Thomas Hutchins (1730-1789), engineer
and geographer was of Scottish origin. He was
author of some topographical works and also furnished
the maps and plates of Smith’s Account of Bouquet’s
expedition (Philadelphia, 1765). James Geddes
(1763-1838), of Scottish birth or parentage, was surveyor
of canal routes in New York State and was chief engineer
on construction of the Erie Canal (1816), and chief
engineer of the Champlain Canal (1818). “In
all matters relating to the laying out, designing
and construction of canals, he was looked upon as
one of the highest authorities in the country.”
James Pugh Kirkwood (1807-77), born in Edinburgh,
came to United States in 1832, was one of the most
eminent engineers in the country, one of the founders
of the American Society of Civil Engineers (1852) and
President (1867-68). James Laurie (1811-75), born
at Bell’s Mills, Edinburgh, Chief Engineer on
the New Jersey Central Railroad, consulting engineer
in connection with the Housatonic Tunnel, and first
President of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
William Tweeddale, born in Ayrshire in 1823, rendered
valuable engineering service in the Civil War, and
was an authority on the sources and character of water
supply. Henry Brevoort Renwick, noted engineer
and expert in patent cases, first inspector of steam
vessels for the Port of New York, was a son of James
Renwick the scientist. David Young, born in Alloa,
Scotland, in 1849, was President of the Consolidated
Traction Lines of New Jersey and General Manager of
the larger consolidated company. William Barclay
Parsons (b 1859), is partly descended from Colonel
Thomas Barclay, a Tory of the Revolution. Hunter
McDonald (b 1860), descended from Angus McDonald,
a refugee from Culloden, is a prominent railroad engineer.
T. Kennard Thomson, born in 1864, is prominent as
a bridge builder, designer of pneumatic caissons,
etc His father came from Stranraer
in 1834. Hugh Gordon Stott, born in Orkney, in
1866, President of the American Institute of Electrical
Engineers (1907), Superintendent of motive power of
Manhattan Railway System, etc William Gibbs
McNeill (1801-53), of Scottish parentage, was another
engineer worth mentioning. Theodore Crosby Henry
(1841-1914), “the father of irrigation in Colorado,”
was also of Scottish descent. William McLean
(d 1839), brother of Judge McLean, was mainly instrumental
in extending the Ohio Canal from Cincinnati to Cleveland
John Findley Wallace (1852-1920), of Scottish descent,
was chief-engineer of the Panama Canal (1904-05), and
also designed and constructed many important engineering
works. Angus Sinclair (1841-1919), born in Forfarshire,
was an engineer, author of several text-books on engineering,
and editor of the “Railway and Locomotive Engineering.”