Background
William G. Kerckhoff was born on March 30, 1856 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
William G. Kerckhoff was born on March 30, 1856 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Kerckoff moved to Los Angeles County, California from Indiana in 1878-1879 and worked for the Jackson Lumber Company. In 1887, along with James Cuzner of the Kerckhoff-Cuzner Lumber Company, built the"Pasadena". lieutenant was the first ocean-going vessel to use oil for fuel.
In the 1890s, he founded the San Gabriel Power Company, a hydroelectric power company in Los Los Angeles
By the turn of the century, together with A.C. (before Christ) Balch, he owned half the stock of Henry East. Huntington Pacific Light & Power Company used to provide electricity to Pacific Electric, and he served as its President. In 1902, they purchased the San Joaquin Electric Company.
They also founded Southern California Gas Corporation in 1910, and built a 120-mile pipeline from the San Joaquin Valley to Los Los Angeles In 1900, together with Burton East. Green (1868-1965), Charles A. Canfield (1848-1913), Max Whittier (1867–1928), Frank H. Buck (1887-1942), Henry East. Huntington (1850-1927), William F. Herrin (1854-1927), West.S. Porter and Frank H. Balch, known as the Amalgated Oil Company, he purchased Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas from Henry Hammel and Andrew H. Denker and renamed it Morocco Junction.
After drilling for oil and only finding water, they reorganized their business into the Rodeo Land and Water Company to develop a new residential town later known as Beverly Hills, California.
As President of the South Coast Land Company, he also helped found the city of Delegate March, California. Kerckoff died in 1929. The Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory in Corona del March, Newport Beach is named in his honor, as is the "Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research - West.G. Kerckhoff Institute" in Bad Nauheim.
Kerckhoff Hall, designed by Allison & Allison, is home to various student media, clubs, and organizations on the University of California, Los Angeles campus.
lieutenant was the result of a United States$815,000 ($100,000 for furnishing) donation from his widow Louise.