William Jackson (March 13, 1848 – June 30, 1910) was the Boston, Massachusetts city engineer from 1885 to 1910. He was responsible for a number of the major bridges in the city, including

Harvard Bridge The Harvard Bridge (also known locally as the MIT Bridge, the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, and the "Mass. Ave." Bridge) is a steel haunched girder bridge carrying Massachusetts Avenue ( Route 2A) over the Charles River and connecting Back Bay, ...

Longfellow Bridge The Longfellow Bridge is a steel rib arch bridge spanning the Charles River to connect Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood with the Kendall Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bridge carries Massachusetts Route 3, US Route 3, the MBTA Re ...

, and

Charlestown Bridge The Charlestown Bridge, officially named the North Washington Street Bridge, is located in Boston and spans the Charles River. As the river's easternmost crossing, the bridge connects the neighborhoods of Charlestown and the North End. Comple ...

Biography

Jackson was born in Brighton, Massachusetts, to Samuel and Mary Wright (Field) Jackson. He was educated at the public schools of Brighton and the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

, where he took the full course with the Class of 1868 but left without degree on May 4, 1868, when he received employment on the staff of the City Engineer of Boston. His first work was on the construction of the

Chestnut Hill Reservoir Chestnut Hill Reservoir is a reservoir created in 1870 on existing marshes and meadowland to supplement the city of Boston's water needs, located in its namesake neighborhood of Chestnut Hill. A 1.56 mile jogging loop abuts the reservoir. Chestnu ...

of the Boston Water-Works. In 1870 he became Engineer for the Town of Brighton, and also engaged in private practice until Brighton was annexed to Boston in 1873, when he again entered the office of the Boston City Engineer. During the next three years he was engaged on various works, including surveys for the introduction of water into Brighton and West Roxbury. From 1876-1885 he was Assistant Engineer on the Boston Main Drainage Works, an important and difficult engineering undertaking. In April 1885, upon his predecessor's death, Jackson was appointed City Engineer, which position he occupied continuously until his death. In addition to his civic duties he was engaged in other important engineering works at various times. From 1887-1891 he was Chief Engineer for the

Commissioners; from 1896 to 1900, Chief Engineer of

; and from 1898 until his death Chief Engineer for the Cambridge Bridge Commission. In 1891 and 1892 he was a member of the Boston Rapid Transit Commission; and a member of the Boston Statistics Commission from 1898 until his death. From 1902 to 1904 he was a member of the special commission on the abolition of grade crossings in

Attleboro, Massachusetts Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It was once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers. According to the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, Attleboro had a population ...

, and at his death had been for three years a member of commissions on the abolition of grade crossings in Foxboro, Westwood, Canton, Sharon, and Mansfield, Massachusetts. He was Consulting Engineer to the Cambridge Water Board on the construction of the Hobbs Brook Conduit, in 1904; to the Shore Road Commission, in Brooklyn, New York, in 1896 and 1897; and to the Massachusetts Harbor and Land Commission on the Commonwealth Dock, South Boston, in 1899. He was also a member of the Approving Board appointed by the Legislature in 1907 to pass upon plans for the development and extension of Boston's drainage systems. Mr. Jackson was elected a member of the

American Society of Civil Engineers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

in 1884, and served on its Board of Directors from 1902-1904. He was also a member of the following organizations: Union, Art, and Technology Clubs, of Boston; Boston City Club, Point Shirley Club, Boston Driving Club, Strollers' Club of New York, Allston Golf Club, Commonwealth Riding Club, the Masonic Fraternity, Boston Chamber of Commerce, Technology Alumni Association, Society of Arts, American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Geographical Society, Bibliophile Society, National Municipal League, American Civic Alliance, American Civic Association, New England Historical and Genealogical Society, Bostonian Society, and the Society of Colonial Wars. He was also a member of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers, and of the New England Water Works Association. He married Mary Stuart MacCorry on April 27, 1886, and they had one child. He died from appendicitis at his home in Brighton on June 30, 1910.

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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, William (engineer) American bridge engineers 1848 births 1910 deaths People from Boston

Biography

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