History of Stillwater, (Putnam County) New York United States of America

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Orville Whirmore Childs, engineer, was born at Stillwater, N.Y., Dec. 29, 1803; son of Dr. Ephraim and Mary (Woodworth) Child. He qualified as a civil engineer, was engaged in the construction of the Champlain canal improvements in 1824-25, and in building the Oswego canal, 1826-28. His plans for the improvement of the Oneida river, made in 1829-30, were accepted and later carried into effect, the work being completed in 1850. He assisted John B. Jervis in the construction of the Chenango canal in 1833-36, and in the latter year was made chief engineer of one of the divisions of the Erie canal enlargement. He was occupied in this work for many years, and in 1840 was appointed chief engineer of the entire New York state work, which position he held until 1847. In 1848-49 he acted as chief engineer of the New York central railroad from Syracuse to Rochester. He was chief engineer of the Nicaragua ship canal built by the American, Atlantic and Pacific ship canal company in 1850-52. The difficulties overcome in this work, and his accurately scientific maps, reports and estimates of it, established him in the foremost ranks of his profession. Subsequently he surveyed and constructed the Terre Haute and Alton railroad, of which he was chief engineer, 1855-58; later was one of a commission of three to report on the practicability of tunnelling the Hudson river at Albany, made the survey which fixed the boundaries of the county and city of New York, and was employed in the construction of the harbor defences of that city. In 1860 he removed to Philadelphia, where he engaged as one of the proprietors and patentees of the newly invented sleeping cars, and became president of the Central transportation company, and of the Philadelphia car works. He was the first of his branch of the Child family to add the final "s" to the name. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 6, 1870.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Stillwater, (Putnam County) New York

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