dward M. Boggs is a native of Northeasten Iowa. After receiving a high school education he prepared himself for the profession of civil engineering at the Ohio State University, at Columbus. After leaving college he was employed for five years by the Columbus, Hocking Valley and Toledo Railroad Company, with headquarters at Columbus. His work for this company was a mixed practice of preliminary and location surveying for railways, railroad construction and maintenance, surveying for and operating coal mines, and other similar work. Early in 1886 Mr. Boggs came west and since that time has made a specialty of hydraulic engineering. Coming to Redlands in October, 1897, Mr. Boggs was first employed by Judson & Brown, sub-dividing their lands on Redlands Heights and constructing irrigation works. For Mr. Brown he developed the method of contour planting of orchards on steep hillsides, which has since been extensively practiced. Much of his time for several years was engaged by the Bear Valley Land and Water Company, reconstructing their canal and flumes, making surveys for new projects, etc., and by their successors, the Bear Valley Irrigation Company. For this company he served as engineer in charge of the construction of the Allesandro pipe line, the Whitewater project, preliminary survey for the Santa Ana canal, the new Bear Valley dam and other works.

In 1892 Mr. Boggs was elected professor of civil and hydraulic engineering in the University of Arizona, and irrigation engineer to the Agricultural Experiment Station at Tucson, which positions he held five years. These duties permitted him to visit nearly all portions of the territory and study its irrigation systems and possibilities, besides accepting engagements as consulting engineer. While residing in Arizona he was married to Miss Nell Sutherland, of Los Angeles. Early in June of this year Mr. Boggs returned to Redlands, as chief engineer of the Southern California Power Company. In this capacity he has supervised the extensive canal work in the Santa Ana canyon, and made examinations and surveys of other power projects.

(Source: Illustrated Redlands, 1897, p. 66.)