California Biographies

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

Source:
History of the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin 
Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from 
its earliest settlement to the present time.
Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M.
The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905
Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176


E. M. CAPURRO. The manager of the Madera Electric Light Company and the Madera 
Water Company was born in Stockton, this state, April 22, 1864, and is a son of Emanuel and 
Pauline (Sopania) Capurro, natives respectively of Genoa, Italy, and Mazatlan, Mexico. His 
father, who was captain of a vessel in Italy, came to California during the great mining ex- 
citement of 1849, but did not himself become directly interested in seeking for gold. Instead, 
he took up the freighting business as offering a more certain income and with his pack trains 
traveled all through the mountains and into the mining camps, building up a large business in the 
sale of merchandise to miners. Much of his profits he invested in farm lands, the value of 
which constantly increased, thus yielding him gratifying returns. For years he made his home 
in Stockton. On his retirement from business he spent some time in Italy, visiting the friends 
of his youth and such relatives as remained near Genoa. His death occurred in Stockton in 1888 
when he was eighty-two years of age. 

In a family of two daughters and one son the youngest was E. M. Capurro, who was educated 
in the grammar and high schools of Stockton. While still a mere boy he gave evidence of 
mechanical ability. At the age of nineteen he was apprenticed to the machinist's trade in the 
machine shop of Farrington & Hyatt, with whom he remained for four years. He then went to 
Modesto to erect a planing mill for Gilbert & Bennett, and after completing the plant he re- 
mained for two years as its superintendent. During the following three years he was master 
mechanic for the Second Street Cable Company in Los Angeles and superintended the building 
of their cable road. For about a year afterward he acted as chief engineer of the San Diego 
cable road, and from there went to San Francisco as superintendent of the plant of D. Block & Co., 
trunk manufacturers. Later he was made chief engineer of the electric street railway in Oak- 
land, and was next with the Oman Engine Manufactory in the construction and setting up of its 
machines and engines. 

Coming to Madera in 1894 as master mechanic of the Krogh Manufacturing Company, Mr. 
Capurro completed the electric plant and has since been its manager, meanwhile enlarging it 
from time to time as the increased business demands. The plant is an exceptionally fine one, 
carefully and substantially constructed and thoroughly equipped. It has a capacity of one 
thousand incandescent lights and fifty arc lights. In addition, Mr. Capurro is manager of the Water 
Company, whose works he constructed. The plant comprises four wells, respectively three 
hundred and eighty, two hundred and ten, one hundred and ten and six hundred feet deep ; 
also two triple action Krogh pumps with a capacity of eighteen thousand gallons per hour for 
each pump ; one Warrington duplex steam pump with a capacity of thirty-six thousand gallons 
per hour; with one hundred and ten pounds pressure for fire purposes, and two tandem 
compounds of sixty horse-power each, oil being used for fuel. The plants are located on E and 
Fifth streets. To aid in his work Mr. Capurro has invented a number of devices, one of these 
being a system of alarm by electricity which starts the pumps. Besides his other positions he acts 
as manager of the Sunset Telephone Company, at Madera. He is a member of the National 
Association of Marine Engineers of San Francisco and maintains a deep interest in everything 
pertaining to his chosen field of activity. Politically he is a Republican, while in fraternal mat- 
ters he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Foresters at Madera, and 
San Diego Parlor, N. S. G. W.