Frank E. Winsor
Encyclopedia
Frank E. Winsor, civil engineer, was the chief engineer for the Boston Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission, now the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
, from 1926 until his death in 1939 and was closely involved in the design and construction of Winsor Dam
and Goodnough Dike
which were built by the Commission to create the Quabbin Reservoir
in Massachusetts
. Winsor Dam was named for him.
and died on January 30, 1939, a resident of West Newton, Massachusetts
, where he had lived for many years at 189 Mt. Vernon Street. He received a Ph.B in 1892, an A.M. in 1896 an Sc.D. in 1929, all from Brown University
. He later sat on Brown's Board of Trustees. He was licensed as a Civil Engineer in 1892.
. He also did work for the Charles River
Basin Commission. From 1903-1915 he worked on projects for New York City
including being in charge of the construction of the Kensico
and Hillview
reservoirs and 32 miles of Catskill Aqueduct
. Frank E. Winsor was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
and a director and vice president of the American Society of Civil Engineers
.
and the earthen dam necessary to create it and the building of a water treatment plant. Like Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts, Scituate Reservoir is the largest body of water in its state. At the completion ceremonies for the project on September 30, 1926, Providence Mayor Joseph H. Gainer called Winsor "[T]he man to whom most of the credit for this undertaking belongs." The dam is known today as the Gainer Memorial Dam in honor of the mayor.
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is a public authority in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that provides wholesale drinking water and sewage services to certain municipalities and industrial users in the state, primarily in the Boston area.The authority receives water from the Quabbin...
, from 1926 until his death in 1939 and was closely involved in the design and construction of Winsor Dam
Winsor Dam
The Winsor Dam and the Goodnough Dike impound the waters of the Swift River and the Ware River Diversion forming the Quabbin Reservoir, the largest water body in Massachusetts. According to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation the Winsor Dam is one of the largest dams in the...
and Goodnough Dike
Goodnough Dike
The Goodnough Dike is on the southeastern end of the Quabbin Reservoir, the largest water body in Massachusetts. It impounds the waters of Beaver Brook and therefore closes that exit to the Chicopee River Watershed. The Goodnough Dike is not as large as the Winsor Dam, but it is equally important...
which were built by the Commission to create the Quabbin Reservoir
Quabbin Reservoir
The Quabbin Reservoir is the largest inland body of water in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was built between 1930 and 1939. Today along with the Wachusett Reservoir, it is the primary water supply for Boston, some to the east, as well as 40 other communities in Greater Boston...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Winsor Dam was named for him.
Personal history and education
Frank Edward Winsor was born November 16, 1870, in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and died on January 30, 1939, a resident of West Newton, Massachusetts
West Newton, Massachusetts
West Newton is a village of the City of Newton, Massachusetts and is one of the oldest of the thirteen Newton villages. The postal code 02465 roughly matches the village limits.-Location:...
, where he had lived for many years at 189 Mt. Vernon Street. He received a Ph.B in 1892, an A.M. in 1896 an Sc.D. in 1929, all from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. He later sat on Brown's Board of Trustees. He was licensed as a Civil Engineer in 1892.
Marriage and family
On October 25, 1893, Frank E. Winsor married Catherine Holbrook Burton, who later taught at Brown. They had two daughters and a son. Their oldest child, Lucy, (April 16, 1897-October 9, 1989), was a professor of economics at Wellesley College. She was married to Hugh B. Killough, (December 30, 1892-December 13, 1976) who was a professor of economics at Brown. Together they wrote many books on business, economics and industry.Early work
His early work was on water and sewer projects for Boston. He was one of the engineers on the design and building of the Wachusett DamWachusett Dam
The Wachusett Dam in Clinton, Massachusetts impounds the Nashua River creating the Wachusett Reservoir. Construction started in 1897 and was completed in 1905. It is part of the Nashua River Watershed....
. He also did work for the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
Basin Commission. From 1903-1915 he worked on projects for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
including being in charge of the construction of the Kensico
Kensico Reservoir
The Kensico Reservoir is a reservoir, located in the village of Valhalla and in the town of North Castle, that was put into service in 1915. It is about 3 miles north of White Plains, New York, and about 15 miles north of New York City...
and Hillview
Hillview Reservoir
The Hillview Reservoir is a storage reservoir in southeastern Yonkers, New York. It was built within a six-year period from 1909-1915 by the New York City Board of Water Supply to receive water from the newly-constructed Catskill Aqueduct, which drained water from the Ashokan Reservoir, and sent...
reservoirs and 32 miles of Catskill Aqueduct
Catskill Aqueduct
The Catskill Aqueduct, part of the New York City water supply system, brings water from the Catskill Mountains to Yonkers where it connects to other parts of the system.-History:Construction commenced in 1907...
. Frank E. Winsor was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
and a director and vice president of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
.
Work for Providence
From 1915-1926, Frank E. Winsor was chief engineer for the new water supply project for Providence, which involved the design and construction of the Scituate ReservoirScituate Reservoir
The Scituate Reservoir is the largest inland body of water in the state of Rhode Island. It has an aggregate capacity of and a surface area of 5.3 square miles...
and the earthen dam necessary to create it and the building of a water treatment plant. Like Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts, Scituate Reservoir is the largest body of water in its state. At the completion ceremonies for the project on September 30, 1926, Providence Mayor Joseph H. Gainer called Winsor "[T]he man to whom most of the credit for this undertaking belongs." The dam is known today as the Gainer Memorial Dam in honor of the mayor.
Quabbin Reservoir, Winsor Dam and Goodnough Dike
Frank E. Winsor left his successful work on the Scituate Reservoir for Providence to go on to greater work as chief engineer for the Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission in Massachusetts. His greatest accomplishment was the design and construction of Quabbin Reservoir and the Winsor Dam and Goodnough Dike which were built to dam the waters of the Swift River to create the reservoir. The dams were finished shortly after his death in 1939, but the Quabbin Reservoir did not fill to its maximum holding capacity until 1946.Resources
- Providence Tribute to Frank E. Winsor
- Details of the history of providing water for Boston
- Structural information on Winsor Dam
- Who Was Who in America, Vol. 1, 1897-1942 (1962) Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, p. 1367. Biographical article on Frank Edward Winsor.