Draft:James Orton Woodruff
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James Orton Woodruff | |
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 | |
| Born | July 26, 1840 |
| Died | June 4, 1879 |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Known for | Woodruff Place, Rubber Stamp |
James Orton Woodruff (26 July 1840 – 4 June 1879) was an American engineer.
Biography
[edit]Woodruff was born to Harmon J. Woodruff in Auburn, New York. In 1861 he joined the Union army at the outbreak of the American Civil War and before deploying he married Ermina Jane Adsit, daughter of Samuel Adsit. He reached the rank of First Lieutenant before he was forced to resign in 1863 due to ill-health. [1]
Following the war he spent some time in New York and while there he saw the potential of using vulcanized rubber to set up letter molds. Eventually he was able to succeed with the help of his uncle, Urial D. Woodruff, who was familiar with the vulcanizers through his work as a dentist. As a result of this Woodruff is often credited as the inventor of the rubber stamp, however this claim is disputed. [2]
He subsequently moved to Indianapolis where he proposed to the city council to install a system of water works. This resulted in the incorporation of the Water Works Company of Indianapolis which completed work on the water works in 1871.[3]
After completion of the water works he purchased 77 acres of land and started the development of Woodruff Place, on of the first suburbs on Indianapolis which he envisioned as an exclusive suburban town. The planning and construction of the development was started in 1872, however Woodruff was bankrupted by the Panic of 1873 which put an end to the development until new investors were able to take over the project. [4]
Later in his life Woodruff planned the Woodruff Expedition Around the World, a round the world voyage for educational and scientific purposes taking teachers and students. It was originally scheduled as a two year voyage departing in October 1877 with John W. Philip as the commanding officer, Daniel McCauley as Secretary and with a number of notable professors acting as academic faculty including W.L.B. Jenney, Fred E. Ives and Burt G. Wilder. [5] [6] This expedition was cancelled due to difficulties finding a suitable ship for an affordable price.[7] Eventually a bill was passed in Congress to grant an American register to a foreign-built ship for the purpose of the expedition [8] [9] and an attempt was made to revive the expedition however with Woodruff's death put an end to the plans for the expedition.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "DEATH OF JAMES O. WOODRUFF SKETCH OF AN ACTIVE CAREER". New York Times. June 5, 1879. p. 2.
- ^ Rubber stamp album. New York : Workman Pub. 1978. pp. 12–14. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Indianapolis, Indiana". Documentary History of American Water-works. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
James O. Woodruff of Auburn, New York made a proposal to the City Council in September, 1868 to install a Holly water works system if the council would grant a franchise. The Water Works Company of Indianapolis was incorporated on October 7th with the following incorporators Thomas A. Hendricks, William Braden, James E. Mooney, Albert G. Porter, Dr. John A. Comingore, William M. Wiles, J. George Stilz, George F. McGinnis, James O. Woodruff, William P. Fishback, and William Woolen. Director elected were: James O. Woodruff, Thomas A. Hendricks, Albert G. Porter, J. George Stilz, George F. McGinnis, Dr. John A. Comingor, William Braden, William M. Wiles, and James E. Mooney. The company was granted an exclusive franchise for a five-year term on November 15th, which was replaced with another ordinance on January 3d, 1869. The company built a system that began operating on June 1, 1871.
- ^ "History". Woodruff Place. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
James O. Woodruff, a civil engineer from Auburn, New York, came to Indianapolis to direct completion of the city's new waterworks. He was attracted to the quiet wooded location east of the city, purchased 77 acres, and began to develop his grand plan – a Victorian version of formal Italian Renaissance gardens. From the beginning, Woodruff's development possessed all the requisites of a park: three boulevard drives bisected by grassy esplanades, spacious lots, picturesque homes, clusters of graceful cast-iron statues and costly multi-tiered fountains. A fence would surround the purely residential enclave and isolate it from what might come later on surrounding land. Such was the vision of James O. Woodruff when he laid out Woodruff Place in 1872-73. He built his own home on West Drive, but was unable to realize the completion of his dream community. The financial panic of 1873 hit Indianapolis hard, and James Woodruff was bankrupted. A few years later in 1876, a small group of initial property owners successfully petitioned for incorporation of the subdivision as a town, and thanks to a group of investors, Woodruff's plans were carried forward into the next century.
- ^ Final announcement of the Woodruff scientific expedition around the world. Indianapolis, Indianapolis journal co., printers. 1877. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ "The Woodruff Scientific Expedition Steamer Ontario". Scientific American. September 22, 1877. p. 183.
- ^ "A LONG VOYAGE POSTPONED". New York Times. October 22, 1877. p. 8.
- ^ "FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION....MARCH 19 SUMMARY". New York Times. March 20, 1878. p. 2.
- ^ Congressional Record - Senate. 1878. p. 1853. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
- ^ "James Orton Woodruff". Fort Hill Cemetery. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
Late in his short life, while recuperating in Florida, he developed his second grand plan. That was to establish a floating university that would travel around the world studying places and cultures. Written up in most of the major newspapers of the day it was known as the Woodruff Scientific Expedition. His first obstacle was to buy a ship for the expedition. In order to buy a foreign made vessel that the expedition could afford he went up against the American shipbuilding monopoly to get the laws changed. This accomplished he then was met with one financial obstacle after another, passing away before this dream could become a reality.