Edward Sargent Shaw (October 26, 1853 – October 3, 1919) was a prominent civil engineer who lived in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

. Born on October 26, 1853, he spent most of his life in Cambridge, and graduated from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

in the class of 1874; his thesis being a design for a Murphy-Whipple truss bridge. Immediately following graduation he continued his studies in some non-degree capacity at his alma mater. During his professional career, his office was located in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. He died of heart failure at the age of 65, on October 3, 1919. Shaw was responsible for a number of bridges in

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

, including: * Bennett's Meadow Bridge,

Northfield, Massachusetts Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Northfield was first settled in 1673. The population was 2,866 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Connectic ...

* Schell Bridge,

*Shelburne Falls Bridge,

Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts Shelburne Falls is an historic village in the towns of Shelburne and Buckland in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The village is a census-designated place (CDP) with a population of 1,731 at the 2010 census. It is part of the S ...

* Willimansett Bridge, Willimansett, Chicopee, Massachusetts Shaw also held at least 3 patents, including one for the draw bridge, one for a railway superstructure design, and even a design for an electric locomotive. It is unknown if these designs were implemented in any capacity in his work. :* :* :* :*

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Edward S. American bridge engineers 1853 births 1919 deaths American inventors People from Cambridge, Massachusetts MIT School of Engineering alumni