William J. McAlpine
Encyclopedia
William Jarvis McAlpine was an American civil engineer
and politician from New York
.
and the enlargement of the Erie Canal
, and succeeded Jervis as Chief Engineer of the Eastern Division of the State canals, and was Resident Engineer from 1838 to 1846. From 1846 to 1849 he was Chief Engineer of the dry dock at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
. He also designed and built the Albany
water works in 1850 and 1851, and the Chicago
water works from 1851 to 1854.
As a Democrat, he was New York State Engineer and Surveyor
from 1852 to August 1, 1853, when he resigned.
From 1855 to 1857, he was a New York State Railroad Commissioner. Afterwards he became Chief Engineer and Assistant to the President of the Erie Railroad
, and afterwards Chief Engineer and Vice-President of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
.
In 1869, he was a member of the Brooklyn Bridge
Design Review Committee. In 1886, he was the first Director of the construction of Washington Bridge
over the Harlem River
in New York City, but resigned after a few months of planning.
He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
, and its President from 1868 to 1869. He was the first American elected to membership in the Institution of Civil Engineers
of Great Britain.
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and politician from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Life
He was the son of John H. McAlpine (1783-1865) and Elizabeth (Jarvis) McAlpine (1792-1879). In 1827, he began civil engineering as a pupil of John B. Jervis, with whom he remained until 1836. He was Assistant Engineer of the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad from 1830 to 1831, and of the St. Lawrence Improvement Company in 1832. From 1833 on, he took part in the construction of the Chenango CanalChenango Canal
The Chenango Canal was a towpath canal that was built and operated in the mid-19th century in Upstate New York in the United States. It was 97 miles long and for much of its course followed the Chenango River, from Binghamton on the south end to Utica on the north end...
and the enlargement of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, and succeeded Jervis as Chief Engineer of the Eastern Division of the State canals, and was Resident Engineer from 1838 to 1846. From 1846 to 1849 he was Chief Engineer of the dry dock at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
. He also designed and built the Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
water works in 1850 and 1851, and the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
water works from 1851 to 1854.
As a Democrat, he was New York State Engineer and Surveyor
New York State Engineer and Surveyor
The New York State Engineer and Surveyor was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1848 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the Department of Public Works which was...
from 1852 to August 1, 1853, when he resigned.
From 1855 to 1857, he was a New York State Railroad Commissioner. Afterwards he became Chief Engineer and Assistant to the President of the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
, and afterwards Chief Engineer and Vice-President of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was a railroad running west from Chicago to Clinton, Iowa and Freeport, Illinois, never reaching Galena, Illinois...
.
In 1869, he was a member of the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
Design Review Committee. In 1886, he was the first Director of the construction of Washington Bridge
Washington Bridge
The Washington Bridge carries six lanes of traffic over the Harlem River in New York City between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, connecting 181st Street and Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan to University Avenue in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx...
over the Harlem River
Harlem River
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...
in New York City, but resigned after a few months of planning.
He was a member 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...
, and its President from 1868 to 1869. He was the first American elected to membership in the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
of Great Britain.
Sources
- http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/bib/whitford/old1906/vol2/chapter3.htm Bios of Engineers, at Rochester history
- Google Book The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 37f and 46; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
- http://www.asce.org/150/presidents.html Am. Soc. of Civil Eng., Presidents
- http://www.washington-heights.us/history/archives/000301.html History of Washington Bridge
- http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/BBnames.htm#William%20Jarvis%20McAlpine Brokklyn bridges history
- http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/mcalpin-mcbrayer.html Political Graveyard