Emily E. Tassey

Emily Evans Tassey (née Rowland, 1823 –1899) was a 19th century American inventor. Tassey earned patents for five inventions, all related to marine propulsion technology from 1876 to 1880.

They include improved apparatus for raising sunken vessels, improvements in siphon propeller pumps and a dredging machine. Tassey was one of a small group of women during the nineteenth century who specialized in machine inventions.

Biography Emily Evans Rowland was born on December 15, 1823, to a father who was a merchant and owner of a textile mill, a general store and a post office in the town of McKeesport, located east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Emily was educated as a teacher at Steubenville Seminary in Ohio and was a teacher in the McKeesport School prior to being married It is possible she turned to invention as a means to support herself and her children.

At the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, Tassey exhibited two of her inventions, improvement in siphon propeller-pumps, 1876, and the siphon propeller-pump inventions, 1880

Unfortunately, Tassey did not gain wealth of fame in her lifetime.

Patents Improvement in apparatus for raising sunken vessels, 1876 Improvement in siphon propeller-pumps, 1876 Improvement in propulsion of vessels, 1876 Improvement in dredging machines, 1876 Siphon propeller-pump, 1880

Collections Improvement in Propulsion of Vessels, December 5, 1876, Patent number: 184,997, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware. Patent illustration, application. Siphon Propeller-Pump, August 3, 1880, Patent number: 230,723, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware.