Description
L. M. Clement was one of the leading
civil engineers responsible for surveying and building the eastbound route of the Central
Pacific Railroad, thereby contributing to the completion of the transcontinental railroad in
1869. The collection comprises a handwritten copy of Clement's twelve-page report on the
state of the California railroads before 1876, including assessments of Chinese laborers and
their supervision, an evaluation of the condition of California's roads, and a description
of the role of chief engineer in a railroad project.
Background
Lewis Metzler Clement was one of the leading civil engineers responsible for surveying and
building the eastbound route of the Central Pacific Railroad, contributing to the completion
of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. He was born August 12, 1837 in
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. He received an engineering degree from McGill
University in Montréal. He first worked as a shipping clerk with the Central Ohio Railroad.
Later he worked for E. R. Blanchard, General Freight Agent of the Ohio and Mississippi
Railway Company in St. Louis, Missouri.
Extent
0.1 Linear Feet
(1 folder)
Restrictions
Property rights reside with the University of California. These materials are in the public
domain. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special
Collections and Archives.
Availability
The collection is open for research.