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Regarded as one of the giants of early California Surveyors, Charles T. Healey was educated at Perkinsville Academy, and began his career as a surveyor at a very early age.

Healey spent time in New York before going to California in 1854, where he arrived first in San Jose. He was employed as city clerk in San Jose from 1856 to 1858 and city engineer from 1862 to1866, during which time he received the rank of Captain as part of his role in the home guard of San Jose.  He also served as county surveyor of Santa Clara county from 1856 to 1858. Healey also was the mining engineer of two quicksilver mines, the New Almaden and the Guadalupe, near San Jose.

During Healey's years in the area, it was said that he surveyed every Spanish land grant south of San Jose, California.

Healey began doing survey work in Southern California by the 1870s, when he was was invited by Jotham Bixby to survey the Rancho Los Cerritos, which included laying out a townsite that would eventually become Long Beach.  This work would lead to his becoming the the first resident and surveyor for Willmore City, which would shortly thereafter be renamed as Long Beach, California.

Healey was the first licensed surveyor in California, following the creation of the California licensing provisions by the California Business & Professions Code, holding license number 1 granted by the State on July 20, 1891.

He has been recognized as one of "the giants of the land surveying profession."


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