George Washington Whistler
Encyclopedia
George Washington Whistler (Fort Wayne, Indiana
, May 19, 1800 – April 7, 1849 in Saint Petersburg
, Russia
) was a prominent American railroad engineer in the first half of the 19th century.
George was born at the military outpost of Fort Wayne
which his father, John Whistler
, had helped build. His mother was Anna Bishop, daughter of Sir Edward Bishop of Great Britain.
He graduated from the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York
in 1819 and served as a Civil Engineer in the United States Army Corps of Engineers
and retired as a Major
in 1833. In 1834 he became Chief Engineer at the Proprietors of Locks and Canals
in the new city of Lowell, Massachusetts
. During his time in Lowell, he was responsible for early American locomotive designs, and his sons, James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) and William McNeill Whistler (1836–1900) were born. He left Lowell in 1837 and was followed by his apprentice, James B Francis. He took up a position with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which sent him to England
to learn more about railroad technology. He was involved in the construction of several U.S. railroads, including the Baltimore and Susquehanna, Stonington, and Western (Massachusetts
) railroads. In 1835, he worked with Patrick Tracy Jackson
to begin the Boston & Lowell Railroad. The same year, along with William Gibbs McNeill, he designed the Boston & Providence Railroad which included the famous Canton Viaduct
which has been in continuous service for 174 years.
In 1842 Whistler was employed by Engineer Melnikov as a Consultant on the building of Russia
's first major railroad, the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway
. Whistler is said to have designed two bridges on this railway similar to the Canton Viaduct but this has never been confirmed. A scale model bridge of similar design to the Canton Viaduct is on display at the Oktyabrsky Railroad Museum in St. Petersburg. For his efforts he was awarded the Order of St. Anna
from Tsar Nicholas I
. While working on this project, he contracted cholera
and died in St. Petersburg two years before the line was completed. He is credited with selecting the five-foot rail gauge
still used in Russia and neighboring countries.
, a portrait of Anna, by their first son, James McNeill Whistler
, is among the most famous paintings in American art.
Stone arch railroad bridge
s built by George Washington Whistler in 1841 are still in freight and passenger service on the CSX mainline in western Massachusetts.
He was the first Civil Engineer in America to use contour lines to show elevation and relief on maps.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, May 19, 1800 – April 7, 1849 in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) was a prominent American railroad engineer in the first half of the 19th century.
George was born at the military outpost of Fort Wayne
Forts of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne in modern Fort Wayne, Indiana, was established by Captain Jean François Hamtramck under orders from General "Mad" Anthony Wayne as part of the campaign against the Indians of the area. It was named after General Wayne, who was victorious at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Wayne may have...
which his father, John Whistler
John Whistler
John Whistler was a soldier, born in Ulster, Ireland. He ran away from home when a boy, enlisted in the British army, and served under General John Burgoyne during the American Revolutionary War. After the surrender at Saratoga, John returned to England and was honorably discharged...
, had helped build. His mother was Anna Bishop, daughter of Sir Edward Bishop of Great Britain.
He graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
in 1819 and served as a Civil Engineer in the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
and retired as a Major
United States Army officer rank insignia
United States Army officer rank insignia in use today.-History:The structure of U.S. ranks has its roots in British military traditions. At the start of the American Revolutionary War, uniforms, let alone insignia, were barely affordable and recognition of ranks in the field was problematic...
in 1833. In 1834 he became Chief Engineer at the Proprietors of Locks and Canals
Proprietors of Locks and Canals
The Proprietors of Locks and Canals on the Merrimack River is a limited liability corporation founded on June 27, 1792, making it one of the oldest corporations in the United States....
in the new city of Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
. During his time in Lowell, he was responsible for early American locomotive designs, and his sons, James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) and William McNeill Whistler (1836–1900) were born. He left Lowell in 1837 and was followed by his apprentice, James B Francis. He took up a position with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which sent him to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to learn more about railroad technology. He was involved in the construction of several U.S. railroads, including the Baltimore and Susquehanna, Stonington, and Western (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...
) railroads. In 1835, he worked with Patrick Tracy Jackson
Patrick Tracy Jackson
Patrick Tracy Jackson was a United States manufacturer, one of the founders of the Boston Manufacturing Company of Waltham, Massachusetts, and later a founder of the Merrimack Manufacturing Company whose developments formed the nucleus of Lowell, Massachusetts.-Biography:He was born in...
to begin the Boston & Lowell Railroad. The same year, along with William Gibbs McNeill, he designed the Boston & Providence Railroad which included the famous Canton Viaduct
Canton Viaduct
Canton Viaduct is the oldest blind arcade cavity wall bridge in the world and it was the longest and tallest railroad bridge ever built when it was completed in 1835. It is the last surviving bridge of its kind and has been in continuous service for years; it now carries high-speed passenger and...
which has been in continuous service for 174 years.
Working in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's first major railroad, the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway
Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway
The Moscow to Saint Petersburg Railway is a railway running between the two largest Russian cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and through four oblasts: Moscow, Tver, Novgorod and Leningrad...
. Whistler is said to have designed two bridges on this railway similar to the Canton Viaduct but this has never been confirmed. A scale model bridge of similar design to the Canton Viaduct is on display at the Oktyabrsky Railroad Museum in St. Petersburg. For his efforts he was awarded the Order of St. Anna
Order of St. Anna
The Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
from Tsar Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
. While working on this project, he contracted cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
and died in St. Petersburg two years before the line was completed. He is credited with selecting the five-foot rail gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
still used in Russia and neighboring countries.
Whistler's Father
Whistler's first wife, Mary R. Swift, died in 1827, after they had had three children, a girl and two boys. He later married Anna Matilda McNeill, with whom he had five sons. Whistler's MotherWhistler's Mother
Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist's Mother, famous under its colloquial name Whistler's Mother, is an 1871 oil-on-canvas painting by American-born painter James McNeill Whistler. The painting is , displayed in a frame of Whistler's own design, and is now owned by the Musée d'Orsay in Paris....
, a portrait of Anna, by their first son, James McNeill Whistler
James McNeill Whistler
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American-born, British-based artist. Averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, he was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". His famous signature for his paintings was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger...
, is among the most famous paintings in American art.
Stone arch railroad bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s built by George Washington Whistler in 1841 are still in freight and passenger service on the CSX mainline in western Massachusetts.
He was the first Civil Engineer in America to use contour lines to show elevation and relief on maps.
External links
- Biographical sketch at the Center for Whistler Studies
- George W. Whistler's Stone Arches