Edwin M. Capps
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Democratic politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
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Biography
Capps was born 1860 in Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. His father was Thomas J. Capps, professor of mathematics at East Tennessee University
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. He grew in Shelbyville, Illinois
Shelbyville, Illinois
Shelbyville is a city in Shelby County, Illinois, along the Kaskaskia River. As of the 2010 census, the population was at 4700. It is the county seat of Shelby County...
and his family moved to Golden, Colorado
Golden, Colorado
The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
where he apprenticed as a civil engineer.
In 1886 Capps moved to San Diego where he was a mining engineer and real estate agent. He became city engineer of San Diego in 1893 and designed the new city police station and jail in 1911 and the beautiful Spruce Street suspension footbridge in 1912. He was in charge of harbor improvements in 1912, to handle increased traffic anticipated by the completion of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. He came up with the "Capps' Plan" to dredge the harbor, fill the shoreline, and erect piers, wharves, seawalls, and warehouses.
Capps served twice as mayor, 1899–1901 and 1915–1917.
In 1915 San Diego was suffering from a multi-year drought. In December 1915, Capps and the city council hired a rainmaker, who guaranteed rain and wouldn't charge if it didn't rain, Charley Hatfield. He supposedly achieved success in 1904 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Hatfield setup shop in Mission Valley by burning noxious fumes to "seed" clouds. However, what happened was a disastrous flood in January 1916 and the city reneged on the contract and refused to pay Hatfield anything.
Capps thought the future in San Diego was tourism, rather than factories. Developing tourist facilities and preserving San Diego's unique environment was the cornerstone of his service as engineer and mayor. Capps had a colorful personality and was outspoken about his plans. This caused many arguments and he was often talk about town.
Capps retired 1923 and died 1938 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
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Quote
- We should cater to the entertainment of the tourist, make pleasant and congenial, have public places of resort in the nature of beautiful parks, fine boulevards, roads and drives.