John Bogart

For the baseball player, seeJohn Bogart (baseball).

John Bogart(February 8, 1836Albany, New York– April 25, 1920Manhattan,New York City) was an American civil engineer fromNew York.He was appointed and elected to numerous public positions in the New York City metropolitan area. He also served at the state level, for instance asNew York State Engineer and Surveyorfrom 1888 to 1891. As a consulting engineer, he participated in numerous large-scale projects across the country, ranging from parks to bridges and dams.

Biography

Bogart was the son of John Henry Bogart, a merchant of Albany and New York City, and his wife, and the great-grandson ofHenry Bogart.He was educated atThe Albany Academyand graduated with anM.A.degree fromRutgers Collegein 1853.

After spending a summer with the engineer corps of theNew York Central Railroad,Bogart decided to become an engineer. He began engineering work with the enlargement of theErie Canalas second assistant engineer from 1856 to 1858. He was assistant engineer on the construction ofCentral Parkin New York City.

From December 1861 to July 1866, Bogart was with theUnion Armyin an engineering capacity. During this time, he was stationed atFortress Monroeand was in charge of the fort at theRip Raps, Virginia.

In 1866, Bogart was appointed engineer in charge of construction, and in 1870 as chief engineer of the Park Commission of Brooklyn. From 1872 to 1877, he served as chief engineer of the New York City Department of Public Parks.

In 1870, he married Emma Cherrington Jefferis.

From 1877 on, Bogart was engaged as engineer for many important enterprises, such as the municipal works atNew Orleans,Chicago,NashvilleandBaltimore,the parks inAlbany, New York,the Public State Grounds atNashville,the West Side parks ofChicagoand the park system ofEssex County, New York.He was the constructing engineer ofWashington Bridgeand consulting engineer of the Niagara Falls Power Co., the Atlantic Electric and Water Power Co., the Rapid Transit Commission and of the New York State Board of Health.

From 1886 to 1887, Bogart was the deputy state engineer underElnathan Sweet.He occupied the office ofState Engineer and Surveyorfrom 1888 to 1891, elected on theDemocraticticket in1887and1889.After his term, he resumed his practice as consulting engineer in New York. Among his projects was designing theHales Bar Dampowerhouse and dam on theTennessee Riverfor a private power company, completed in 1913.

Bogart was a member of theAmerican Society of Civil Engineersand theInstitution of Civil Engineersof Great Britain. He served as alieutenant coloneland chief engineer of theNew York National Guard.

Bogart died frompneumoniaon April 26, 1920 at his home at 640Madison AvenueinManhattan.

Further reading

• [1]Political Graveyard
• Engineers' bios, at Rochester history