William Howe (May 12, 1803 – September 19, 1852) was an American architect and bridge builder famous for patenting the Howe truss design for bridges in 1840.[1]
Life and career
William Howe was born on May 12, 1803, in Spencer, Massachusetts,[2] to Elijah and Fanny (née Bemis) Howe.[3] His father owned a sawmill,[4] He was a hard-working child, and learned carpentry and construction at an early age. After successfully completing an apprenticeship in carpentry, he enrolled and graduated from Leicester Academy in Leicester, Massachusetts.[2]
Howe married Azubah Stone, daughter of a Charlton, Massachusetts, farmer (and sister of Amasa Stone) in 1828.[5] The Howe family was an inventive one. Howe's nephew, Elias Howe, patented the first viable sewing machine. Howe's older brother, Tyler Howe, invented the box spring bed.[6] William Howe established a career as a construction contractor, building homes and churches. He was particularly well-known for his churches.[2] But bridges were his primary interest, and he founded the Howe Bridge Works in 1840.[7]
In 1840, Howe was engaged to build a railroad bridge over the Connecticut River in Springfield, Massachusetts. This famous bridge was of a new, influential design—the Howe truss bridge, which Howe patented in 1840.[6] One of Howe's workmen, Amasa Stone, purchased for $40,000[8] ($1,220,800 in 2023 dollars) in 1842 the rights to Howe's patented bridge design. (Amasa Stone received financial backing from Azariah Boody, a Springfield businessman.)[9] The rights to the patent extended to bridges and structures erected only in New England.[8] That same year, the two men formed a bridge-building firm, Boody, Stone & Co.,[10] which erected a large number of Howe truss bridges throughout New England.[8]
Howe made additional improvements, and patented a second Howe truss design in 1846.[2]
William Howe suffered a severe carriage accident and died on September 19, 1852. He was buried in Springfield.[3]
