Ropha V. Pearsall

Ropha V. Pearsall (March 16, 1885 – September 10, 1977), better known as R. V. Pearsall, was a civil engineer and surveyor active in Long Beach, California, in the early-mid 20th century. He is credited with subdividing nearly half of the city. Born in Grand Ledge, Michigan, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University). After working in Michigan for roughly a decade, he moved with his wife to Long Beach in 1912 and established his own land surveying firm. One of his first large projects was surveying the storm drain for State St. (now part of the Pacific Coast Highway), the largest public works project in Long Beach to that date.

Pearsall would go on to survey sites throughout Long Beach, including a series of residential subdivisions from the early 1920s. His decades of experience and first-hand involvement in building the city’s housing and infrastructure made Pearsall the most trusted authority on surveying, property divisions, and urban planning in Long Beach. He was also an active member of the Long Beach Masonic Lodge, serving on its board of trustees for many years. After his death, his engineering firm was continued by his sons, Keith and Richard.