George D. Stillson resident engineer letters

Collection — Box: 1, Folder: 1

Identifier: 2017-012

Staff Only

Content Description

Handwritten letters related to the candidacy and appointment of George D. Stillson as resident engineer of the Genesee Valley Canal in 1849.

Scope and Contents

This collection documents George D. Stillson's application process for the new role of resident engineer of the Genesee Valley Canal between February 3 and March 14, 1849. Stillson was an experienced canal engineer, having been involved in the enlargement of the Erie Canal in the Rochester area. As a result of this, along with hs local political connections, a number of Rochester's leading citizens wrote letters of support to the state government. These included multiple former and future mayors of the city and officers of two leading banks.

Dates

Creation: 1849-02-03 - 1849-03-14

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this collection.

Biographical / Historical

George D. Stillson was a prominent Rochester engineer of the mid-19th Cnetury. Born in 1815 in Scipio, Cayuga County, Stillson became an engineer at an early age, guiding the construction of the Buffalo and Tonawanda Railroad in 1835. He first appears in the Rochester City Directories in 1853, listed as a civil engineer and residing at 249 East Avenue. By this time, he had served as an engineer on the widening of the Erie Canal and been appointed resident engineer of the Genesee Valley Canal. As part of the latter project, he was responsible for the Portage Tunnel at the canal's summit. In 1855, the New York State Census shows him living in Brighton, with his wife Charlotte and son George S. Stillson. In 1865, he was appointed the Superintendent of Mt. Hope Cemetery, in which post he oversaw the substantial expansion of the cemetery's lands, creating the drainage and landscape features that still dominate much of the cemetery grounds. He passed away suddenly on February 19, 1881.

Extent

.073 Cubic Feet (1 folder) ; 14" x 9" x 0.25"

0.73 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of letters written in February and March of 1849 in support of the candidacy of George D. Stillson for the office of resident engineer for the Genesee Valley Canal.