Egbert Putnam Judson

Background

Egbert was born on August 9, 1812 at Syracuse, New York, United States, the son of William and Charlotte (Putnam) Judson. Very little is known of his early life.

Education

It is known, that he was educated as a civil engineer.

Career

Judson joined the rush to the California gold fields in 1850. He is said to have founded the first assay works in San Francisco in 1852, and about 1867 was one of the organizers of the San Francisco Chemical Works (Judson & Sheppard). In August 1867 three pounds of dynamite were made at this plant and used in a trial blast of boulders. It was successful and led to the formation of the Giant Powder Company. Judson, a director of the Giant company, continued to operate the San Francisco Chemical Works which supplied acid to the Giant company, and shortly afterwards formed the Judson Powder Company at Kenvil, New Jersey.

On June 3, 1873, he patented his "Giant Powder, No. 2" (patent no. 139, 468), which was manufactured successfully by both companies. This powder consisted of forty parts nitroglycerine, forty parts sodium nitrate, six parts sulphur, six parts rosin, and eight parts kieselguhr, and was essentially a blasting powder. Judson was the first to meet the need for an explosive which, though powerful, would be more "gentle" in action than a blasting powder, producing a heaving rather than a shattering effect. The first such explosive was patented by him on October 31, 1876 (patent no. 183, 764, reissued 4, 568). As it was particularly well suited for moving banks of rock and earth in railroad construction, it was marketed as railroad powder or "Judson's RRP, " in various grades designated by number.

At the age of seventy-eight, as a final gesture, he sold his interest in the Giant Powder Company when that company stopped buying acid from his chemical works, and promoted the Judson Dynamite & Powder Company, a $2, 000, 000 concern, which competed successfully with the Giant company.

At the time of his death, which occurred in San Francisco, he was president of the Judson Manufacturing Company and the California Paper Company.

Achievements

• Egbert Putnam Judson was the organizer of the San Francisco Chemical Works(later Judson Powder Company), where he made the first manufacture and use of dynamite in the United States after the invention of that explosive by Alfred Nobel in 1866. He patented "Giant powder", that was for a long time a synonym for dynamite in the United States. Railroad powder as a class developed from this invention. Judson was interested in many successful mining enterprises, including the Alaska Treadwell Gold Mining Company and the Anaconda Mining Company.

Personality

He was a man of aggressive character and great business ability.

Connections

He never married.

Father:

William Judson

Mother:

Charlotte (Putnam) Judson