Background
Colby, Branch Harris was born on July 20, 1854 in Cherry Valley, Ohio, United States. Son of Lewis and Celestia (Rice) Colby.
Colby, Branch Harris was born on July 20, 1854 in Cherry Valley, Ohio, United States. Son of Lewis and Celestia (Rice) Colby.
Civil Engineer, University of Michigan, 1877, post-graduate course in mining engineering, 1877-1878.
Assistant on survey of Great Lakes, 1875-1878. United States assistant engineer, Mississippi River, 1878-1884. In private practice, 1885-1889.
United States assistant engineer in charge of survey of Portage Lake Ship Canal, 1888-1889, for Straight Channel, Sandusky (O.) Harbor, 1889.
United States assistant engineer Mississippi River Commission, 1889-1890. Principal assistant engineer sewer department, Saint Louis, 1890-1895.
Sewer commission and member Board of Public Improvements, 1895-1899. Civil and consulting engineer American Carolina & Foundry Company, 1900.
Private practice, 1901, until retired.
Engineer on building steel ships at Hog Island Pennsylvania, 1917. Supervised construction Government Island Shipyard, San Francisco, July-December 1918. Member board to investigate and report upon condition and operation of ship yards upon Atlantic Coast.
Resident engineer in charge of construction of a dry dock, marine railway and repair plant at Jacksonville, Florida.
Member Michigan National Guard, 1873-1876.
Married Minnie Bary, June 28, 1883. Children: Vine (Mistress Charles O. McCasland), Dorothy (Mistress Victor H. Lawn).