Stories from the Tree - Allen S. Boyd and the Panama Canal

The current series of "From the Tree" posts focuses largely on The Boyd Clan, a major branch of the family tree. A major player has been John Henry Boyd, but there are interesting stories in his family, as well. For instance, the life and career of one of his sons, Allen Stepp Boyd.

Allen started life in Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas, but in 1908, just before his father died, he took his wife and two daughters and sailed to Panama to help construct the engineering feat of the century, the Panama Canal. Here's a letter he wrote to his uncle, Bradford Boyd, describing the project.

Pedro Miguel, C. Z.
Panama
Nov. 6, 1912

Dear Uncle Brad:

I have been thinking for a long time that I would write you. Ethel and I have thought for the last 3 years that we would come back home on a visit, and then we figure of the cost and it would cost us between $800.00 and $1000.00 to make the trip and so we are still 1n Panama.

This is the greatest job that was ever undertaken. Think about a ditch 150 feet deep and 1000 feet wide and 27 miles long and you can imagine the excavation and then the massive locks. Each lock is composed of 2 side walls, are 1500 feet long, 90 feet high and 60 feet thick. Then each center wall 1s 3000 feet long, 90 feet high and 80 feet thick and there are 6 of these double locks. So you see what we are doing.

In Pedro Miguel there are 156 Locomotives that tie up here at night. We use on the Canal 500 Locomotives, 100 Steam Shovels, 25 dredge boats. Locomotive crews. Pile drivers. Excavating machines and machinery of all kinds. We use thousands of tons of dynamite every year. I have seen 10,000 pounds of dynamite touched off at one time here, and rocks larger than a house thrown 1n the air.

I work in the Water Service. It 1s my job business to see that they have water on the job all the time. I have 2 big water mains, one 20-inch and one 16-inch that come down from a lake up in the mountains 11 miles from Panama. The lake holds 750 million gallons of water. We have rain every day for 8 months of the year and then 4 months we don't have any rain at all, that is from Dec. 15 to Apr. 15. Then is when we have our hot weather. In fact, we have summer all the time. I have never worn a coat in the 4 years I have been here.

We are treated fine here. I get $150.00 a month, the use of a nice 5-room house, and electric lights, water, coal and even kindling furnished free. Doctors. Hospitals. Schools. Preachers. All furnished free. We get our groceries, meat and clothing from the Govt. Commissary and everything sells cheaper here than it does in the States. It 1s easy for a man to save from $50.00 to $75.00 a month here.

We will finish the Canal in 1 year more and then many of us will go back home, but it will take about 4,000 Americans to operate the Canal. There are about 10,000 Americans and 35,000 Foreigners working here.

Well, I must close as it is bed time. I am sending you in today's mail a picture of Ethel and I and our two girls, Annie and Ruth. Ruth is the smallest girl. I am sending them to Brandon as that was the last address I had of you.

I forgot to tell you of Gatun Dam. It is 2 miles long, 90 feet high and will hold 125 square miles of water 60 feet deep on an average. That will be the largest artificial lake in the world. Well paper has played out so I must close. Give Aunt Jane and all the children our love. When we come to Texas, we will come to see you. Ethel and the girls send love.

Your nephew,

A. S. Boyd

Allen was indeed one of the 4,000 Americans who remained in Panama to operate and maintain the Canal. He was still there in 1926, when the Panama newspaper printed the following:

IMMENSE THRONG GATHERS TO PAY LAST 

TRIBUTE TO MEMORY OF A.S. BOYD

Allen S. Boyd, tragically killed on the Pedro Miguel-Paja Road, 

November 1st, as the result of a premature dynamite explosion.