William Jackson

William Jackson (March 13, 1848 – June 30, 1910) an American civil engineer. He served as the city engineer of Boston, Massachusetts, from 1885 to 1910 and was responsible for a number of major bridges in the city, including the Harvard Bridge, Longfellow Bridge, and Charlestown Bridge.

Biography

Jackson was born in Brighton, Massachusetts, to Samuel and Mary Wright (Field) Jackson. He was educated at the public schools of Brighton and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he took the full course with the Class of 1868 but left without degree on May 4, 1868, when he received employment on the staff of the City Engineer of Boston. His first work was on the construction of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir of the Boston Water-Works. In 1870, he became Engineer for the Town of Brighton, and also engaged in private practice until Brighton was annexed to Boston in 1873, when he again entered the office of the Boston City Engineer. During the next three years, he was engaged on various works, including surveys for the introduction of water into Brighton and West Roxbury. From 1876 to 1885, he was Assistant Engineer on the Boston Main Drainage Works, an important and difficult engineering undertaking.

In April 1885, upon his predecessor's death, Jackson was appointed City Engineer, which position he occupied continuously until his death.

He married Mary Stuart MacCorry on April 27, 1886, and they had one child.

He died from appendicitis at his home in Brighton on June 30, 1910.

Notable works Charlestown Bridge Harvard Bridge Longfellow Bridge Northern Avenue Bridge