Binkley, George H.

BORN: November 23, 1866, Richmond, Wayne, IN
DIED: January 31, 1941, Berkley CA

CHILDREN:    Joanna Elizabeth Binkley
                    George Holland Binkley
                    Margaretta Binkley

Chief Engineer of the Chandler Improvement Co.

Biography of George H. Binkley fron the Past and Present of Alameda County California

"George H. Binkley, chief engineer maintenance of way and structures department of the San Francisco-Oakland Terminal Railway, was born in Richmond, Indiana, November 23, 1866, a son of Charles C. and Georgia H. Binkley. He attended the public schools until 1883, and upon leaving the high school entered De Pauw University at Greencastle, Indiana, where he pursued an engineering course until 1886.

He next engaged with the Pennsylvania Railroad in the engineering department on preliminary and location surveys and construction and maintenance work, being thus engaged in Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania until 1891, when he went to Chicago. There he was placed in charge of the surveys and grades department of the World's Columbian Exposition. In October, 1894, he entered into active connection with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, having charge of the design of subways in their joint track elevation work in Chicago. He was thus occupied until 1895, when he became connected with the bureau of streets of Chicago as assistant engineer. In the fall of the same year he entered into a contract with the Calumet Electric Railway of Chicago, having charge of all the construction and maintenance of track and overhead work until 1900. His next business association was with Kohler Brothers, contracting engineers, in the capacity of chief engineer of their railway department. He thus remained until 1904, when the went to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he organized and managed the Hadley Derrick Company until 1905. He next became vice president and chief engineer of the American Engineering Company of Indianapolis, and in 1906 he went to Chicago, where he took charge of the construction and operation of the Southern Traction Company. In 1907 he engaged with the Arnold Company as engineer, having charge of several of their projects, embracing irrigation, electric railway and hydro-electric plants. There he continued until 1912, when he went to Phoenix, Arizona, as chief engineer with the Chandler Improvement Company, having charge of all their operations except sales of lands until May, 1913. Early in 1914 he accepted the superintendency of engineering and maintenance of way for the San Francisco-Oakland Terminal Railway in Oakland. Each step in his business career has been a forward one, bringing him broader opportunities and a wider outlook. Important projects have been intrusted to his care and scientific and practical knowledge has enabled him to cope with intricate and involved problems.

In Richmond, Indiana, on the 27th of June, 1893, Mr. Binkley was united in marriage to Miss Bertha K. Line, and unto them have been born three children: Joanna, at home; George Holland, fifteen years of age, who is attending high school; and Margaret, who is a public school pupil. Mr. Binkley holds membership with the Masonic fraternity. He has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and is likewise a member of the Mystic Shrine. He belongs to the Phi Gamma Delta college fraternity, and he gives his political support to the republican party. Along strictly professional lines his connection is with the Western Society of Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He stands among those whose ability has spelled prominence and distinction in his chosen calling, his record being an honor to the profession."¹

¹Past and Present of Alameda County California, Vol. II
Published in Chicago by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
1914
Pages 346-348
Transcribed by Linda Jackson 6/27/2008

Courtesy of CAGenWeb Archives

-Mr. Binkley's wife and three children will arrive in Chandler on the first of September. His able corps of assistants and himself are busy 16 hours a day and 7 days a week. (Chandler Arizonan 8/30/1912)

-Mr. Binkley spent Sunday and Monday in Mesa and Phoenix. (Chandler Arizonan 1/17/1913)

-Their daughter, Joanna, is spending several weeks with her aunt, W.H. Wise in Los Angeles. (Chandler Arizonan 1/24/1913)

-Mr. Peabody and Mr. Binkley met with Agent Thackery on building a road between Arizona Blvd and the Aztec Ruins. The road will be built by the Native Americans on the reservation. (Chandler Arizonan 1/24/1913)

-Mr. Binkley is being visited by former associate, Alex McPherson, who is an irrigation expert. (Chandler Arizonan 1/31/1913)

-Mr. Binkley and 12 other men dined at Bob Plenty's food house where they ate quail and cottontails on Monday. Dinners included S.S. Bradley, F.N. Dana, J. Cashman, Turner Jr., Mr. Hibgen, J.T. Reese, Claude Hanna, B. Chisholm, C. Zeiger, Stanley Darrow, Frank Newman, and J.K. Halstead. (Chandler Arizonan 1/31/1913)

-Mr. Binkley joined the stockholders of the Chandler Improvement Company on a trip to Los Angeles. He returned Wednesday morning. (Chandler Arizonan 2/21/1913)

-Mr. Binkley has cleared the ground for the new bank building. The contract for the building was let to M. Tull.

He also removed the office of the Arizonan from the bank lot, and set it down in the rear of the hotel in a half day.

Then he moved Bob Plenty's dining room out of the way, and also moved the balance of the temporary hotel. (Chandler Arizonan 4/4/1913)

-Mr. Binkley will be inspecting the road for the state highway to see what are the roughest areas and start there to put the road in good shape. He says it will cost between $500 and $800. (Chandler Arizonan 4/4/1913)

-Mr. Binkley is working on an estimate for the cost of pipe to build a water system in Chandler. (Chandler Arizonan 4/4/1913)

-Mr. Binkley is sad that his field engineer, Mr. Blakely, is leaving to start up a desert claim in Oregon. (Chandler Arizonan 4/11/1913)

-Mr. Binkley has started the grading process of the state highway. (Chandler Arizonan 4/11/1913)

-Mr. Binkley took a trip over the new state highway. He says the county promised to put in the bridges once the grading was started hasn't been done. They have just sent a load of culverts and corrugated pipes. He says the work on grading of the road will be done today. (Chandler Arizonan 4/18/1913)

-Mr. Binkley quit his cheif engineer position last Saturday. He is going to take up other work.

He wrote to the editor that he was sorry that he couldn't say good-bye to his friends.

He did work in Twin Falls, Idaho, and worked in the Mexicos. In Chandler, he laid out the townsite, and worked on the building of the state highway to Higley.

Among his devices was to build a sprinkling system for the San Marcos Hotel that would turn on for short intervals with different spray sets. When turned on it gives the appearance of a sea of mist over the greens. (Chandler Arizonan 4/25/1913)

-Mr. Binkley is heading to San Francisco where he will make his headquarters for some time. He is connected with a large water power concern and will be in charge of the engineering part of project. (Chandler Arizonan 6/27/1913)