Hans Peter Nielsen (May 21, 1859September 11, 1945) was a Danish-born American machinist, mechanic, engineer, fireman, and inventor who lived most of his life in Alameda, California. In 1910 Nielsen built the first biplane in Alameda, commissioned by Adrian J Merle. An early adopter of automobile technology, he also believed in the potential represented by aviation. Nielsen was also a firefighter who innovated several firefighting devices, and was the first engineer at the Alameda Electric Light Plant. As a prominent member of the Alameda community his activities were frequently covered in local newspapers, often under the misspelling "Nielson." Early life Hans Peter Nielsen was born in Denmark in 1855. He married his wife Hansine Christine (18531925) in 1883, and the following year he traveled to the United States for the first time. Nielsen returned to Denmark in 1886. He, Hansine, and their children Augusta and Christian sailed to San Francisco in 1887 and settled in Alameda. The ship manifest lists Nielsen's occupation as Watchmaker. Nielsen became a naturalized citizen on July 27, 1892. He and Hansine had two more children in California: Ella and Adolph. As of the 1920 Census Hansine reported having given birth to 8 children, but only Augusta, Ella, and Adolph still lived. Career Firefighter Nielsen joined the Alameda Fire Department in 1890 as the "first paid Alameda city fireman." He served as engineer of the Encinal Steamer No. 1, a horse-drawn engine with a steam pumper. Nielsen's idiosyncratic methods made an impression on his fellow firefighters: Alameda Electric Light In 1901, Nielsen left the Fire Department to become the first engineer at the Alameda Electric Light Plant. Alameda Municipal Power is the oldest municipal electrical utility west of the Mississippi, and from 1887 until 1902 provided Alameda with electric street lights. In 1902, the Alameda Electric Light Plant sub-station also began to offer electrical power to homes and businesses. Automobile repairman Nielsen repaired automobiles as proprietor of the Encinal Garage in Alameda. In 1909 Nielsen was also issued a permit for him to build a $600 machine shop building behind his home at 2254 Santa Clara Avenue. Even as Nielsen was working on flying machines in his backyard shop, his Encinal garage reportedly hired "a couple of men" to assist with the motor line during the busy spring season of 1910. In 1912, the city of Alameda awarded Nielsen a contract for construction of a tractor