Zygmunt Siegfried Leymel (November 27, 1883 – May 9, 1947) was a teacher, veteran of the Spanish–American War and World War I where he served in the United States Army, California State legislator, and served two sets of non-consecutive terms as mayor of Fresno.
Early life and career Leymel was born November 27, 1883, to Thomas A. Leymel and Caroline Ropcewicz in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the second of two children. Leymel's parents were immigrants from Austrian Poland. Leymel was born and remained nearby, graduating from Wilkes-Barre High School in 1902, where Leymel was heavily involved in music and drama. Leymel attended the University of Pennsylvania and competed in fencing before graduating in 1909.Wilkes-Barre Times. "High School Banquet." 10 May 1900. https://www.newspapers.com/image/392011549/The Fresno Bee. Lloyd, Paula. "Tiny park named for former Fresno mayor." 11 Jul 2015. https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/ask-me/article26837341.html He moved west to Seattle, Washington to become a teacher.General Alumni Catalogue of The University of Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania. 1917. Accessed 29 Jul 2020. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/imageviewer/collections/2203/images/32761_2221301230_2125-00285?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=yDP604&_phstart=successSource&pId=1212386 Leymel married Maria Beckwith in Seattle on January 25, 1908, where the two lived until moving to Fresno in 1913 to teach civics and history at Fresno High School.The Fresno Bee. Lloyd, Paula. "Tiny park named for former Fresno mayor." 11 Jul 2015. https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/ask-me/article26837341.html
Military service Spanish–American War Leymel left home at age 14 in April 1898 to fight in the Spanish–American War. This is where Leymel joined the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment and become an orderly for Theodore Roosevelt.The Progress-Bulletin. Pomona, California. "Stories of Days of Rough Riders, Life on Desert Swapped at Reunion in Pomona." 26 August 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/623456723/ Leymel was at the Battle of Kettle Hill where he and Roosevelt were fired upon and Roosevelt returned fire killing the Spanish Army soldier that had shot. Leymel served the duration of the war alongside Roosevelt and returned home at the end of 1898.
World War I When the U.S. entered World War I, Leymel finished out teaching in the 1916–1917 school year before resigning to re-enlist in the U.S. Army. Leymel reported to the Presidio of San Francisco for officer training and was stationed at Camp Kearny before being sent to Europe.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Thirty Five from San Joaquin Valley Picked for Training Camp." 11 Aug 1917. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607034933/The Fresno Morning Republican. "Leymel Succeeds Late Cadet Head." 19 Nov 1919. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607249321/ Leymel served in an artillery unit of the 91st Division and see action in northern France and southern Belgium in the Meuse–Argonne offensiveThe Fresno Bee. 16 Jun 1936. "Veterans Find Varied Uses for Bonus Bonds
Once home from the war, Leymel resumed teaching at Fresno High School including leading the JROTC program. In 1919, Leymel was vice-marshal of the first Veterans Day Parade in Fresno which as of 2019 is the oldest continuous parade in the United States west of the Mississippi River.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Marshal Tarbell Issues Order for Armistice Parade." 9 Nov 1919. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607244064/ Leymel also led the a local American Legion post from 1919-1926 until he resigned to run for assembly.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Leymel Leave Legion Post Amid Regrets." 16 Jul 1926. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607330828/
Political career
California State Assembly Leymel ran in 1926 to represent Fresno in the California State Assembly.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Leymel Leave Legion Post Amid Regrets." 16 Jul 1926. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607330828/ Leymel won the Republican primary to face Democratic candidate Penn Cummings. Leymel went on to win the election.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Jorgensen Leads Shedd, Leymel Forges Ahead." 3 Nov 1926. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607297886/ Along with fellow assembly members and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction and former Fresno City Schools Superintendent William John Cooper, he passed legislation to further streamline public education instruction with the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission (today known as Instructional Quality Commission).News-Pilot. San Pedro, Ca. "Create Commission." 20 Apr 1927. https://www.newspapers.com/image/605435106/ Leymel also pusedh for the creation of an Appellate District for inland California.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Proposed Appellate Court May Be House in Federal Building; Leymel Confident of Its Passage." 19 Mar 1929. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607357611/ Leymel created controversy throughout his time in the Assembly while serving both as an Assembly member and teacher which was considered conflicts of interest.The Los Angeles Times. "Leymel Starts Legal Problem. 25 Aug 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380659139/ Nevertheless, Leymel ran for re-election in 1928 and was re-elected to serve the next Assembly.The Hanford Sentinel. "Vote Light In State Primary." 29 Aug 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/558726909/
First mayoral term Leymel entered the race for mayor after an increase in city milk prices caused by A. E. Sunderland's administration order that only milk from cows not infected with bovine tuberculosis be delivered in city limits. Leymel entered the race promising an open door policy for both supporters and opponents, a full review of the milk order, and small government.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Sunderland, Leymel Final Statements Pledge Efficiency." 5 Apr 1929. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607364110 Sunderland supporters attempted to paint Leymel as beholden to a party boss from his dealings in the Assembly.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Fresno Votes Monday On City Officials." 7 Apr 1929. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607364280/ Leymel won with 60% of the vote over Sunderland.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Official Canvas of City Election to Start Monday." 10 Apr 1929. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607364473/
Leymel's election prompted Sunderland political appointments to resign en masse leaving Leymel with multiple empty committee seats.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Three Resign from Fresno Commissions." 01 Jun 1929. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607356703/ Leymel also was the target of two assassination attempts; one in September 1929 and another on Black Monday 1929.The Fresno Bee. Lloyd, Paula. "Tiny park named for former Fresno mayor." 11 Jul 2015. https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/ask-me/article26837341.html
Leymel's first term was defined by infighting between the city commissioners, the mayor, and city department heads. Each city commissioner, which was the precursor to the city councilmember, had differing opinions in how and where the city needed to head at the start of the Great Depression with some favoring municipal takeover of utilities others favoring additional franchising opportunities, and others wanting additional fines for bootlegging. Leymel even went so far as to have a secret vice fund where he paid private detectives to find, arrest and fine bootleggers. Once discovered, the other commissioners seized the funding and shutdown the operationThe Fresno Morning Republican. "Secret Vice Fund Taken From Mayor, Police Get Half; Stool Pigeons Hit." 16 Jul 1930. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607611673/ Initially, Leymel wanted electric, heating gas, and water brought under the city as city owned utilities however, only water was approved and made a municipal service.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Mayor Urges Purchase of Water Plant; 3,000 Meters Already In." 01 Oct 1930. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607693531/
Another major contentious issue was the Fresno Fire Department and in particular the consumption of alcohol while both on duty and during Prohibition. Leymel, being the both mayor and commissioner of public safety and welfare, was delivered a case where three firefighters were found intoxicated on duty. After review Leymel fired one and placed the other two on administrative leave. The other city commissioners demanded that all of them be fired and those previously found to be intoxicated on duty at any other previous time be fired as well, which after investigation nearly eliminated the entire department.The Fresno Morning Republican. "Commission Orders Firing of 3 Firemen." 09 Jan 1931. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607640307
Leymel won a second term as mayor in 1933, becoming the first mayor of Fresno to be elected to serve another term.
Second mayoral term With the assistance from the New Deal programs, Leymel, along with Public Works Director Jean Vincenz, were instrumental in the construction of several projects that defined Fresno during the Great Depression including the Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill, which is the first modern landfill in history, the Belmont Avenue Traffic Circle and Subway, which represents the first grade separated rail crossing in California and one of the first traffic circles west of the Mississippi River, and the expansion of the Fresno Chandler Executive Airport which resulted in Fresno becoming home to Hammer Field.The Fresno Bee. "Use in Federal Funds for Airport Proposed." 29 Dec 1933. https://www.newspapers.com/image/26049809/ Vincenz and Leymel also widened Broadway Street through Downtown Fresno along with the construction of the Belmont Avenue Traffic Circle and Subway to allow for continued flow of traffic along U.S. Route 99. Leymel is also credited for overseeing the purchase of Camp Fresno located near Dinkey Creek in the Sierra Nevada Mountains approximately 65 miles NE of Fresno.
During his second term, Leymel created and headed a tour of western cities by airplane to promote wine consumption in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boulder City, Reno, and Salt Lake CitySan Francisco Examiner. 06 Jun 1936. "Fresno 'Good Will' Party Uses Planes." https://www.newspapers.com/image/457851697/
Leymel also continued to the fight against Pacific Telephone and Telegraph, San Joaquin Light and Power, and Pacific Gas and Electric to lower rates, take over the local utilities, or create a public option for these utilities.Visalia Times-Delta. 09 Apr 1936. Challenge Charge of Fresno Mayor." https://www.newspapers.com/image/530112781/ This resulted in a push before the voters of a public takeover of San Joaquin Light and Power company as a municipal power agency. Leymel's proposal was defeated soundly by voters and resulted in Leymel losing his campaign for a third consecutive term in 1937 to Frank A. Homan.The Fresno Bee. "Fresno Voters Reject Public Utility Plan." 26 Feb 1937. https://www.newspapers.com/image/530034218/
1938 gubernatorial race Leymel announced shortly after losing the Fresno mayor's race his decision to seek the Republican nomination for California Governor in opposition to the incumbent Governor Frank Merriam.The Fresno Bee. "Z. S. Leymel Is Candidate For Governor." 07 Jan 1938 https://www.newspapers.com/image/25978389/ Leymel attacked Merriam about his tax increases as a means of balancing the state budget during the Great Depression. Leymel also indicated he would eliminate state bureau redundancy while boosting farming. Leymel lost the primary by finishing last in a field of five with Merriam winning.The San Bernardino County Sun. San Bernardino, California. 03 Sep 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/49366038/ Merriam went on to lose the 1938 gubernatorial race to Culbert Olson.
Third and fourth mayoral terms