J. C. Maguire Company Records and Photographs Collection

Title: J. C. Maguire Company Records and Photographs Collection

Dates: 1925-1952

Collection Number: GC 1373

Creator/Collector:

Extent: Boxes: 1 legal, 3 letter

Repository: Seaver Center for Western History Research, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Abstract: 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.

Language of Material: English

Research is by appointment only

Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder

J. C. Maguire Company Records and Photographs Collection. Seaver Center for Western History Research, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

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.

The majority of the materials are textual. 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. These records include correspondence between Maguire and various people, as well as the articles of incorporation for his company. Other records include meeting minutes, audit reports, inventories, and accounting documents. There are also maps and plans for the Shasta Dam construction in Northern California. Photographs make up a big part of the collection. The photographs mostly depict construction of dams, such as the San Gabriel Dam No. 1 in Southern California. Most of the dams were constructed as part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. Due to lack of contextual information, however, it is difficult to identify the specific names of some of those dams. Some of the photos are labeled with the names of the dams, while others are not. It is possible that one of the dams depicted in the photos is Canyon Ferry Dam, and some of the dams are likely built in the Missouri Basin area. Some photos are group portraits depicting various workers and employees who participated in the dam construction projects. This collection contains some negatives.