Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/389

 HOUSTON

HOUSTON

Harper's Ferry, Fort Hudson and the Red River campaign, during the civil war, and he received brevets of captain, major, lieutenant-colonel and colonel for gallant and meritorious conduct. After the war he had charge of constructing defences and improvements at San Francisco, Willets Point, Boston, Narragansett bay, and the harbors and rivers of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, New York, Indiana and Illi- nois. He was promoted major, March 7. 1867 ; lieutenant-colonel June 30, 1882, and colonel July 2. 1889. He died in New York city, May 18, 1893. HOUSTON, Edwin James, electrical engineer, was born at Alexandria, Va., July 9, 184-4 ; son of John Mason and Mary (Larmour) Houston, and grandson of James and Ann (Watkins) Hous- ton. His grandfather Houston was a fellow of Trinity college, Dublin. Edwin James Houston received his education at the Cen- tral High school of Pliiladelphia. and af- '^ terward studied for a

short time at Heidel- berg and Berlin. He \ became professor and

"i professor emeritus of "'" physical geography

f yr • /t i^ .A — and natural philoso-

'^ phy at the Central

High school, Phila- delphia, Pa., and in 1879 professor cf physics at the Franklin Institute. He engaged in elec- trical engineering ; was chief electrician of the International Electrical exhibition in 1884, and president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, 1893-95. He became known as an electrical expert and was consulting electrical engineer of the firm of Houston &KennelIy, and one of the inventors of the Thomson-Houston system of arc lighting. He was elected a mem- ber of the American Philosophical society, Jan. 19, 1872. He received the degree of Ph.D. from the College of New Jersey, Princeton, in 1894. He is the author of : Elements of Physical Geog- raphy ; Dictionary of Electrical Words, Terms and Phrases ; Elements of Physics : Easy Lessons in Natural Philosophy ; Intermediate Lessons in Natural Philosophy ; The Elements of Chemistry ; A Short Course in Chemistry : Outlines of For- estry ; and. in connection with his partner. Dr. Kennelly : Elecfro-Di/namic Machinery : Electri- cal Engineering Leaflets, in three grades : Algebra Made Easy ; The hiterpretation of Mathematical Formulce ; Electricity Made Easy ; Recent Types of Dynamo-Electric Machinery. He was un- married, residing in 1901 in Philadelphia Pa.

HOUSTON, George Smith, governor of Ala- bama, was born in Williamson county, Tenn., Jan. 17, 1811. His parents removed to Limestone county, Ala., and he was educated at Athens and was admitted to the bar in 1831. He was a state representative for two terms ; state's attorney for the Flor- ence judicial district, 1836 : and a repre- sentative in the 27tli, 28th, 29th and 30th congresses, 1841-48, and in the 32d, 33d, 34th, 35th and 36th congresses, 1851-61. He served as chair- man of the connnit- tee on judiciary, on that of ways and means, and on the special committee of

thirty-three. He retired from congress when the state of Alabama seceded. In 1865 he was elected to the U.S. senate, but was not allowed to take his seat. He was a delegate to the Philadelphia National Union convention of 1866. and was governor of Alabama, 1874-78. He died in Athens, Ala., Dec. 31, 1879.

HOUSTON, Henry Howard, philanthropist, was born near Wrightsville, Pa.. Oct. 3, 1820; son of Samuel Nelson and Susan (Strickler) Houston, and grandson of Dr. John and Susanna (Wright) Houston and of Col. Jacob Strickler. His first ancestors in America came from Scot- land to Pennsylvania about 1725 and settled in Lancaster county. His paternal grandfather re- ceived his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and served throughout the Revolutionary war as a surgeon. Henry H. Houston attended the schools of Wrightsville and Columbia, Pa., and engaged first in mercantile pursuits, later becoming connected with iron fur- naces in Clarion and Venango county. Pa. In 1847 he engaged in canal and railroad transporta- tion in Philadelphia as clerk, resigning his posi- tion in 1850 to organize and manage the freight line of tlie Pennsylvania Railroad company be- tween Philadelphia and Pittsburg. He was ap- pointed general freight agent of the company, Nov. 23, 1852. which position he held until July 1, 1867, wlien he was obliged to resign on account of ill health. He was a director in many railroad and transportation companies, was one of the early investors in the Pennsylvania petroleum fields, and was interested in western gold mines. He was a prominent member of the Protestant Episcopal church and built at Wissahickon Heights, Philadelphia, at an expense of $50,000.