Oliver, William Letts, 1844-1918.

Biography

According to a written statement by his son Roland L. Oliver, William Letts Oliver "was born in Valparaiso, Chile, August 6, 1844. [He] was educated in Edinburgh, Scotland, graduated from Edinburgh University as a mining engineer, and then went back to Chile. [In 1861, he went] to Peru, then to San Francisco in 1868 in time for the big earthquake of that year." His experience with nitrates led him to establish the California Cap Company, an explosives business in the East Bay (of the San Francisco Bay Area). In addition, he also owned a company that manufactured the Doak stationary engine used to power pumps on horse-drawn fire engines. He resided Oakland until his death in 1918.

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