Caroline Endres Diescher (February 1846 – February 7, 1930), also known as Caroline Endres, was notable as one of the first female engineers in the United States. With her father John Endres, who was born and educated in Prussia, she designed two inclines in the

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

area: the

Monongahela Incline The Monongahela Incline is a funicular located near the Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Designed and built by Prussian-born engineer John Endres in 1870, it is the oldest continuously operating funicular in the United Sta ...

and the

Mount Oliver Incline The Mount Oliver Incline was a funicular on the South Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was designed in 1871 by the Prussian-born engineer John Endres and his American daughter Caroline Endres, one of the first women engineers in the United ...

, which opened in 1870 and 1871, respectively.

Life

Born in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

in February 1846, Caroline Endres was a daughter of Prussian-born engineer John Endres and his wife, and called "Carrie," (at least on one census.) She was educated in Europe and trained further by her father as an engineer after her return. She assisted him with his design of the Pittsburgh area's first passenger incline, the

, which launched in 1870. The next year, she helped him design the

. In 1872 Caroline Endres married Hungarian-born engineer Samuel Diescher (1839-1915), who had assisted her father on the incline project. He had immigrated to the United States (US) in 1866, settling first in Cincinnati. Six years later he designed the

Duquesne Incline The Duquesne Incline () is a funicular located near Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood and scaling Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Designed by Hungarian-American engineer Samuel Diescher, the incline was completed i ...

in Pittsburgh and, ultimately, the majority of inclines in the US, as well as numerous industrial projects related to coal and steel production, and highway and infrastructure projects. Their wedding was held at the St. Paul German Evangelical Church in Cincinnati. They lived on

Mount Washington Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. The mountain is notorious for its erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934, ...

in Pittsburgh and had six children together. Their three sons, Samuel E., August P. and Alfred J. Diescher, all became engineers and in 1901 their father set up a business: S. Diescher and Sons. The couple also had three daughters, Irene E., Carrie L., and Irma J. Diescher.

Death and interment

Diescher died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1930 at the age of 84. She was interred at the

Allegheny Cemetery Allegheny Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest burial grounds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a historic rural cemetery. The non-sectarian, wooded hillside park is located at 4734 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood, and boun ...

, where her husband had been buried.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Diescher, Caroline Endres 1846 births 1930 deaths American civil engineers Railway inclines in Pittsburgh American women engineers Burials at Allegheny Cemetery