Description
Records were collected by J. C. Maguire, and they are related to various construction companies and public works contractors,
some of which were operated by Maguire. Correspondence; financial and accounting records; legal documents; invoices and inventories;
meeting minutes; photographs; drawings; maps.
Background
J. C. Maguire served as president or secretary for various construction companies and public works contractors, including
Maguire Realty Company and Pacific Constructors, Inc. Maguire’s company was founded in 1926, and it seemed to be based in
Montana. The company was originally named Maguire Investment Company, but was later changed to Maguire Realty Company. Maguire’s
company changed its name a few more times, and also merged with other companies to form conglomerates such as Pacific Constructors
and Canyon Constructors.
There were projects in the 1930s by Pacific Constructors and the West Slope Construction Company, including the San Gabriel
Dam No. 1 in Southern California.
During the 1940s, as part of the Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program, the United States Bureau of Reclamation commissioned construction
for various dams on the Missouri River. One of those dams is the Canyon Ferry Dam, located in Montana. Some public works contractors
that Maguire worked for, such as Pacific Constructors and Canyon Constructors, were commissioned by the United States Bureau
of Reclamation to construct the dams, as well as other facilities around the dams. Construction for the dams took a few years,
and some dams were not finished until the 1950s.