California Genealogy and History Archives
Biographies
of
Sacramento County
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RALPH
KNIGHT The
interests of occupational employment have taken Mr. Knight into various
parts of the country and have given him a broad knowledge not only
concerning his native commonwealth of California, but also in regard to
much of the south and east. Brief sojourns in many well-known cities and
temporary association with a number of industrial and railroad
corporations have made him conversant with the opportunities afforded by
different regions and with the condition of workmen connected with
various large corporations. He was, however, connected with the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company in a larger degree than with any other
organization and for five years was engaged as foreman of the drafting
department in the company's shops at Sacramento, filling the responsible
position with an energy which is one of his characteristics and with an
intelligent comprehension of the work acquired through former
associations with similar departments elsewhere. However, in 1912 he
resigned his position to engage in mechanical engineering. In
the city where he now resides Mr. Knight was born during May of 1869
into the home of Capt. William L. and Mary D. Knight. The local schools
afforded him excellent advantages in the primary and grammar department,
after which from 1880 until 1884 he studied in the public schools of
Oakland and then completed his education by a year's course in the
Spencerian Business College. His entrance into the world of industrial
activity was made as an apprentice machinist in the printing press
machine shop of Hare & Berryman, printers, at San Francisco, with
whom he continued for a year. Returning to Sacramento he engaged as an
apprentice machinist with the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and
during 1892 completed the trade in these shops, after which he went back
to the coast and for two months worked as machinist with the South San
Francisco Land Improvement Company. The five months following were spent
in San Luis Obispo, Cal., as a machinist. Upon his return to San
Francisco he took a course in mechanical drafting in a school of
engineering, where he studied for one year, later until 1896 engaging as
a machinist with the Southern Pacific Company in Oakland. Next he spent
two years as a machinist in the government employ at Mare Island Navy
yard, where he held a position in the steam engineering department.
During April of 1898 he returned to Oakland as a machinist with the
railroad company and afterward with the same company at Dunsmuir,
Siskiyou county, to work in the railroad shops at that point, where he
continued from 1900 imtil March of the next year. From March until June
he was with the Southern Pacific at Tucson, Ariz., as a machinist. The
following month was spent at Denison, Texas, as a machinist in the shops
of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, and he then worked for a
similar period at Pine Bluff, Ark., as a machinist with the St. Louis
& Southwestern Railroad. The next position was at Little Rock, Ark.,
with the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad. A brief experience concerning conditions and environment in Indiana came to Mr. Knight when for two months he worked at Lafayette, that state, as a machinist with the Chicago, Indiana & Louisville Railroad. From Indiana he traveled across the line into Ohio and secured employment as draftsman with the American Steel & Wire Company, of Cleveland, with whom he continued until December of 1902. From that time until November of 1903 he held a position as draftsman with the Baldwin Locomotive Works at Philadelphia, Pa. Returning to Ohio he became draftsman with the Columbia Chemical Company at Barberton, but in March of 1904 he decided to resign and return to the south. After spending three months in Tucson, Ariz., as machinist with the Southern Pacific Railroad, he came back to California, where he entered the Southern Pacific shops at Rocklin, Placer county. During July of 1904 he was employed at Ogden, Utah, as a machinist with the same company, but in a very short time he returned to the company's Sacramento shops, where he was employed as a machinist until November of 1905 and then entered the drafting room as a draftsman, being promoted in 1907 as foreman of the department. In 1912 he resigned to engage as a mechanical engineer, opening an office in Sacramento, where he is practicing. He is loyal to his native commonwealth and maintains an active association with the Society of California Pioneers. Politically he votes with the Republican party, fraternally holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in religion adheres to the doctrines of the Christian Science Church. |
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Source: Transcribed by Peggy Hooper 2011 |