From collection Creating Acadia National Park: The George B. Dorr Research Archive of Ronald H. Epp
 
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Cogswell, Joseph G. 1781-1871
Cogswell, Joseph G. 1786 1871
11
Cogswell
Cogswell
who had accompa-
Cong., 3 Sess., 232-35 and 32I. For the burial of Cog-
professor of mineralogy and geology. He re-
geshall and his daughter at Columbus, see Ohio State
ates and served as
Jour., Oct. 19, 1870.]
classified the library, following Göttingen as a
R.L.R.
yas practically in
model, and was eager to introduce further im-
(COGSWELL, JOSEPH GREEN (Sept. 27,
Aug. 2, 1867, he
1786-Nov. 26, 1871), teacher and librarian, was
provements (Life as Sketched in Letters, pp.
Quito.
His
body
the son of Francis and Anstis (Manning) Cogs-
133-35), but, discouraged by lack of support and
rated ground, but
understanding on the part of the College gov-
well and was born in Ipswich, Mass., where his
ccurred soon after-
immigrant ancestor, John Cogswell, had settled
ernment, he resigned in 1823, and with George
placed in a public
Bancroft [q.v.] established the Round Hill
soon after having been wrecked off Pemaquid in
of both Cogge-
School in Northampton, Mass., a school well
died at Guaya-
1635. His father died in 1793. Cogswell was
educated at the grammar school in Ipswich and
known for its strict but kindly discipline, its
returned to the
thorough instruction on the plan of the German
spense, and buried
at Phillips Exeter Academy. He entered Har-
gymnasium, and the vigorous outdoor life and
vard College at sixteen and graduated in 1806.
manly spirit it fostered. Financial difficulties
From 1807 to 1809 he studied law under Fisher
essed himself gen-
Ames and Judge Prescott, but a restless disposi-
brought the school to an end in 1834.) Hoping to
naturally into a
tion and a love of travel led him to engage in a
free himself from debt, Cogswell took charge of
hg In his contro-
succession of mercantile ventures in Southern
a boys' school in Raleigh, N. C., but ill health
however, he was
and lack of sympathy with Southern habits and
Europe, 1809-II, in which he experienced dan-
ectively in support
standards turned him again to the North after
gers from bandits and pirates and from the con-
amphlets and ap-
two years.
fiscation of ships and cargoes in Naples.
terest in his tract,
On Apr. I7, 1812 he married Mary F. Gilman,
From 1836 to 1838 he lived in the family of his
Writing
and Spell-
friend Samuel Ward in New York and tutored
orks;
like his Lin-
daughter of Gov. John T. Gilman, of New Hamp-
compilations.
shire, and began the practise of law in Belfast,
his children. At the former's suggestion he
Me. His wife dying in July 1813, he gave up the
bought an interest in the quarterly New York
55 - was awkward
Review to which he had already contributed a
law and for two years was tutor in Latin at Har-
made some at-
long anonymous article on "National Education"
blood and tears
vard, but resigned on account of ill health. The
(July 1838). He partly edited the number for
ncerned to a con-
next five years (1815-20) were spent for the
The Protective
most part in travel and study in Europe. At Göt-
January 1839, soon after became sole proprietor,
and conducted the Review until it was discon-
plea for section-
tingen (1817), Cogswell with Edward Everett
tinued with the number for April 1842. While
terature, was, in
and George Ticknor [qq.v.] constituted the first
group of American scholars to resort to a Ger-
with the Wards he formed an acquaintance with
was by far his
and Poetry of
man university (T. W. Higginson in Harvard
John Jacob Astor [q.v.], and, gaining his respect
Graduates' Magazine, VI, 1897, 6-18) At this
and confidence, became his adviser with regard
anthology for
biographical
time he became somewhat intimate with Goethe,
to the public library which Astor proposed to
establish in New York. Until Astor's death in
writers
with whom he corresponded for several years.
1848 Cogswell continued in close association
evertheless a
It was evidently due to his high regard for Cogs-
with the old man, who kept him occupied in buy-
the first of
well that Goethe presented a set of his works to
Harvard in 1819 (Mackall, post). During the
ing books and making plans but never succeeded
inned, which
following years (1817-20) in Italy, Switzer-
in arriving at final decisions and in establishing
literature
the library. In 1848, the trustees having organ-
thought, the
land, France, and England, Cogswell was in close
ized, Cogswell was appointed superintendent and
Griswold and
touch with the best society and with literary
devoted himself to the purchase of books (in-
The Pro-
men. Having intimate relations with Israel
disciple of
Thorndike, a wealthy Boston merchant, whose
volving four visits to Europe), to the erection of
with James
son was under his care, he was instrumental in
the building (opened in January 1854, with a
a pioneer
purchasing for the Harvard Library in 1818 the
stock of 90,000 volumes), and to the preparation
valuable American library of C. D. Ebeling, the
of printed catalogues, the latter a task which he
literature for
librarian of Hamburg. In 1819 (February,
performed almost entirely by himself. The pre-
ailed, notice
March) he contributed to Blackwood's Edin-
liminary Alphabetical Index to the Astor Li-
literary Cul-
burgh Magazine two anonymous essays: "On
brary
and of the Proposed Accessions
considerable
shall's wid-
the Means of Education and the State of Learn-
(1851), was not only compiled entirely by Cogs-
and Hist.
ing in the United States of America," and "On
well, but was also printed privately at his per-
and dia-
to Cogge-
the State of Learning in the United States of
sonal expense. He occupied rooms in the Li-
America." (These were reviewed, in the North
brary and his labors were unceasing. In De-
on-in-law,
has sup-
American Review for September 1819 by Sidney
cember 1861, at the age of seventy-five, he re-
events of
1867;
Willard, who considered them a gross exaggera-
signed, being unable longer to perform his duties
Reposi-
tion of American deficiencies. Returning to
to his own satisfaction, yet within a year he un-
Cong.,
Globe,
America in the fall of 1820, Cogswell was ap-
dertook the compilation of a supplement to the
pointed librarian of the Harvard Library and
catalogue, which demanded long days of persis-
273
Cogswell
Cogswell
tent work and was not completed until October
ied civil engineering at the Rensselaer Polytech-
1866. On his trips abroad in the interests of the
nic Institute for three years, but left in 1852
library he had gratified a taste for art by accu-
without a degree. In 1884, however, the Insti-
mulating for himself a collection of drawings of
tute conferred upon him the degree of C.E. After
the old masters (see Original Drawings by the
his work at Rensselaer he spent three years as an
Old Masters: The Collection formed by Joseph
apprentice in machine-shops at Lawrence, Mass.,
Green Cogswell 1786-1871 ; with Introduction
and from then until 1860 he was actively en-
and notes by George S. Hellman, 1915).
gaged in responsible positions in foundries or
Having built a house in Cambridge for a be-
machine-shops where his mechanical engineer-
loved niece of his wife (Mrs. David G. Haskins),
ing abilities were marked. During the Civil War
he made his home there when not visiting his
he held an appointment as civil engineer in the
friends. In June 1871 he went for the last time
United States navy, He fitted out five repair
to New York to advise the trustees of the Astor
shops for stations on the Atlantic seaboard, as-
Library on the selection of a new librarian. He
sembled equipment, and then converted an old
died in Cambridge, in November of that year,
whaler into a floating machine-shop, of which
and was buried in Ipswich, his birthplace. His
he took command. This enabled warships to be
later years were made happy by the loyalty and
repaired without leaving the spots where they
affection of his former Round Hill pupils and
were participating in blockades of Southern
other old-time friends, who appreciated his in-
ports. In 1862 Cogswell was transferred to the
tellectual hospitality, his quick and keen percep-
Brooklyn Navy Yard where he remained until
tions, his wide attainments in literature and bibli-
1866. After the war, supervisior of the construc-
ography, and his firm principles of duty.
tion and operation of the blast furnáces of the
[An intimate view of Cogswell is given in the private-
Franklin Iron Works in Oneida County and
ly printed volume, Life of Jos. Green Cogswell as
Sketched in His Letters (1874), ed. by Anna Eliot Tick-
the completion of the Clifton Suspension Bridge
nor; the earlier portion of his life is well told in T.
at Niagara Falls occupied him until 1873.
Waters, "Augustine Heard and His Friends" (i.e., G.
It is because of his share in the introduction
Cogswell and Daniel Treadwell), Ipswich Hist. Soc.
Pubs., No. 21 (1916) and the later portion in H. M. Ly-
into this country of the Solvay Process of manu-
denberg, Hist. of the N. Y. Pub. Lib. (1923), pp. I-55.
facturing soda, however, that Cogswell is best
For an account of the Round Hill School, see the Pro-
spectus of a School to Be Established at Round Hill,
known. His interest in "things under the earth"
Northampton (1823) ; Some Account of the School for
was awakened in 1874, when he was placed in
the Liberal Education of Boys Established on Round
charge of some lead mines at Mine La Motte,
Hill (1826), by Cogswell and Bancroft ; and Cogswell's
Outline of the System of Education at the Round Hill
Mo. In 1879, at a meeting of the American In-
School (1831) also J. S. Bassett in Proc. Am. Antiq.
stitute of Mining Engineers, he heard a paper
Soc., n.s., XXVII (1917), 18-62 and F. C. Shattuck
by Oswald J. Heinrich/or "The Manufacture of
in Proc. Mass. Hist. Soc., LVII (1924), 205-09.
Glimpses of Cogswell's life are found in Geo. Ticknor's
Soda by the Ammonia Process" (Transactions,
Life, Letters and Journals (1876). His relations with
VII, 294 ff.). He conceived the idea of applying
Goethe are treated by Leonard L. Mackall in Goethe-
Jahrbuch, 1904, and in Essays Offered to Herbert Put-
the process patented by the Solvay brothers of
nam by His Colleagues and Friends (1929), ed. by Wm.
Brussels to the exploitation of the salt lands of
Warner Bishop and Andrew Keogh ; see also Goethes
Onondaga County, N. Y. Going to Europe, he
Gespräche, ed. by von Biedermann (5 vols., 1909-11),
with further notes by Mackall. Other references are
succeeded in persuading Ernest and Alfred Sol-
noted in A. C. Potter and C. K. Bolton, "The Librarians
vay of the soundness of his plan, and became
of Harvard College," Harv. Univ. Bibliog. Contribu-
tions, no. 52 (1897), p. 36, and in H. M. Lydenberg, "A
treasurer and general manager of the Solvay
Forgotten Trail Blazer," in Essays Offered to Herbert
Process Company formed in 1881. Later he be-
Putnam.]
W.C.L.
came its vice-president and managing director.
COGSWELL, WILLIAM BROWNE (Sept.
His company became the largest manufacturer
22, 1834-June 7, 1921), mining engineer, was
in the United States of soda ash and its deriva-
born at Oswego, N. Y., the son of David and
tives, and the production of soda became one of
Mary (Barnes) Cogswell. His parents moved
the major industries of Onondaga County. It
to Syracuse when he was four years old. His
was largely due to Cogswell's personal effort
early education was acquired in private schools
(and/ in the face of much opposition) that the
at Syracuse and Seneca Falls and at Hamilton
vein/ of rock salt, fifty to a hundred feet in thick-
Academy. When he was about twelve years old he
ness, and 1,200 feet below the surface, was located
took some lessons in architecture under Luther
twenty-two miles south of Syracuse at Tully.
Gifford of Syracuse and plans drawn by Cogs-
He was interested also in other local enterprises,
well were used for the Globe Hotel, erected in
especially in the development of the Hannawa
Syracuse in 1846-47. His fourteenth year was
Falls Power Company.
spent with a railroad surveyor's party. He stud-
Cogswell built the Hospital of the Good Shep-
274
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Cogswell, Joseph G. 1781-1871
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Series 2
 
                     
                