Weymouth (Frank Elwin) Papers, Water Resources Collection, 1894-1941

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Summary

Title:
Frank E. Weymouth Papers, Water Resources Collection
Dates:
1894-1941
Creators:
Weymouth, F. E. (Frank Elwin), 1874-1941
Abstract:
This collection contains Weymouth's personal papers including correspondence, his publications and speeches, and photographs all relating to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the construction of Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam) and the Colorado River Aqueduct from 1894-1941.
Extent:
5 boxes
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Frank Elwin Weymouth Papers, Water Resources Collection. Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library, Claremont University Consortium.

Background

Scope and content:

The papers in collection consist of 60 field books, legal cases on water rights, maps, photographs, records of rainfall and wells, engineer's reports.

Biographical / historical:

Frank Weymouth was born in Medford, Maine in 1874. He died in California in 1941.

Mr. Frank E. Weymouth was General Manager and Chief Engineer of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, a governmental subdivision of California which is now engaged in the construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct.

Mr. Weymouth is recognized as one of America's foremost reclamation and hydraulic engineers. He has been in charge of the construction of most of the great dams built by the United States Government during the past 30 years in the reclamation of the arid sections in Western United States.

He entered the U.S. Reclamation Service in 1902 and was continuously connected with it from that date until 1924. During his early years in the Service he was in charge of the surveys and investigations in connection with reclamation projects in Montana and North Dakota.

In 1908 he became Supervising Engineer in charge of the Idaho District, in Northwestern United States, and in this capacity he directed irrigation projects in the Snake River region, an engineering work affecting more the 400,000 acres of land. The project also included the erection of large storage dams at Jackson Lake, Wyoming, and on the upper branches of the Snake River and Boise River.

During this period, Mr. Weymouth was in charge of the building of the famous Arrowrock Dam, in Idaho, 349 feet high, the highest in the world at that time of its construction. Between 1916 and 1920 he served as Chief of Construction in the Reclamation Service and was placed in charge of all work handled by the organization in the Western United States.

In 1920 Mr. Weymouth was made Chief Engineer of the United States Reclamation Service, a post which he held until his resignation in 1924.

One of Mr. Weymouth's outstanding achievements as an engineer for the Reclamation Service was his work, with late Arthur P. Davis, on surveys and the preparation of plans and estimates on the Boulder Canyon project on the Colorado River.

Upon leaving the Reclamation Service, Mr. Weymouth became president of the engineering firm Brock and Weymouth. Shortly after that he was offered the position of Chief of the J. G.White Engineering Corporation in Mexico, and immediately thereafter took charge of all engineering work being handled by that organization for the Republic of Mexico. A s Chief Engineer of the White Corporation, he worked with the National Irrigation Commission of Mexico was in active charge of the irrigation and reclamation project that were carried forward during the administration of President Calles.

Mr. Weymouth was graduated from the University of Maine in 1896. One of his first jobs after leaving the University was that of constructing water works systems for the (Boston) Massachusetts Metropolitan Water District. Immediately thereafter he became Assistant City Engineer of the City of Winnipeg and held this office until early in 1899. In June 1899, Mr. Weymouth joined the Isthmus Canal Commission of the United States Government and was engaged in making detailed surveys and studies in connection with the proposed Nicaraguan Canal for the United States government.

In 1929, following his years of service with the United States Reclamation Service and in the Republic of Mexico, Mr. Weymouth was retained by the City of Los Angeles as Chief Engineer of Water Works, and was placed in charge of Colorado River Aqueduct studies then being carried forward by the city.

Late in 1929 Mr. Weymouth was appointed Chief Engineer of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. In 1931 he was appointed General Manager and Chief Engineer of the District and made the District's chief administrative officer as well as its chief engineer.

Acquisition information:
Acquired from the Weymouth family.
Processing information:

Arranged and processed by Russell Michalak in 2009.

Arrangement:

Series 1 Personal papers

Series 2 Correspondence

Series 3 Photographs of Boulder Dam and Colorado River Aqueduct

Accruals:

No additions to the collection are anticipated.

Physical location:
Special Collections. Honnold/Mudd Library.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid created by Russell Michalak
Date Prepared:

2009

© 2009

Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid created by Russell Michalak 2009.

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Property rights resides with Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library. For permission to reproduce or to publish, please contact Special Collections staff.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Frank Elwin Weymouth Papers, Water Resources Collection. Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library, Claremont University Consortium.

Location of this collection:
800 N. Dartmouth Ave.
Claremont, CA 91711, US
Contact:
(909) 607‑3977
specialcollections@claremont.edu
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