Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Workman, Boyle September 20, 1868 - 
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Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com October 26, 2010, 12:49 pm

Source: California and Californians, Vol. IV, Published 1932, Pages  84 - 85
Author: The Lewis Publishing Company

     BOYLE WORKMAN. A native son, of a pioneer family, Boyle Workman has been 
distinguished by his long service as a municipal expert and public official of 
Los Angeles. His father was the late William H. Workman, whose wife was Maria 
E. Boyle. These two family names have been conspicuous in the history of Los 
Angeles for over half a century.

     Boyle Workman was born September 20, 1868. The brick house in which he 
was born was erected by his maternal grandfather, Andrew A. Boyle, and was the 
first modern home in that section of Los Angeles since known as Boyle Heights, 
all other structures at the time being adobe. Boyle Workman was educated in 
St. Vincent's College, attended for a brief time Santa Clara College, and 
graduated from St. Vincent's in 1887. He then entered the office of his 
father, then mayor of Los Angeles, and as clerk wrote many of the mayor's 
messages and other documents. This early training in municipal affairs was far 
from a routine performance. Boyle Workman became interested and has ever since 
cultivated a close study of the great and complex subject of municipal 
engineering and municipal government, and probably no man in California knows 
the subject from a technical standpoint more thoroughly. After his father left 
the office of mayor, Boyle Workman became associated with the local traction 
interests, then changing from the horse car to a cable system, and following 
that was in the fire insurance business as manager for Southern California of 
the Home Mutual Fire and Marine Insurance Company of California. After his 
marriage in 1895 he organized the Monarch Brick Company, becoming its 
secretary, and established the first important industry at Boyle Heights. This 
was the first brick yard equipped with modern machine processes, instead of 
utilizing the manual labor of Chinese workers. In this brick yard for the 
first time fuel oil was used instead of wood. After leaving this business Mr. 
Workman became a draftsman in the city engineer's office, and in 1900 became 
assistant city treasurer under his father. For three consecutive terms he 
practically had entire charge of the office. One of the first reforms he 
suggested resulted in placing the city government on a cash basis.

     Mr. Boyle Workman in 1907 organized the American Savings Bank at Los 
Angeles, and was assistant cashier while his father was the first president, 
and when his father retired Boyle Workman became vice president. In 1913 the 
Home Savings Bank and the American Savings Bank were consolidated, Mr. Workman 
continuing as vice president. The first branch bank of Los Angeles was 
established by Mr. Workman, known as the Boyle Heights Branch of the American 
Savings Bank.

     In July, 1913, Mr. Boyle was again called to public service. The first 
appointment made by Judge H. H. Rose when elected mayor was placing Mr. 
Workman on the public service commission. The great Los Angeles aqueduct was 
put into commission while he was on the board. He served on the commission 
until January 1, 1917. After his father's death in 1918 he took the active 
management of the extensive Workman estate.

     In 1919 Mr. Boyle declined the request of a group of Los Angeles citizens 
to become candidate for mayor, but consented to run for city councilman, and 
received the highest vote among the various candidates for that office. He was 
chosen president of the new council in July, 1919, and in 1923 was again 
elected a member and again chosen president of the council.

     Mr. Workman is a member of the California Club, the Los Angeles Athletic 
Club, Los Angeles Country Club, Los Angeles City Club and the Union Glee Club 
of Los Angeles.

     In 1895 he married Miss Frances Widney, daughter of Judge and Mrs. R. M. 
Widney. She was born in Los Angeles. Judge and Mrs. Widney came to Southern 
California in 1868, and have been prominently identified with the city ever 
since. Mr. and Mrs. Workman have two daughters, Eleanor and Audrey.

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