Amos Whitney (October 8, 1832 – August 5, 1920) was a mechanical engineer and

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...

who co-founded the Pratt & Whitney company. He was a member of the prominent Whitney family. He was born in Biddeford, Maine to Aaron and Rebecca (Perkins) Whitney and educated at the common schools in

Saccarappa, Maine Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 20,400 at the 2020 census, making it the fastest-growing city in Maine between 2010 and 2020. It is part of the Portland– South Portla ...

and Exeter, New Hampshire. He moved at the age of 14 with his parents to

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...

and apprenticed at the Essex Machine Company. In 1852, he moved to

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

and worked at the Colt Armory. At Colt, he met

Francis A. Pratt Francis Ashbury Pratt (February 15, 1827 – February 10, 1902) was an American mechanical engineer, inventor, and co-founder of Pratt & Whitney. Biography Pratt was born in Peru, New York. His parents moved the family to Lowell, Massachusetts, w ...

who soon left to become superintendent at the Phoenix Iron Works and took Whitney with him. While working at Phoenix Iron Works, Whitney designed the Lincoln milling machine. In 1860, while still working at the Phoenix Iron Works, Pratt and Whitney formed the

Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies. Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially airlines) and military aviat ...

company. Their first product was a thread winder for the

Willimantic Linen Company The Jillson Mills (Officially known as the Willimantic Linen Company Mill Complex) is a mill complex in Willimantic, Connecticut. The mills produced cotton thread throughout the lifespan of the operation of the mill. History The mill was firs ...

. They went on to manufacture machine tools for the manufacture of guns, sewing machines, bicycles and typewriters. The manufacturing of gun making machinery rapidly increased during the American Civil War. In 1893, Whitney was made vice-president of the company and worked as president from 1898 to 1901. The company was acquired by the Niles-Bement-Pond Company and Whitney remained as one of the directors. He also worked as president and director of the Gray Telephone Pay Station Company, director of the Pratt & Cady Co., director in the Co-operative Savings Bank and as treasurer of Whitney Manufacturing Company which was organized by his son Clarence. He died on August 5, 1920 in

Poland Spring, Maine Poland is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,906 at the 2020 census. Set among rolling hills and numerous lakes, the town is home to Range Ponds State Park, which includes hiking trails and a pristine fresh ...

and was interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut. Amos Whitney gravestone

References

External links

Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitney, Amos 1832 births 1920 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American inventors American Civil War industrialists American company founders American mechanical engineers Burials at Cedar Hill Cemetery (Hartford, Connecticut) Businesspeople from Hartford, Connecticut Machine tool builders People from Biddeford, Maine

See also

References

External links