Bie, Otto Norman

Otto Norman Bie (September 24, 1859 - July 22, 1930) was a Norwegian engineer. Born in Norway, Bie sailed the seas as a sailor on his father's fleet of square riggers. His first voyage took him to India, and he continued sailing, first arriving in the United States in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1882. After a return to Norway, Bie returned to Florida in 1886 and stayed for the rest of his life. He found work on a dredge scooping out channels, liked the work, and continued, eventually becoming the master of the dredge Suwanee. During his time as captain of a dredge, Bie opened channels into Tampa, the Suwanee and Indian rivers, and Cedar Keys. Captain Bie joined the U.S. engineer's office in Tampa in 1906. Captain Bie spent from 1908 through 1910 in Miami in charge of government harbor improvements there. He was transferred to Tampa in January 1910, where he was put in charge of the office, named junior engineer, and oversaw improvements to that harbor. He spent the rest of his life in Tampa, slowly rising through the ranks as a civilian (not common in the Corps of Engineers). Eventually, he was in charge of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Tampa District, and oversaw the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' river and harbor work along the west coast of Florida from 1910 until his death in 1930. He was well respected throughout Florida and was often brought in as a consulting engineer on projects throughout the state. He was married twice, first to Martha Ellen (Townsend) Bie and then to Mrs. Hollon Bie. He had two sons with Martha Ellen.