Richard E Olson Excavtg

Mat Olson comes from a long line of excavators. His great-grandfather worked in the trade at the turn of the twentieth century in Providence, excavating basements with picks, shovels, and horse-drawn scoops. Mat's grandfather learned this old method, too, but took advantage of the new technologies and equipment that were making their way into the various trades.

He learned how to operate a steam shovel, and bought a dump truck with air-inflated tires. He ran a successful business, working on the massive Scituate Reservoir project for some time. When the Great Depression of 1929 hit, he was forced to sell his dump truck, but continued working in the excavation business for other construction companies.