Trenton Iron Works (4/21/1911 Inyo Independent), General sales agent for the coast for the Trenton Iron Co., (Inyo Register, 11/24/1910)
Mulholland, W. M. (William) - Chief Engineer, Bureau of Water Works & Supply
Murphy, T. J. – Field Engineer of Trenton Iron Co. (Doc02: Doc02: ASCE 1917)
O'Brien, J. E. - DWP employee, he and S.E. Wasson sampled and tested Salt Tram electrical transformer oil in October 1928 prior to powering up the salt tram.
Parkes, Dan S. - Chief Accountant (Salt Tram?  DWP?).  Letter written to him from L.M. Anderson in August 1918 regarding extension of SV power lines.
Penn , J. C. – one of 2 stockholders from Los Angeles in Sept. 1912 (Doc-007: listed as accompanying White Smith, J. A. Goodman and others on stockholder investigation trip and report).
Proctor, W. S. – Superintendent, Owens Valley Salt Company, Keeler, June – July 1917 (Doc05: Agricultural  Survey 1917)
Ray, Jno. M. - (2010.09.17: Dorothy Stewart owns a stock certificate, number 135, dated 6 May 1920, for 250 shares of the SVSC, par value $1.00 each, made over to her grandfather, E. B. Houseal.  The secretary’s signature looks like  "Jno. M. Ray").  8/22/18 letter to Board of Public Service Commissioners, City of Los Angeles relating to a deed to the electrical lines supplying power to the Salt Tram was written by him.
Rose, A. R. - Director, Taylor Milling Company
Russell, George W. – Taylor Milling Company (operator of the Salt Tram owned by Saline Salt Co). Name listed in 2 photos taken in October, 1929 in Saline Valley that is in the Eastern California Museum collection (HILD 31a, HILD 31b); shown in the photos along with a Lillian Hilderman and a Mrs. Granquist.  Became VP/President of the Saline Valley Salt Co., and played a key role in corresponding with the LA DWP, including the re-energizing of the 33k volt line that ran to the tram. In 1928 he was the General Manager of the Sierra Salt Company and sold salt under the Sun Brand Salt label. 
Savage, W. J. – Manager, Owens Valley Salt Company (Doc03: Cal. Mineralogist’s Report – Dec. 1917)
Scales, T. G. – Vice-President (6/23/1911 Inyo Independent), Director (6/23/1911 Inyo Independent)
Scattergood, E. F. - Chief Electrical Engineer, Bureau of Power & Light
Schober, Ed  - went with White Smith and Will L. Smith to Swansea on 12/8/1911
Scholtz, H. F. – participant in discussion section of Doc02: ASCE 1917 document
Shope, Clyde E. - Secretary, Sierra Salt Company (1926)
Smith, E. E. – Director of the Saline Valley Salt Co. (6/23/1911 Inyo Independent); E = Eugene – brother of White Smith?
Smith, Fred R. – Secretary and Treasurer (6/23/1911 Inyo Independent) – Director (6/23/1911 Inyo Independent); F = Fred – brother of White Smith? YES
Southey, C. C. - Taylor Milling Co/Saline Valley Salt Co employee 
Southey, C. J.
Spear, Reuben Cook – Inyo Register 4/6/1911 edition mentions that “Reub Spear with his pack train from Lone Pine” was to meet Ed Schober, Clifford Patterson, and Leland Varney near the Inyo Summit to establish a “construction preliminaries” camp for the surveyors. See page 46 of the book “Images of America: Lone Pine” by Christopher Langley for more information and a photo of Mr. Spear. Reuben Cook Spear acquired the Ulida Mine in the Ubehebe Mining district in 1902 from W. L. Hunter after his death.
Speil, Ralph
Standbury, Charles - Saline Valley Salt Co President (1917 - ?), name appears on 1917 contract for work on Salt Tram power lines.
Steiner, J. C. - Taylor Milling Company
Taylor, J. Hartley - President, Taylor Milling Company 
Taylor, N. B. - Secretary/Treasurer, Taylor Milling Company
Talbott, W. A. - Director, Taylor Milling Company
Underhill, J. A.
Van Norman, H. A. - Asst Engineer, Employed by Dept of Public Service, City of Los Angeles, lived in Independence.  1918 letter sent to him by L. M. Anderson, Controller of Dept of Public Service requesting him to turn power back on for the Saline Valley Salt Co.
Vroman, Jas. P. -  Secretary of Board of Public Service Commissioners for City of Los Angeles.  Name appears on 1917 contract for work on Salt Tram power lines.
Wasson, Sam E. - Worked with J. E. O'Brien in October 1928 to sample and test Salt Tram electrical transformer oil.
Wheeler, Mr. - Bureau of Water Works & Supply - Letter from GW Russell in 1918 to him requesting an electrical meter to be installed to measure power consumption for salt tram electrical.
White, John D. - Saline Valley Salt Co Secretary (1917 - ?), name appears on 1917 contract for work on Salt Tram power lines.
Woodworth, R. C. - Chief Clerk, Dept of Public Service  (letter sent to him dated Aug 30, 1920 from G.W. Russell regarding paychecks to employees)

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SALT TRAM PEOPLE NAMES (FIRST NAMES ONLY)

Al – mentioned numerous times in Henry Clifton Patterson diary
Earl – mentioned numerous times in Henry Clifton Patterson diary – Earl’s brother!

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SALT TRAM PEOPLE NAMES (LAST NAMES ONLY)

Apperajo – mentioned in Henry Clifton Patterson diary (I believe this is the name of a pack that goes on the back of a mule!)
Dr. Stofflets or Dr. Stofflet – mentioned in Henry Clifton Patterson diary – Cliff’s dentist!

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