Ross, Edmund, 1887-1965

Pitt Ross (Box 8, Folder 11)

Pitt Ross was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on December 8, 1855. Educated in Kansas he worked in printing and publishing. In 1885 Pitt moved his wife, Maria C. Wilson and their family from Lawrence, Kansas to New Mexico where his father, Edmund G. Ross, was territorial governor. After moving to Santa Fe, Pitt was employed by the Office of the Surveyor General. In 1886, he established the Ross Engineering Company working as a land attorney and surveyor. The next year he moved to Albuquerque where for seven years he served as Albuquerque City Engineer and then Bernalillo County Surveyor until his death in 1925. In 1903 he was selected by the Governor to represent the Territory of New Mexico at the International Conference on Good Roads in Detroit, Michigan. He was also involved with the 16th National Irrigation Congress held in conjunction with the 28th annual New Mexico Territorial Fair and the International Industrial Exposition in 1908. Pitt was a charter member of the New Mexico Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, serving as president 1913-1915. He also belonged to the Masons, Presbyterian Church and New Mexico Democratic Party. He died March 2, 1925.

Edmund Ross, son of Pitt and Maria Ross, was born on December 26, 1887 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He graduated from Albuquerque High School in 1905 and received a B.S. for Mining Engineering from the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 1909. While at UNM he was a charter member of the Engineer's Club, on the baseball, track and football teams, and editor of the UNM Weekly. In 1913 he attended the engineering school of the University of Wisconsin, at Madison. That same year he was appointed U. S. Mineral Surveyor for the district of New Mexico. He served as Albuquerque City Engineer from April 1916 until June1917 where he supervised construction and maintenance of city streets and sewers. Various times from 1918-1946 he served as the Bernalillo County Surveyor responsible for supervision of construction and maintenance for county roads, Rio Grande flood control, and surveying and mapping of school districts, precincts and county roads. May 1926 to July 1928 Edmund worked as engineer in charge of property surveys for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. In April 1931 he was appointed District Engineer for the New Mexico State Highway Department supervising construction and maintenance of State and Federal Aid Highways District Office personnel, payrolls, reports, and equipment.

Edmund was a charter member of the Albuquerque Chapter of the American Association of Engineers serving as president in 1924. He was a Rotarian, a Mason, a member of the Beta Chi chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity, president of the New Mexico chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution 1921-1922, Albuquerque City Commissioner 1923-1931, member of the Democratic Party and the Presbyterian Church.

He married Evelyn Everitt daughter of Arthur E. Everitt, and Annie R. Everitt. Edmund and Evelyn had three daughters, Evelyn, Elizabeth and Jean and two sons, Edmund Pitt and Arthur Everitt. Edmund Ross died November 15, 1965.

Ross Engineering Office (Box 8, Folder 11)

Ross Engineering Company also known as Ross Engineering Office was established in 1886 by Pitt Ross. The main office was in Albuquerque with a branch office in Farmington, New Mexico. The logo on the company envelope states "We Locate, Examine, Survey Lands, Water Rights, Oil Locations and Mines." They also advertised for map making and blue printing. Edmund Ross joined his father at the business until Pitt's death in 1925. By the late 1940s Clarence B. Beyer, husband of Susan Cobb, Edmund's cousin, had partnered with Edmund to form the Ross-Beyer Engineering Office. After Edmund's death in 1965 his sons, Edmund Pitt (Ned) and Everitt carried on the business, which was eventually acquired by Roy Howard, a Ross employee.

Everitt Family : Arthur Everitt, watchmaker and jeweler, was born in 1853 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England. After moving to Albuquerque, he sent for his wife Annie Reynolds Everitt and their children. In 1883 Arthur opened his jewelry store also known as the Diamond Palace, on Railroad (Central Ave.) In 1920 he retired and moved to Long Beach. A son, George, operated the business for 16 years until he sold it in 1936 to the Redak family. Arthur died in 1937.

The Everitt daughters were Olivia (Olive), Edyth (Edith), Lenore and Evelyn. Olivia Everitt was a stenographer and worked at the law firm of Frank W. Clancy. She died on October 27, 1957 in Long Beach, California. Edyth Everitt was a schoolteacher at the Fourth Ward School in Albuquerque. After marrying Edwin F. Williams she also lived in California until her death in 1933. Evelyn was born December 29, 1890 in Albuquerque. She graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1913. While a student there she was involved with the Glee Club, Art Editor of Mirage, Vice President of the Student Body, Sigma Kappa Beta and was YWCA president. She married Edmund Ross in 1914. She died October 19, 1957.

Sources: Albuquerque Journal, morning edition, May 19, 1939, p.8 Robert G. Luckey, The History of the New Mexico Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Chartered December 26, 1908, [Albuquerque? N.M.], 1969 New Mexico State Tribune, August 1927 El Servicio Real, "The Illustrious Heritage of Edmund Pitt Ross," v.3, no. 4, July 1968 Ralph Emerson Twitchell, Leading Facts of New Mexican History, vol. 5, p2433, ft. 975, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Torch Press, 1911-1917 UNM Vertical File, "Albuquerque - Businesses - Jewelry - Everitt, Arthur - Jeweler, Mason" UNM Vertical File, "Ross, Edmund - Governor New Mexico"

From the guide to the Pitt Ross and Edmund Ross family papers, 1832-1954, bulk 1880-1940, (University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research)