William McK. Pardee

William McKnight Pardee Birth 18 Feb 1855 in Brooklyn, Kings County Kings New York Death 8 Mar 1894 Lamanda Park, Los Angeles County, California Burial Mountain View Cemetery Altadena, Los Angeles County, California son of Augustus Pardee and Emily McKnight,

W. MCK. PARDEE. Death of the Well-Known Civil Engineer Out West.

Brilliant, Scholarly Man Rare Attainments -His Bright Career.

William MoK. Pardee, civil engineer of the western division of the Nickel: Plate road, died at noon Thursday at. Lamanda Park, Cal., not far from Los Angeles.

He left here, February accompanied by his wife. Katharine, and their son, Robert Bell Pardee, aged 9 Their other child, Elsie, aged 7, remained here.

The object of Mr. Pardee's trip into southern California was for the benefit of his health, having become alarmed by hemorrhages from his lungs.

Mr. Pardee was. a graduate of an eastern college, and a very fine civil engineor.

He was a highly educated man, a man of genius and orginality. He was highly esteemed by the Nickel Plate road; its whole employmen was more so. The first few years of his, active life was in the east as a civil engineer, building several railroads in Pennsylvanis and doing, government work engineering

Wabash. As a of genius in his profession he became engaged in the building of the Nickel Plato road, and continued in its employ ills until the time of his death. health began to fail about four years ago.

Prior to that time he was much of an athlete, very strong every way. He was a great lover of out door sports, especially of fishing and hunting.

He was his cottage in Maxinkuckee when his illness began physicians diagnosed the ailment pulmonary consumption.

Since that time he has spent every winter in the south and west on leaves of absence, but hie health steadily failed. Ho started ag in as stated to spend three months in southern California and was granted leave of absence, his salary to continue, but he told the railroad company he was satisfied he could not live in this climate any more and arrangements were made that at the end of three montha his resignation should be accepted and a new engineer appointed.

At his destination in California ho joined an old friend, John B. Cobra. prominent and wealthy lawyer of Chicago, who was there with his wife for his health. Mr. Cobra and wife and Mr. Pardeo and wife passed last winter together in New Mexico.

Mr. Pardeo's remains will be buried at Lamanda park, doubtless with the intention of removing them later to the family burying ground in Philadelphia. The reason for, his burial at that place now is that his mother is now lying at the point of death at her home in Philadelphia and any intimation of his death or funeral would doubtless resuit fatally for her. She spent most of last summer in Chicago.

He leaves besides his mother a brother, Howard Pardee, leading physician in Philadelphia.

Mr. Pardee came of very distinguished family, and was related to Judge Pardee, of the United States circuit court In New Orleans.

While Mr. Pardee's friends in general thought him improving in health for a year past, intimate friends knew he had been having hemorrhages and he himself did not believe he had long to live.

He was in easy circumstances; he owned residence on West Wayne street and carried quite a large life insurance.

He was a man who endeared very much to his friends by the peculiar brightness of his mind and the originality genius.

He was a member of the Elks lodge hero, that being the only order he ever belonged to.

Mr. Hattersley, president of the lodge here, telegraphed the bereaved wife to please communicate with the Elks for anything they could do, and also telegraphed the nearest Elk lodge at Los Angeles, asking them to confer with her and send a committee to do everything necessary, charging the account to the Elks here.

As an instance of Mr. Pardee's original engineering Plate the following is given: The Nickel road owned gravel pit near South Whitley. They took off the gravel down to point where water stood over the ground thirty acres in area. Mr Pardee wanted the other fourteen feet of gravel that was under that water over the entire thirty, sores. He managed to get it by moving the tracks back on the edge of the gravel from month to month and had the steam shovels operated upward through the water. All the gravel was obtained, thus saving $150,000 for the company. The ground was changed to a lake and is now a great fishing place.

Mr. Pardee was about 42 years old. He was a native of Brooklyn, N. Y, He was married at Now Harmony, Ind., and his wife's parent's reside in Posey county.

His intimate friends' here were Hon. R. C. Bell and Judge S. R. Alden -- The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette March 10, 1894

married 20 June 1878 New Harmony, Harmony Township, Posey, Indiana Katherine "Kate" Dransfield birth 12 February 1855 New Harmony, Harmony Township, Posey, Indiana Death 18 July 1924 Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia Burial Jul 19, 1924 New Harmony, Indiana (per death certificate) daughter of Charles Dransfield and Catherine Husband

Children:

Children (4) Elsie Pardee 1879–1879 Burial Maple Hill Cemetery New Harmony, Posey County, Indiana
Howard McKnight Pardee 1881–1884 Burial Maple Hill Cemetery New Harmony, Posey County, Indiana
Robert McKnight Pardee 1885–1930
Elsie May Pardee 1887–1971