William Hasell Wilson was a renowned American surveyor, railroad executive and civil engineer for both the Reading Company and Pennsylvania Railroads in the 19th century. He was president of the real estate department of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company from 1874 to 1884. In addition, William was the author of several writings and various professional reports.
Background
William Hasell Wilson was born on November 5, 1811, in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. He was a son of John Wilson, a surveyor and civil engineer, and Eliza (Gibbes) Wilson. John Wilson was in charge of the construction of fortifications near Charleston during the War of 1812.
William's maternal grandparents were William Hasell Gibbes and Elizabeth (Allston) Gibbes.
Education
William was educated in the schools of Charleston and Philadelphia.
Career
William began his career in June 1827 as a volunteer on the engineering corps of the state of Pennsylvania, organized by his father, surveying for a canal or railroad between Philadelphia and the Susquehanna River. Until 1834, William was in state employ, serving in various capacities from chainman to principal assistant engineer in location, grading and bridging for railroad lines west of Philadelphia.
During the period from 1835 till August 1836, William, a principal assistant engineer of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company (later known as the Reading Company), was in charge of construction along the Schuylkill River between Pottstown and Bridgeport. This division, nineteen miles long, involved much heavy work, including the Black Rock tunnel and a bridge over the Schuylkill River. The tunnel was driven simultaneously from both ends through solid rock, and so accurate was the instrumental work, to which Wilson gave personal attention, that when it was opened through its entire length of 1,932 feet, the variation in alignment and grade did not exceed one-tenth of a foot.
From 1838 till 1857, William was engaged in general engineering practice and in farming. He made many journeys for the Pennsylvania Railroad in connection with the extension of its line from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and his recommendations resulted in the consolidation of several smaller lines to form the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway Company, which provided a direct route between Pittsburgh and Chicago.
Upon the purchase in August 1857 by the Pennsylvania Railroad of the main line of the old "state improvements", Wilson was appointed resident engineer of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, running over that route. The road had deteriorated under the uncertainty of state control and required rehabilitation, as well as enlargement of facilities. In the following year, the line from Columbia to Mifflin, fifty miles west of Harrisburg, was added to Wilson's division, and in 1859, he was given charge of maintenance of the way, as well as new construction over the entire main line of the Pennsylvania and its branches, between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. From 1862, he held the position of chief engineer of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
In addition, Wilson also constructed the works of the Altoona Gas Company and served as its president from 1859 to 1871. In January 1868, since the trackage under his supervision had increased to 1152 miles, he was relieved of the duties of maintenance of the way from Columbia to Mifflin by his son, John A. Wilson, and during the next six years, gave his attention exclusively to construction. For the Pennsylvania Railroad, in 1869, he laid out, developed and assumed the general management of Bryn Mawr, nine miles from Philadelphia - a project to stimulate suburban travel. He continued this connection until 1886.
It's worth mentioning, that, in 1874, relinquishing his position of chief engineer, William organized the real estate department of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which he headed for ten years until 1884. From 1884 until his death, Wilson was president and director of several roads, leased by the Pennsylvania.
Wilson's writings include "Notes on the Internal Improvements of Pennsylvania" (1879), "A Brief Review of Railroad History from the Earliest Period to the Year 1894" (1895) and "Reminiscences of a Railroad Engineer" (1896), as well as various professional reports.
William married Jane (Millers) Wilson on April 26, 1836. She passed away on May 11, 1898. Their marriage produced three sons and four daughters, among whom were John A. Wilson, Joseph Miller Wilson, Henry W. Wilson, Sarah Havard Wilson and Susan Downing Wilson. Three of William's sons, namely John A. Wilson, Joseph Miller Wilson and Henry W. Wilson followed in their father's footsteps and became engineers. Besides, Joseph Miller and Henry W. founded Wilson Brothers & Company, a prominent Victorian-era architecture and engineering firm, established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that was especially noted for its structural expertise.