Col. John Stevens, III (June 26, 1749 – March 6, 1838) was an American lawyer, engineer, and inventor who constructed the first U.S.

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

, first steam-powered ferry, and first U.S. commercial ferry service from his estate in

Hoboken Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...

. He was influential in the creation of U.S.

patent law A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

Early life

Stevens was born June 26, 1749, in New York City, New York. He was the only son of John Stevens Jr. (1715–1792), a prominent state politician who served as a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

, and Elizabeth Alexander (1726–1800). His sister, Mary Stevens (d. 1814), married

Robert R. Livingston Robert Robert Livingston (November 27, 1746 (Old Style November 16) – February 26, 1813) was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat from New York, as well as a Founding Father of the United States. He was known as "The Chancellor", afte ...

, the first Chancellor of the State of New York. His maternal grandparents were James Alexander (1691–1756), the

Attorney General of New Jersey The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confirmed by the New Jersey Senate, and term limited ...

, and Mary (née Spratt) Provoost Alexander (1693–1760), herself a prominent merchant in New York City. His paternal grandfather, John Stevens, emigrated from London England around 1695, and was married to Mary Campbell. He graduated King's College (which became

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

) in May 1768.

Career

After his graduation from King's College, he studied law and was admitted to the bar of New York City in 1771. He practiced law in New York and lived across the river. At public auction, he bought from the state of New Jersey a piece of land which had been confiscated from a

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

landowner. The land, described as "William Bayard's farm at Hoebuck" comprised approximately what is now the city of

. Stevens built his estate at

Castle Point Castle Point is a local government district with borough status in south Essex, east of central London. The borough comprises the towns and villages of Canvey Island, Hadleigh, South Benfleet, and Thundersley. The borough council is situated ...

, on land that would later become the site of

Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanical ...

(bequeathed by his son

Edwin Augustus Stevens Edwin Augustus Stevens (July 28, 1795 – August 7, 1868) was an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur who left a bequest that was used to establish the Stevens Institute of Technology. Life Stevens was born at Castle Point, Hobo ...

). During the 1830s, he developed the land around his estate into the Elysian Fields, a popular weekend recreational and entertainment destination for New Yorkers during the 19th century. Stevens bought a farm in Dutchess County, New York from

John Armstrong Jr. John Armstrong Jr. (November 25, 1758April 1, 1843) was an American soldier, diplomat and statesman who was a delegate to the Continental Congress, U.S. Senator from New York, and United States Secretary of War under President James Madison. A me ...

Armstrong had converted a barn into a two-story Federal style dwelling with twelve rooms. Stevens made improvements to the estate, including a half-mile race track.''Historical and Genealogical Record Dutchess and Putnam Counties New York'', Press of the A. V. Haight Co., Poughkeepsie, New York, 1912
He later sold the property to John Church Cruger (1807–1879), husband of Euphemia Van Rensselaer, daughter of Stephen Van Rensselaer. The Crugers named the estate "Annandale". In 1776, at age 27, he was appointed a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

's army in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. During the War, he was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

and became Treasurer of New Jersey, serving from 1776 to 1779. In 1789, Stevens was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

Steamboats

In 1790, Stevens petitioned Congress for a bill that would protect American inventors. Through his efforts, his bill became a law on April 10, 1790, which introduced the patent system as law in the United States,

. In 1802, he built a screw-driven steamboat and in 1806, he built the ''Phoenix'', a steamboat that ultimately sailed from Hoboken to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in 1809, thereby becoming the first steamship to successfully navigate the open ocean. In October 1811, Stevens' ship the ''Juliana'' began operation as the first steam-powered ferry (service was between New York City, and

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...

). The first railroad charter in the U.S. was given to Stevens and others in 1815 for the

New Jersey Railroad The United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company (UNJ&CC) was a railroad company which began as the important Camden & Amboy Railroad (C&A), whose 1830 lineage began as one of the eight or ten earliest permanent North AmericanList of Earliest Am ...

. The charter essentially gave Stevens and his partners, through the

Camden & Amboy Railroad The United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company (UNJ&CC) was a railroad company which began as the important Camden & Amboy Railroad (C&A), whose 1830 lineage began as one of the eight or ten earliest permanent North AmericanList of Earliest Am ...

, a monopoly on railroads in the state of New Jersey. In 1825, he designed and built a steam locomotive, which he operated on a circle of track at his estate in

Personal life

On October 17, 1782, he married Rachel Cox (1761–1839), the daughter of John Cox. She was a descendant of the Langeveldts (or Longfields) who originally settled

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Together, they had thirteen children of which seven were sons. The children included: *

John Cox Stevens John Cox Stevens (September 24, 1785 – June 13, 1857) is best known for founding and serving as the first Commodore of the New York Yacht Club as well as being a member of the ''America'' syndicate which, in 1851, won the trophy that would beco ...

(1785–1857), first commodore of the

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

who married Maria C. Livingston in 1809. * Robert Livingston Stevens (1787–1856), applied the ''wave line'' to shipbuilding, and president of

Camden and Amboy Railroad The United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company (UNJ&CC) was a railroad company which began as the important Camden & Amboy Railroad (C&A), whose 1830 lineage began as one of the eight or ten earliest permanent North AmericanList of Earliest Am ...

, the first railroad built in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. * James Alexander Stevens (1790–1873) * Richard Stevens (1792–1835) * Francis Bowes Stevens (1793–1812) *

(1795–1868), the founder of

who married Mary Barton Picton and, after her death, Martha Bayard Dod * Elizabeth Juliana Stevens (1797–1881), who married Thomas Anderson Conover (1791–1864) * Mary Stevens (1799–1825), the first wife of Rear Admiral Joshua R. Sands (1795–1883) * Harriet Stevens (1801–1844), the second wife of Joshua R. Sands * Esther Bowes Stevens (b. 1804) * Catherine Sophia Van Cortlandt Stevens (b. 1806) Stevens died on March 6, 1838, at his estate in

References

External links

*
John Stevens Collection, 1808 – 1881
Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. * ''The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography.''
John Stevens article, volume 11, page 21
published 1901 by John T. White,.
Rutger exhibitions
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, John (inventor) 1749 births 1838 deaths 19th-century American inventors People from Hoboken, New Jersey Columbia College (New York) alumni Locomotive builders and designers American railroad pioneers American railroad mechanical engineers 18th-century American engineers 19th-century American engineers Continental Army officers from New Jersey People of colonial New Jersey 18th-century American lawyers 19th-century American lawyers Engineers from New Jersey Inventors from New Jersey