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Samuel Gordon Allen (August 24, 1870 – October 16, 1956) was an American lawyer, businessman, and industrialist who specialized in railroad supplies. He founded the
Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company's name is derived from the location of its main manufacturing plant in Lima, Ohio ( ). The shops were located be ...
, the Combustion Engineering Company, and the American Arch Company. Allen was also a dog breeder and judge.


Early life

Allen was born in
Warren, Pennsylvania Warren is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. The population was 9,404 at the 2020 census. It is home to the headquarters of the Allegheny National Forest and the Cornp ...
on August 24, 1870. His parents were Marie (née Cook) and Orren Cartwright Allen. He attended public schools in Warren, followed by the
Maryland Military and Naval Academy Maryland Military and Naval Academy was a military academy in Oxford, Maryland that opened in 1885 and closed in 1887. It served as a preparatory school for the United States Naval Academy, U.S. Naval Academy and the United States Military Acad ...
. He also graduated from the
Pennsylvania State College The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855 as Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Pe ...
where he was a member of
Phi Gamma Delta Phi Gamma Delta (), commonly known as Phi Gam and sometimes written as FIJI, is a North American social fraternity with 139 active chapters and 13 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania ...
fraternity. After college, Allen studied law. He was admitted to the
Pennsylvania Bar The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in Pennsylvania, United States. The association offers membership benefits, including publications, practice support, networking, and continuing ed ...
on August 24, 1891.


Career

Allen practiced law with his brother, William Harrison Allen, in Warren for nine years, starting in 1891. On January 1, 1900, he began working in the railroad supply business. He worked for the Franklin Air Compressor Company in
Franklin, Pennsylvania Franklin is a city in and the county seat of Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States, located at the confluence of French Creek and the Allegheny River. The population was 6,097 in the 2020 census. Franklin is part of the Oil City microp ...
. In December 1901, he became the general manager of the Franklin Railway Supply Company, later called the Franklin-Balmar Corp. He became the company's vice president in 1902. In March 1910, Allen co-founded the American Arch Company with Joel S. Coffin (president of the Franklin Railway Supply Company) and served as chairman of its board until 1949. In June 1910, Allen, Coffin, and George L. Borne formed the Locomotive Super-Heater Company, later called the Combustion Engineering Company. In January 1916, Allen and Coffin purchased and reorganized the
Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company's name is derived from the location of its main manufacturing plant in Lima, Ohio ( ). The shops were located be ...
, later called the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Works. Also in 1916, Allen replaced Coffin as president of the Franklin Railway Supply Company. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Allen served in the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
Ordinance Division as the assistance chief of the production division. Allen was chairman of the board of the Air Pre-Heater Corp., the
Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company's name is derived from the location of its main manufacturing plant in Lima, Ohio ( ). The shops were located be ...
, and the Combustion Engineering Company. He was also associated with the
Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) was an American manufacturer of railway locomotives from 1825 to 1951. Originally located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it moved to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania, Eddystone in the early 20th century. The com ...
. He was a member of the executive committee of the Superheater Company and was a director of the Franklin Railway Supply Company, the American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, and the Locomotive Feed Water Heater Company. At the time of his death, he was the honorary chairman of the Franklin-Balmar Corp.


Personal life

Allen married Anna Lewis of Franklin, Pennsylvania on October 14, 1896. They had a daughter who died in April 1900 before her first birthday. They lived in Franklin from 1901 to 1908. After Anna died in October 1940, Allen married Emily Lee Myers of Franklin on January 12, 1946. They lived in
Pinehurst, North Carolina Pinehurst, officially The Village of Pinehurst, is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 17,581, up from 13,124 in 2010 United States census, 2010. "Pinehur ...
and
Rye, New York Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, within the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area. It received its charter as a city in 1942, making it the most recent such charter in the state. Its area of ...
. He was a director of the Pinehurst Religious Association, the Moore County Hospital, and The Forum in Pinehurst. He was a member of the board of trustees of the
Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology is a Private university, private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely de ...
from 1933 to 1935. Allen was elected to
The Pennsylvania Society In 1899 James Barr Ferree, an historian and native Pennsylvanian living in New York City, invited 55 fellow Pennsylvanians also living in New York to join him for dinner at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel. While enjoying a meal together, they decided ...
in 1902. He belonged to the
Lake Placid Club The Lake Placid Club was a social and recreation club active from 1895 to 1980. Founded in a hotel on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, New York, under Melvil Dewey's leadership and according to his ideals, it was instrumental in Lake Placid's develop ...
, the
Seigniory Club In English law, seignory or seigniory, spelled ''signiory'' in Early Modern English (; ; ), is the lordship (authority) remaining to a grantor after the grant of an estate in fee simple. '' Nulle terre sans seigneur'' ("No land without a lord") ...
, the
Union League Club The Union League Club is a private social club in New York City that was founded in 1863 in affiliation with the Union League. Its fourth and current clubhouse is located at 38 East 37th Street on the corner of Park Avenue, in the Murray Hi ...
, and the Westchester County Club. He was a member and president of the
Pinehurst Country Club Pinehurst Resort is a golf resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States. It has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments including four U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open Championships, one U.S. Women's Open, thr ...
. He belonged to the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or, simply, the Loyal Legion, is a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...
. Allen raised
pointers Pointer may refer to: People with the name * Pointer (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Pointer Williams (born 1974), American former basketball player Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Pointer'' (journal), the ...
and setters and was also a judge for pedigreed dog shows, including for the
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an all-breed conformation show, held annually in the New York metropolitan area. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is one of a handful of benched shows in the United States. Dogs are required to be on ...
. He also served on the field trial committee of the
American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit breed registry, registry of purebred dog pedigree (animal), pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions eve ...
. Allen died of a heart attack at the age of 82 in Pinehurst on October 16, 1956. He was buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Warren, Pennsylvania. Allen left a bequest of $100,000 ($ in 2023 money) to both the Pinehurst Religious Association and the Moore County Hospital.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Samuel G. 1870 births 1956 deaths 19th-century American lawyers Pennsylvania State University alumni 20th-century American businesspeople Phi Gamma Delta People from Warren, Pennsylvania American railroad executives