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{{Short description|none}} {{Short description|none}}


This is a partial list of the ] who helped plan, design, or build canals in Central America during the period 1850–1931. This is a partial list of the ] who helped plan, design, or build canals in Central America from 1848 to 1984. <ref group="note">The textual source for these predecessor agencies came in part, from the United States National Archives, </ref>


==Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal Company survey of 1850==
==Panama Railroad of 18491855==
The Nicaraguan government chartered the company in 1846 to construct a canal in that country.<ref>{{cite news |title=City and Suburban News: New York, Brooklyn, Westchester County, Long Island, Staten Island, New Jersey. |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 26, 1889 |page=3 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/search?endDate=1889-10-26&query=&sort=best&startDate=1889-10-26|accessdate=December 27, 2024}}</ref>
In 1850, ] sponsored a survey of possible Nicaragua routes.
* Childs, Orville Whitmore, Colonel (1803–1870), the builder of the ] and ] canals in New York State, was chief engineer for the 1850 survey. <ref>{{cite wikisource|chapter=210|wslink=The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu|plaintitle=Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu|last=|first=|year=|publisher=|page=|wspage=|scan=}}</ref>

==Panama Railroad Company of 18481958==
The ] was a railway line linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in Central America. The ] was a railway line linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in Central America.
* Hughes, George W. Bvt. Lt. Col. (1820-1897) In 1849, Hughes surveyed the route location for the ] to Panama City. <ref>{{cite book * Hughes, George W. Bvt. Lt. Col. (1820-1897) In 1849, Hughes surveyed the route location for the ] to Panama City. <ref>{{cite book
Line 44: Line 49:
| url = https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/reportsofexplora00unit | url = https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/reportsofexplora00unit
| access-date = 2024-12-25 | access-date = 2024-12-25
}}</ref>
* Hatfield, Chester, (1837 – 1879), Commander, US Navy.<ref>{{cite journal
| last = Haar Jr.
| first = H. R.
| title = The Nicaragua Canal Story
| journal = The Military Engineer
| volume = 48
| issue = 323
| year = 1956
| pages = 188–192
| publisher = Society of American Military Engineers
| url = https://www.jstor.org/stable/44560238
| access-date = 2024-12-29
}}</ref>
* Menocal, Aniceto García (1836 – 1908) Chief civil engineer, a Cuban-American civil engineer and naval officer.<ref>{{cite news |title=Commander Menocal Dead |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 21, 1908 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1908/07/21/104807156.pdf |accessdate=December 27, 2024}}</ref>
* ],(1847 – 1931) USN, ran surveying operations, valleys of the ] Costa Rica, ] and ], Nicaragua routes.<ref>{{cite book
| title = Reports of Explorations and Surveys for the Location of a Ship-Canal Between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Through Nicaragua. 1872-'73.
| author = Under the direction of the Hon. George Robeson, Secretary of the Navy
| year = 1874
| publisher = U.S. Government Printing Office
| location = Washington, D.C.
| url = https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021016939&seq=7
| access-date = December 29, 2024
}}</ref> }}</ref>


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During the same period as the US Navy surveys, the United States Congress appointed another commission to recommend a route for an isthmian canal. During the same period as the US Navy surveys, the United States Congress appointed another commission to recommend a route for an isthmian canal.
* ] (1810 – 1883), Brig. Gen, US Army Corps of Engineers. * ] (1810 – 1883), Brig. Gen, US Army Corps of Engineers.
* ] (1816 – 1881) United States Coast Survey <ref name="Griffin"/> * ] (1816 – 1881) United States Coast Survey <ref name="Griffin"/>
* McFarland, Walter (1847– 1888) Maj., US Corps of Engineers <ref>{{cite web
| title = Cullum's Register: Graduates of the United States Military Academy, Class of 1847
| url = https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/1847*.html
| website = Penelope: Gazetteer of Places
| publisher = University of Chicago
| access-date = 2024-12-29
}}
</ref>, surveyed the Nicaragua, Darien, and Atrato River routes.

==International Canal Congress of 1879==
This congress took place in Paris, France, to determine the best location for a canal across the Isthmus.

== Nicaragua Canal Association (1887)==
The Association was chartered in 1887 with concessions from Nicaragua and Costa Rica.<ref name="Rochester">{{cite news |title=December 31, 1890 (Page 8 of 8) |newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle |date=December 31, 1890 |page=8 |url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/december-31-1890-page-8/docview/1924584933/se-2?accountid=12768 |accessdate=December 27, 2024}}</ref>
In 1889 <ref>{{cite news |title=CONNECTING THE OCEANS.: A CONCISE AND RELIABLE STATEMENT OF TIMELY FACTS, CONCESSIONS, AND ORGANIZATION. WORK ACCOMPLISHED. DESCRIPTION OF COUNTRY. CLIMATE. PRODUCTS. LOCATION OF ROUTE. WORK PROPOSED. |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=April 20, 1890 |page=9 |url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/connecting-oceans/docview/163460072/se-2?accountid=12768 |accessdate=December 27, 2024}}</ref>
the Association was granted an American concession in the name of the ] to build a canal across Nicaragua.<ref>{{cite news |title=May 13, 1889 (Page 7 of 8) |newspaper=The Gazette |date=May 13, 1889 |page=7 |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/may-13-1889-page-7-8/docview/2139611813/se-2?accountid=12768 |accessdate=December 27, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=July 24, 1888 (Page 1 of 8) |newspaper=The Paterson Morning Call |date=July 24, 1888 |page=1 |url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/july-24-1888-page-1-8/docview/2821018713/se-2?accountid=12768 |accessdate=December 27, 2024}}</ref> The Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal Company protested this concession. <ref>{{cite news |title=October 16, 1888 (Page 3 of 8) |newspaper=The Standard |date=October 16, 1888 |page=3 |url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/october-16-1888-page-3-8/docview/2721386192/se-2?accountid=12768 |accessdate=December 27, 2024}}</ref>

The Maritime Canal Company formed a subsidiary, the Nicaragua Canal Construction Company, to build the canal.<ref name="Rochester"/>
* Le Baron, J. Francis (1847 – 1935)


==Nicaragua Canal Commission of 1895 – 1897 == ==Nicaragua Canal Commission of 1895 – 1897 ==
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* ] 1st Lt. Groves Jr. (1896 – 1970) assisted Sultan in compiling the final report.<ref name ="Brodhead">Brodhead, M. J. (2013). Wet, Nasty Job: Army Engineers and the Nicaragua Canal Survey of 1929-1931. Federal History, 5, 15-34.</ref> * ] 1st Lt. Groves Jr. (1896 – 1970) assisted Sultan in compiling the final report.<ref name ="Brodhead">Brodhead, M. J. (2013). Wet, Nasty Job: Army Engineers and the Nicaragua Canal Survey of 1929-1931. Federal History, 5, 15-34.</ref>
* Sultan, Daniel I. Major, USACE (1885 – 1947) Sultan was commander of the United States Army Engineer Battalion in Nicaragua. The battalion numbered 25 officers and 295 enlisted men. <ref name ="Brodhead"/> * Sultan, Daniel I. Major, USACE (1885 – 1947) Sultan was commander of the United States Army Engineer Battalion in Nicaragua. The battalion numbered 25 officers and 295 enlisted men. <ref name ="Brodhead"/>
==Notes==
<references group="note"/>

== References == == References ==
{{reflist}} {{reflist}}

Latest revision as of 15:21, 29 December 2024

This is a partial list of the civil engineers who helped plan, design, or build canals in Central America from 1848 to 1984.

Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal Company survey of 1850

The Nicaraguan government chartered the company in 1846 to construct a canal in that country. In 1850, Cornelius Vanderbilt sponsored a survey of possible Nicaragua routes.

  • Childs, Orville Whitmore, Colonel (1803–1870), the builder of the Champlain and Oswego canals in New York State, was chief engineer for the 1850 survey.

Panama Railroad Company of 1848 – 1958

The Panama Railroad was a railway line linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in Central America.

  • Hughes, George W. Bvt. Lt. Col. (1820-1897) In 1849, Hughes surveyed the route location for the Panama railroad to Panama City.
  • Totten, George Muirson (1808-1884) Totten was chief engineer for the railroad (1856-1875).

Kelley surveys of 1855 – 1866

Frederick M. Kelley (1822 – 1905) was a Wall Street banker who sponsored seven expeditions to discover the purported "Sea Level Interoceanic Canal" of the Isthmus of Darien.

  • Kennesh, Wiliam (1799 – 1862) In late 1854, Kennish led an expedition across the Isthmus of Panama. He proposed a canal route via the Atrato-Truando rivers, suggesting the construction of tunnels to cross the Baudó Range.
  • Lane, James Crandall (1823 – 1888) was a distinguished American civil engineer and military officer notable for his contributions to engineering projects and service during the American Civil War. Lane led expeditions for the Atlantic and Pacific Canal company in 1853 and 1854 , focusing on the same region. His surveys provided further insights into the feasibility of constructing a canal through the Atrato River basin.
    • William C. Fox, Henry P. Adams, and S. Lee Perkins (1827 – ) accompanied Lane.
  • Porter, Mark B., led an expedition in 1853.
  • Trautwine, John Cresson (1810 – 1883) In 1852, Trautwine led an expedition to survey the Atrato and San Juan rivers in present-day Colombia.

Isthmus of Darien survey of 1857

Nicaragua expedition of 1872

In 1872, the U.S. Navy Department initiated an expedition to survey a potential interoceanic canal route through Nicaragua.

  • Lull, Edward Phelps (1836-1887) Lull led the Nicaragua Exploring Expedition from 1872 to 1873, conducting comprehensive surveys for a potential interoceanic canal through Nicaragua.
  • Hatfield, Chester, (1837 – 1879), Commander, US Navy.
  • Menocal, Aniceto García (1836 – 1908) Chief civil engineer, a Cuban-American civil engineer and naval officer.
  • Leutze, Eugene Henry Cozzens,(1847 – 1931) USN, ran surveying operations, valleys of the Ochomogo Costa Rica, Tipitapa and San Juan, Nicaragua routes.

The Interoceanic Canal Commission of 1872

During the same period as the US Navy surveys, the United States Congress appointed another commission to recommend a route for an isthmian canal.

  • Humphreys, Andrew Atkinson (1810 – 1883), Brig. Gen, US Army Corps of Engineers.
  • Patterson, Carlile Pollock (1816 – 1881) United States Coast Survey
  • McFarland, Walter (1847– 1888) Maj., US Corps of Engineers , surveyed the Nicaragua, Darien, and Atrato River routes.

International Canal Congress of 1879

This congress took place in Paris, France, to determine the best location for a canal across the Isthmus.

Nicaragua Canal Association (1887)

The Association was chartered in 1887 with concessions from Nicaragua and Costa Rica. In 1889 the Association was granted an American concession in the name of the Maritime canal company of Nicaragua to build a canal across Nicaragua. The Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal Company protested this concession.

The Maritime Canal Company formed a subsidiary, the Nicaragua Canal Construction Company, to build the canal.

  • Le Baron, J. Francis (1847 – 1935)

Nicaragua Canal Commission of 1895 – 1897

The Isthmian Canal Commission of 1899 – 1901

This Isthmian Canal Commission was created to recommend the best location in Central America to build a canal.

Isthmian Canal Commission of 1904 – 1914

This Isthmian Canal Commission managed the construction of the Panama Canal in the early years of American involvement and control of the Panama Canal Zone.

Nicaragua Canal Survey of 1929 – 1931

By 1928, growing interest in expanding canal capacity led Congress to pass a resolution calling for updated surveys in Nicaragua to reassess data from 1901. The initiative also explored the viability of adding a third set of locks to the Panama Canal and potentially transforming it into a sea-level waterway.

  • Groves, Leslie Richard 1st Lt. Groves Jr. (1896 – 1970) assisted Sultan in compiling the final report.
  • Sultan, Daniel I. Major, USACE (1885 – 1947) Sultan was commander of the United States Army Engineer Battalion in Nicaragua. The battalion numbered 25 officers and 295 enlisted men.

Notes

  1. The textual source for these predecessor agencies came in part, from the United States National Archives, Record Group 185

References

  1. "City and Suburban News: New York, Brooklyn, Westchester County, Long Island, Staten Island, New Jersey". The New York Times. October 26, 1889. p. 3. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  2. "210" . Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu – via Wikisource.
  3. Jon T. Hoffman, Michael J. Brodhead, Carol R. Byerly, and Glenn F. Williams (2009). The Panama Canal: An Army's Enterprise. Washington, DC: Center of Military History. p. 3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "Map of the Isthmus of Panama representing the line of the Panama Rail Road as constructed under the direction of George M. Totten, chief engineer &c". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  5. Burgess, J. J. (1861). Burgess' Railway directory for 1861: containing a correct list of all the officers and directors of the railroads in the United States and Canadas, together with their financial condition / compiled from original reports by Josiah H. Burgess. New York: Wilbur & Hastings.
  6. Anon. "George Muirson Totten (1808-1884)". The Panama Railroad. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  7. "Col. James C. Lane Obituary". The New York Times. December 14, 1888. p. 4. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  8. "Article 6 -- Atlantic and Pacific Canal". New York Daily Times. May 15, 1854. p. 4. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  9. Handbook of Texas Online. "Michler, Nathaniel". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  10. ^ Griffin, W. (1988). George W. Goethals and the Panama Canal. University of Cincinnati.
  11. Edward Phelps Lull (1874). Reports of Explorations and Surveys for the Location of a Ship-Canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, through Nicaragua, 1872-'73. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  12. Haar Jr., H. R. (1956). "The Nicaragua Canal Story". The Military Engineer. 48 (323). Society of American Military Engineers: 188–192. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  13. "Commander Menocal Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. July 21, 1908. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  14. Under the direction of the Hon. George Robeson, Secretary of the Navy (1874). Reports of Explorations and Surveys for the Location of a Ship-Canal Between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Through Nicaragua. 1872-'73. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  15. "Cullum's Register: Graduates of the United States Military Academy, Class of 1847". Penelope: Gazetteer of Places. University of Chicago. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  16. ^ "December 31, 1890 (Page 8 of 8)". Democrat and Chronicle. December 31, 1890. p. 8. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  17. "CONNECTING THE OCEANS.: A CONCISE AND RELIABLE STATEMENT OF TIMELY FACTS, CONCESSIONS, AND ORGANIZATION. WORK ACCOMPLISHED. DESCRIPTION OF COUNTRY. CLIMATE. PRODUCTS. LOCATION OF ROUTE. WORK PROPOSED". Los Angeles Times. April 20, 1890. p. 9. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  18. "May 13, 1889 (Page 7 of 8)". The Gazette. May 13, 1889. p. 7. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  19. "July 24, 1888 (Page 1 of 8)". The Paterson Morning Call. July 24, 1888. p. 1. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  20. "October 16, 1888 (Page 3 of 8)". The Standard. October 16, 1888. p. 3. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  21. Senate Committee on Interoceanic Canals (1928). Authorizing an Investigation and Survey for a Nicaraguan Canal as well as Increasing the Facilities of the Panama Canal (Report). Senate Report 771, 70th Congress, 1st Session. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
    • Additional-reports:
      • Senate Joint Resolution No. 117, Statutes at Large, 1929, pp. 1539–1540;
      • Senate Committee on Appropriations, Investigations and Surveys for a Nicaraguan Canal, 70th Cong., 2nd Sess., 1929, S. Doc. 237;
      • Senate Committee on Appropriations, Investigation and Survey for a Nicaraguan Canal, 70th Cong., 1st Sess., 1928, S. Doc. No. 145;
      • Senate Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Investigation and Survey for Additional Locks at Panama Canal and for a Nicaraguan Canal, 70th Cong., 2nd Sess., 1929, H. Rept. No. 2774.
  22. ^ Brodhead, M. J. (2013). Wet, Nasty Job: Army Engineers and the Nicaragua Canal Survey of 1929-1931. Federal History, 5, 15-34.
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