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Horatio Allen was born on May 10, 1802 in Schenectady, New York, United States. His father, Doctor Benjamin Allen, was professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Union College from 1800 to 1809; his mother was Mary Benedict, a woman of superior culture and high social standing.
When Allen was eight years old his father became principal of a large preparatory school at Hyde Park, New York; and it was from there that young Allen entered Columbia College. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree with the class of 1823, attaining high honors in mathematics. Immediately thereafter he began the study of law, but within a year decided that an engineering profession was more to his liking.
Allen spent a year with the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Company at St. George's, Delaware, and then joined the engineering staff of the Delaware & Hudson Company as a resident engineer. In this capacity he assisted in the construction of a portion of the company's canal, and apparently showed marked ability as an engineer and unusual resourcefulness, for in 1828, when the company decided to use locomotives at the western terminus of the canal, Allen, although not yet twenty-six years of age, was delegated to go to England as the company's representative to purchase them. He was given certain specifications for the locomotives, but many points of considerable importance were left to his discretion. When it is recalled that there was no steam locomotive in service in the United States at that time and that Allen did not have the ready means of communicating with his superiors that exist today, the importance of the commission entrusted to him may be realized. Four locomotives were contracted for and when the first was tried out at Honesdale, Pennsylvania, August 9, 1829, Allen operated it. In September of that year Allen accepted the position of chief engineer of the South Carolina Railroad Company to construct its railroad from Charleston to Augusta, Georgia. In 1829 he assembled the first steam locomotive to run in America.
Allen remained in Charleston until 1835 when he and his wife went abroad and spent three years in foreign travel. On their return they settled in New York City. Allen almost immediately was appointed assistant principal engineer of the Croton Aqueduct. He was also at the same time a consulting engineer for the New York & Erie Railroad Co.
In 1842 he became one of the proprietors of the Novelty Iron Works in New York City, the firm being known as Stillman, Allen & Co. This company specialized in the building of marine engines and during the Civil War employed about 1, 500 men; it constructed many of the engines of American-built steamships of that time and later. Allen continued as consultant for the Erie Railroad for many years and was its president in 1843. He retired from active business in 1870 but continued as a consulting engineer for a number of years thereafter. His most important services in this connection were in the construction of the famous Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Railroad.
Allen's interests covered a wide range of subjects. He devoted much time in his later years to the subject of education, particularly to the teaching of astronomy. He published Astronomy in its General Facts and Relations, Taught by Aid of Mechanical Presentation and Illustration (1877) and constructed many instruments to facilitate the teaching of it in the schools.
He died at his residence "Homewood, " near South Orange, New Jersey, leaving a widow, three daughters, and a son.
Allen was influential in introducing locomotives as the motive power on the railroad from Charleston to Augusta, Georgia. Under Allen's direction, the West Point Foundry in New York City built a locomotive (the first ever constructed for sale in the United States) for the railroad company and, after its christening as the "Best Friend of Charleston, " it was put in service in December 1830. While connected with the Novelty Iron Works he devoted considerable time to the improvement of the cut-off valve mechanism of steam-engines and received three United States patents, nos. 2, 227, 2, 597, and 18, 837 between the years 1841 and 1857. He also patented a rotary steam-valve. He was one of the founders of the Union League Club of New York City, and took an active interest in philanthropic and charitable matters. He was honored with the presidency of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1872, and was one of the organizers of the New York Gallery of Art.
Quotations: "There is no reason to expect any material improvement in the breed of horses in the future while, in my judgment, the man is not living who knows what the breed of locomotives is to place at command. "
In 1834 Allen married Mary Moncrief Simons, the daughter of Reverend James Dewar Simons, of Charleston.
