# List of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad civil engineers 1827 to 1857

This is a partial list of the civil engineers who worked on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad during its initial construction from Baltimore, Maryland in 1828 to Sandy Hook, Maryland, in 1834; Cumberland in 1842; the Ohio River at Moundsville, Virginia, in 1852; Wheeling, Virginia, in 1853; and Parkersburg, Virginia in 1857, ending in the "Great Railway Celebrations of 1857."

## List
### Early Promoters

* Ward, Minus. Ward, an early civil engineering promoter from Columbia, South Carolina, had several inventions for steam engines. Ward also claimed he invented the idea of placing iron rails on stone lintels in 1825. However, Joseph von Baader is credited for this invention.$^{:416,note25}$ Ward published an analysis of how the new steam engine technology could be implemented on the railroad.

### Surveys of 1828-1829

This survey was organized by the Phillip Thomas, president of the new railroad, and composed of the following engineers and participants: $^{:11}$
* Brown, George (1787 – 1859) provided economic analysis of various construction methods
* Knight, Jonathan (1787 – 1858), civil engineer
       Knight was a civil engineer who worked on the National Road and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 20th congressional district from 1855 to 1857.
* Long, Stephen Harriman (1784 – 1864), Col., United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
       Long was a member of the railroad's special commission that traveled to England in 1828 to study British railroads. Long was also in charge of the line's location between Parr's Ridge at the head of the Patapsco River and what was then Wheeling, Virginia.$^{:11}$
* McNeill, William Gibbs (1801 – 1853), Captain, United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
       McNeil was a member of the railroad's special commission that traveled to England in 1828 to study British railroads. McNeil was also in charge of the line's location between Baltimore and Ellicott's Mills and up to the valley of the Patapsco to Parr's Range.$^{:11}$
* Whistler, George Washington (1800 – 1849), Lieut. United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
       Whistler was the engineer in charge of building the first railroad station in the nation at Ellicott's Mills, Maryland.$^{:12}$

#### Topographical Engineers

These individuals were responsible for managing surveys and field operations.
* Cook, William Perrine (1801 – 1865) Lieut. United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
    Under the direction of Captain McNeil, Cook was one of the topographical engineers working on locating the line thru the Patapsco River valley from 1828 thru 1829.$^{:12}$
* Dillahunty, John Neal (1800 – 1844) Lieut., United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
    Under the direction of Captain McNeil, Dillahunty was one of the topographical engineers working on locating the line thru the Patapsco River valley from 1828 thru 1829.$^{:12}$
* Hazzard, Richard Edward (1804 – 1831) Lieut., United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
    Under the direction of Captain McNeil, Hazzard was one of the topographical engineers working on locating the line thru the Patapsco River valley from 1828 thru 1829.$^{:12}$
Other Engineers working on locating the line were:$^{:63}$
* Barney, Joshua (1800 – 1867) Lieut., United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
* Fessenden, John M. (1804 – 1883) Lieut., United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
* Guion, Walter B. (1802 – 1882) Guion attended West Point as part of the Class of 1828 but did not graduate.
* Gwynn, Walter (1802 – 1882) Lieut., United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
    Gwynn was a railroad engineer and railroad president before the Civil War, Florida Comptroller in 1863, and a civil engineer after the Civil War.
* Harrison, Fredrick Jr. (1802 – 1889) Harrison attended West Point as part of the Class of 1823 but did not graduate.
* Howard, William (1793 – 1834) was an American topographical engineer who was one of the first to work for the railroad.
Long and McNeil led two teams of engineers to locate the road, while Howard led the third. $^{:20}$$^{:26}$
* Thompson, William Beverhout (1805 – 1867) Lieut., United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
* Trimble, Issac Ridgeway (1802 – 1888) Lieut., United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
Trimble was a United States Army officer, a civil engineer, a prominent railroad construction superintendent and executive, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.

### Chief Engineer Knight (1830-1842)

Jonathan Knight was the first chief engineer for the railroad.$^{:15}$ He was assisted by the following individuals:
* Ranney, Henry Joseph (1807 – 1865). Ranney worked on the final location of the line over Parr's Ridge, which required a system of inclined planes to cross. Ranney then finished the line location to Ballinger Creek, near Frederick, Maryland.
       Ranney was a prominent railroad construction executive, president of the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern railway (1861 – 1865), and a Confederate officer from Kentucky in the American Civil War.
* Smith, Ralph S.
* Stabler, James P., Stabler was the engineer in charge of building the horse tramway from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills, finished in May of 1829.
Assisted by
* Alderson, Benjamin A.
* Dunbar, George T.
* Smith, John W.

### Surveys of 1836-1837

Chief Engineer Knight surveyed possible railroad routes between Cumberland, Maryland, and what was then Wheeling, Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

### Surveys of 1838

Assistant engineer Latrobe supervised these civil engineers and architects.
* Neilson,James Crawford, (1816 – 1900)$^{:435,note7}$
* Niernsee, John Rudolph, (1814 – 1885).$^{:435,note7}$