William E Stearns, Civil Engineer
I'm trying to find William E. Stearns, Civil Engineer born about 1857 in New York.I first find him in Rutland, Vt. in 1880 living his widowed mother Mary b in NH, and his sister.They were boarding with the county clerk.Next I find William E. Stearns, Civil Engineer in Leavenworth, Kansas 1883 to 1890.He submitted an application for a wrought iron movable bridge in 1888.He was awarded the patent in 1890.He was working for the Missouri Valley Bridge Co. while in Leavenworth.Then he disappears from the Green Directory the information was found in.The Berlin Iron Bridge Co. in Berlin Conn. had use of his patent, or he was on their staff.But, I have never found him in Berlin, Conn.I wrote to the society there and the Berlin Steel Co.He doesn't show in the ancestry indexes for 1900, 1910 or 1920.He was alive in 1905 because my great uncles built one of his bridges in Indiana, and they had to pay for the use of the patent.This rare one-of-a-kind surviving bridge is down and being restored and will be put back up next year this time in Delphi, Indiana.I would like very much to find relatives or descendants of William E. Stearns.Any information will be appreciated by all of us.