Archives Center, National Museum of American History
John A. Beemer Papers
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Beemer , John A., 1879-
NMAH.AC.0957
Archival Resource Key
3 Cubic feet
4 boxes; 3 oversize folders
1907-1956
bulk 1919-1931
Papers document Beemer's engineering activities as a civil engineer who worked on irrigation and dam related projects.
Collection is in English. Some materials in Russian.
Arrangement
The collection is divided into three series.
Series 1: Professional Materials. 1907-1956
Series 2: Projects, 1910-1948
Series 3: Miscellaneous, 1915-1946
Scope and Contents
Papers document Beemer's engineering activities. Includes correspondence, reports, plans, drawings, blueprints, and specifications concerning reclamation and irrigation dams in the Philippines, 1913-1918; Idaho, 1916-1917, 1941-1943; California, 1921-1926; the Soviet Union, 1929-1931; Wyoming, 1935-1938; and Utah, 1938-1941. Also includes data on metal gates, lifts, weirs, rating flumes, and gauging stations; and employment records for Beemer.
Biographical / Historical
John Arthur Beemer (b. 1879) was born in Fincastle, Virginia. He earned a B.S. in Engineering from the Case School of Applied Science (now known as Case Western Reserve) in 1907.
Beemer, a civil engineer, joined the United States Reclamation Service of the Department of the Interior as a junior engineer in 1907. He worked for the Department until 1913, and again from 1933-1943, on a number of reclamation and irrigation dam projects. Between 1913 and 1933, Beemer worked as an engineer for the Philippines government, 1913-1916; consulting engineer in Idaho, 1916-1917; captain in the Army Engineer Corps, 1917-1918; engineer for the U.S. Indian Service, 1918-1921; engineer for projects in Nevada and California, 1921-1929; and as a consulting engineer for the Russian government, 1929-1931.
Custodial History
Transferred to the Archives Centerfrom Division of Work and Industry, 2006.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2016.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
Preferred Citation
John A. Beemer Papers, 1907-1955, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Dams
Soviet Union
Dams -- California
Civil engineering
Civil engineers
Dams -- Wyoming
Irrigation
Dams -- Idaho
Dams -- Utah
Public works
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Professional Materials
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
1907 - 1956
Scope and Contents
This series contains documentation about Beemer's professional career as a civil engineer and the type of employment he held. Materials include resumes, engineering certificates, published articles, correpondence, especisally with the United States Civil Service about retirement and the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
Resumes and articles
Archival Resource Key
1915 - 1915
1950 - 1950
1
1
Construction of the Nampa Division of the Boise Irrigation project (thesis for B.S. in Engineering, Case School of Applied Science)
Archival Resource Key
1913
1
2
Federal employment materials
Archival Resource Key
1907 - 1956
1
3
State of California employment materials
Archival Resource Key
1929 - 1931
1
4
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1912 - 1934
1
5
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1929 - 1944
1
6
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1945 - 1946
1
7
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1947
1
8
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1948
1
9
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1949 - 1950
1
10
Projects
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
1910 - 1948
Scope and Contents
This series consists of correspondence, notes, contracts, agreements, reports, statistical data, work estimates, maps, plans, and other charts for the projects Beemer worked/consulted on. Beemer was employed by the Trans-Caucasia Water Economy Service in Tiflis, Russia, as a civil and construction engineer for irrigation, drainage and flood control work from 1929-1931. The documentation includes handwritten and typescript correspondence, agreements, telegrams, reports, travel expenses, and receipts related to his work there. This series is arranged alphabetically by project.
Alcorn Dam Project
Archival Resource Key
1935 - 1938
2
1
11
Anderson Ranch Dam
Archival Resource Key
1942 - 1948
1
12
Big Springs irrigation District
Archival Resource Key
1927 - 1927
1
13
Boise Project
Archival Resource Key
1910 - 1910
undated
2
1-2
Carson Valley District (plans)
Archival Resource Key
1917 - 1917
1913 - 1913
2
Carson Valley District (correspondence)
Archival Resource Key
1922 - 1923
2
3
Davis Dam (correspondence)
Archival Resource Key
1948 - 1948
2
4
Deer Creek Dam Project (Utah)
Archival Resource Key
1938 - 1941
1
2
5
Dwinnell Hydraulic Dam (reports and notes)
Archival Resource Key
1927 - 1929
2
6
Hazel Valley Dam/El Dorado
Archival Resource Key
1926
2
7
2
Haye Bridge Reservoir (report)
Archival Resource Key
1930 - 1930
2
8
Montague Water Conservation District Reservoir
Archival Resource Key
1921 - 1929
1
3
1
2
9-12
Metal gates and lifts
Archival Resource Key
1919 - 1920
4
7
1
Philippine's/Pillar Irrigation Project
Archival Resource Key
1914 - 1915
1
3
2
Shasta River
Archival Resource Key
1929 - 1929
undated
3
3
2
State of Idaho Irrigation
Archival Resource Key
1917
2
Trans-Caucasia Water Economy Service (Zakavvodhoz)
Archival Resource Key
undated
1929 - 1931
3
4-10
2
Walker River irrigation District
Archival Resource Key
1909 - 1930
4
1-5
3
11
3
Miscellaneous
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
1915 - 1946
Newspaper Clippings
Archival Resource Key
1937 - 1937
1922 - 1922
4
6
Department of the Interior, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, miscellaneous materials
Archival Resource Key
1915 - 1946
2
Water distribution, operation, rules and regulations
Archival Resource Key
1918 - 1928
4
8