William Wheelwright
Encyclopedia
William Wheelwright was a businessman who played an essential role in the development of steamboat
and train transportation in Chile
and other parts of South America
. In 1838, with help from the Chilean government
, he founded the Pacific Steam Navigation Company
which commenced operations on October 15, 1840 and provided commercial sea access to cities such as Valparaíso and El Callao.
on March 16, 1798. Wheelwright lived in a house on High Street and attended public school until he was about twelve years of age, when he was sent to Andover Academy
, where he completed his education.
Wheelwright's father was a shipmaster in early life, William soon manifested a desire to pursue the same vocation. He shipped as cabin boy on board a vessel bound to the West Indies and during the next two or three years he rose rapidly to the rank of captain in 1817, when he was only nineteen years of age.
In 1823, he was in command of the ship Rising Empire, owned by William Bartlett
, when the vessel was wrecked off the coast of South America
, near the mouth of the Río de La Plata
. The captain and crew reached shore in safety after twenty-four hours' exposure in an open boat. One man was lost.
On his arrival at Buenos Aires
, Wheelwright obtained a position as supercargo
of a vessel about to sail for Valparaiso
. The voyage took four or five months to complete using the route around Cape Horn. Interested in studying the business opportunities on the west coast of South America, he traveled to Guayaquil
, the seaport of Colombia
, where he decided to remain. In 1825, he was appointed United States consul at that port. Three years later, he left his business in the hands of his partner and returned to his home in Newburyport via the Isthmus of Panama
. He had been absent six years.
He married Martha Gerrish of Newburyport on February 10, 1829, and returned with her to Guayaquil. Wheelwright discovered that nearly all his property had been lost during his absence, through the negligence and mismanagement of his partner. He decided to return to Valparaiso, and bought a small vessel, which he named Fourth of July, which he put to work transporting specie and bullion from port to port along the coast.
was formed with a capital of £250,000. Two steamers, each of seven hundred tons register, were built in 1840 and ordered to proceed through the straits of Magellan to the ports of Valparaiso and Callao
.
After the arrival of these steamers on the Pacific coast Wheelwright discovered the difficulty of procuring coal and the impossibility of providing for unexpected repairs. These obstacles were surmounted, and steam communication was established with Europe.
to Copiapó
, and extended it nearly 40 miles into the interior of Chile.
In 1841, he became interested in a plan to unite Valparaiso
and Buenos Aires
by rail over the mountain range that separates Chile from Argentina
. The survey work was completed in 1859; but the Chilean government considered the difficulties too great to be successfully overcome, and the enterprise was abandoned.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
and train transportation in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and other parts of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. In 1838, with help from the Chilean government
President of Chile
The President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...
, he founded the Pacific Steam Navigation Company
Pacific Steam Navigation Company
The Pacific Steam Navigation Company was a commercial shipping company that operated in the Pacific coast of South America, and was the first to use steam ships for commercial traffic in the Pacific Ocean.-History:...
which commenced operations on October 15, 1840 and provided commercial sea access to cities such as Valparaíso and El Callao.
Early life
William Wheelwright, son of Ebenezer and Anna (Coombs) Wheelwright, was born in Newburyport, MassachusettsNewburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
on March 16, 1798. Wheelwright lived in a house on High Street and attended public school until he was about twelve years of age, when he was sent to Andover Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
, where he completed his education.
Wheelwright's father was a shipmaster in early life, William soon manifested a desire to pursue the same vocation. He shipped as cabin boy on board a vessel bound to the West Indies and during the next two or three years he rose rapidly to the rank of captain in 1817, when he was only nineteen years of age.
In 1823, he was in command of the ship Rising Empire, owned by William Bartlett
William Bartlett
William Bartlett may refer to:*William Francis Bartlett , Union major general during the American Civil War*William Henry Bartlett , British artist...
, when the vessel was wrecked off the coast of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, near the mouth of the Río de La Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
. The captain and crew reached shore in safety after twenty-four hours' exposure in an open boat. One man was lost.
On his arrival at Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Wheelwright obtained a position as supercargo
Supercargo
Supercargo is a term in maritime law that refers to a person employed on board a vessel by the owner of cargo carried on the ship...
of a vessel about to sail for Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
. The voyage took four or five months to complete using the route around Cape Horn. Interested in studying the business opportunities on the west coast of South America, he traveled to Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, the seaport of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, where he decided to remain. In 1825, he was appointed United States consul at that port. Three years later, he left his business in the hands of his partner and returned to his home in Newburyport via the Isthmus of Panama
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
. He had been absent six years.
He married Martha Gerrish of Newburyport on February 10, 1829, and returned with her to Guayaquil. Wheelwright discovered that nearly all his property had been lost during his absence, through the negligence and mismanagement of his partner. He decided to return to Valparaiso, and bought a small vessel, which he named Fourth of July, which he put to work transporting specie and bullion from port to port along the coast.
Steamship line
In 1835, he commenced the great task of establishing a line of steamers between the republics of Peru and Chile and Europe. He went to England in 1837 to raise funds, and in 1838 the Pacific Steam Navigation CompanyPacific Steam Navigation Company
The Pacific Steam Navigation Company was a commercial shipping company that operated in the Pacific coast of South America, and was the first to use steam ships for commercial traffic in the Pacific Ocean.-History:...
was formed with a capital of £250,000. Two steamers, each of seven hundred tons register, were built in 1840 and ordered to proceed through the straits of Magellan to the ports of Valparaiso and Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
.
After the arrival of these steamers on the Pacific coast Wheelwright discovered the difficulty of procuring coal and the impossibility of providing for unexpected repairs. These obstacles were surmounted, and steam communication was established with Europe.
Railroads
Wheelwright built the first South American railroad from CalderaCaldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
to Copiapó
Copiapó
Copiapó is a city in northern Chile, located about 40 miles east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region....
, and extended it nearly 40 miles into the interior of Chile.
In 1841, he became interested in a plan to unite Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
and Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
by rail over the mountain range that separates Chile from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The survey work was completed in 1859; but the Chilean government considered the difficulties too great to be successfully overcome, and the enterprise was abandoned.
External links
- Newburyport Vital Records and History
- The Life and Industrial Labors of William Wheelwright in South America by Juan Bautista Alberdi, published 1877, 213 pages.
- South America: A Popular Illustrated History of the Struggle for Independence by the Andean Republics and Cuba by Hezekiah Butterworth, published 1898, 266 pages. Chapter 15 William Wheelwright and the Industrial Heroes, page 154.
- Ould Newbury: Historical and Biographical Sketches by John James Currier, published 1896, 729 pages. William Wheelwright article page 651.
- Observations on the Isthmus of Panama by William Wheelwright, published 1844, 31 pages.