Loammi Baldwin
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Colonel Loammi Baldwin (January 10, 1744-October 20, 1807) was a noted American engineer, politician, and a soldier in the American Revolutionary War. His five sons, Cyrus Baldwin(1773-1854), Benjamin Franklin Baldwin(1777-1821), Loammi Baldwin, Jr.(1780-1834), James Fowle Baldwin(1782-1862), and George Rumford Baldwin(1798-1888) were also well-known engineers.
Baldwin is known as the Father of American Civil Engineering. He surveyed and was responsible for the construction of the Middlesex Canal; but today he is perhaps best remembered for the Baldwin apple which he developed at his farm, or rather he recognized its potential and propagated it throughout the northeast. At the time it was known as the Woodpecker, having been discovered on the farm of John Ball in Wilmington, Mass, around 1750, and named Woodpecker by a later owner of the farm. Colonel Baldwin's promotion of the apple occurred after 1784. He was also a surveyor and plantation co-owner in Hartford, Maine, which at that time was known as East Butterfield, Mass. (Source: The Apples of NY (1905), and Lorraine Parsons in Hartford, Maine)
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[edit] Education
Baldwin attended grammar school in Woburn, Massachusetts. Later he would walk from North Woburn to Cambridge with his younger friend and childhood neighbor, Benjamin Thompson, later Count Rumford, to attend the lectures of Professor John Winthrop at Harvard College. He and Thompson would then perform their own experiments when back at home. Baldwin received a Master of Arts degree from Harvard in 1785.
[edit] Military Career in the American Revolution
In 1774 Baldwin enlisted in a regiment, and commanded the Woburn militia at the Battle of Lexington and Concord as a major. At the beginning of the war he enlisted in the 26th Continental Regiment commanded by Colonel Samuel Gerrish. Here he rapidly advanced to be lieutenant-colonel, and upon Colonel Gerrish's retirement in August 1775, he was placed at the head of the regiment, and was soon commissioned its colonel.
Till the end of 1775, Colonel Baldwin and his men remained near Boston, but in April 1776, he was ordered with his command to New York City. On that memorable night of December 25, 1776, in the face of a violent and extremely cold storm of snow and hail, General Washington and his army crossed the Delaware to the New Jersey side, and fought the Battle of Trenton. Baldwin and his regiment participated in both the crossing and the fight. In 1777, Baldwin resigned from the army because of ill health.
[edit] Political Career
He was subsequently elected to various public offices between 1780 and 1796. He was appointed high sheriff of Middlesex County in 1780, and was the first to hold office after the adoption of the state constitution. In 1778, 1779, and 1780, and the four following years, he represented Woburn in the Massachusetts General Court. In 1794, he was a candidate for election to the United States House of Representatives, and obtained all the votes cast in Woburn but one.
[edit] Engineering Career
Loammi began work often with his older sons on the Middlesex Canal in 1794 and after 9 years of work the canal began service in 1803. He continued working on the canal and on other projects. These other projects including Boston fortifications. His son Cyrus continued his father's work on the canal as a long time agent for the Middlesex Canal. And son Benjamin worked on the Boston Mill Dam for Perkins before an early death at age 43 in 1821.
Baldwin was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, contributing two papers. He opposed Shays' Rebellion. His fine mansion originally built in 1660 and expanded in the 1800's, Baldwin House, still exists in Woburn. Currently in use as a Chinese restaurant the building needs painting and refurbishment.
[edit] Family
Loammi married first on July 9, 1772, Mary Fowle(died 1786 age 39) daughter of James Fowle,Jr.and Mary(Reed)Fowle and had four sons. Loammi married second, May 26,1791, Margaret Fowle(1747-1799), daughter of Josiah and Margery(Carter)Fowle and had a son and daughter: Clarissa(1791-1841) who married Thomas B.Coolidge in 1812 and George Rumford Baldwin(1798-1888).
[edit] References
- Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts. By William Richard Cutter, William Frederick Adams, published 1910. Loammi Baldwin Sr. article in volume 1 page 575.
- Ancient Middlesex with Brief Biographical Sketches of the Men who Have Served the County. By Levi Swanton Gould, Loammi Baldwin article on page 26.
- Transcript of Epitaphs in Woburn First and Second Burial Grounds, Compiled by William Richard Cutter, Edward Francis Johnson, published 1890, page 56, item 267.
- The Old Middlesex Canal by Mary Stetson Clarke, published 1974 The Hilltop Press, 191 pages. Page 19 for Baldwin biography,
[edit] External Links
- Nice Web version of the Baldwin article from Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts by W.R.Cutter published 1908, pages 9-22 of [Volume 1, also see Volume 2,Volume 3, Volume 4.
- Baldwin, Loammi, 1740-1807. Papers: Guide at Harvard University.
- Baldwin Family Papers at the University of Michigan.
- Towpath Topics with biographies on the Baldwins.
