Aretas Blood
Encyclopedia
Aretas Blood played an important role in the manufacture of early American
railroad steam locomotives.
Blood was born in Weathersfield, Vermont
. At the age of 17, as railroads began to be built in the United States, he was apprenticed
as a blacksmith
. After a few years learning the trade, he moved to Lowell, Massachusetts
, where he was hired by the Locks and Canals Machine Shop. 1849 brought a new title to Blood at a different foundry, when he took the position of "job hand" at the Essex Machine Shop.
At Essex, Blood manufactured locomotive parts. He built up enough of a cash reserve that he was able to purchase a share of the Manchester Locomotive Works
when it opened in 1853. Blood took over the shop superintendent position at Manchester in 1857 when the original superintendent, O. W. Bayley, left the company.
It was Blood's opinion that the locomotives that Manchester produced were too light for the future needs of the railroads. When he took over in 1857, he quickly instigated more substantial locomotive construction at the shop. Through succeeding years, Blood acquired greater principal in the company until he was the majority owner.
Under Blood's tenure, Manchester purchased the fire engine
manufacturing business of Amoskeag Locomotive Works
in 1872. Blood died in 1897, but Manchester continued in his absence, building as many as 1,800 locomotives by 1901.
Blood's wife Lavinia Kendall Blood, founded the Manchester Women's Aid and Relief Society in 1875. They are both interred at Valley Cemetery
in Manchester, New Hampshire
in one of the cemetery's 13 private mausoleums.
Blood's daughter, Elenora Blood Carpenter, married Amoskeag Manufacturing Company
president Frank Pierce Carpenter. Upon her death in 1910, Carpenter donated funds for an elaborate new building for the city's public library
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
railroad steam locomotives.
Blood was born in Weathersfield, Vermont
Weathersfield, Vermont
Weathersfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,788 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.2 square miles , of which 43.8 square miles is land and 0.4 square mile is...
. At the age of 17, as railroads began to be built in the United States, he was apprenticed
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
as a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
. After a few years learning the trade, he moved to Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
, where he was hired by the Locks and Canals Machine Shop. 1849 brought a new title to Blood at a different foundry, when he took the position of "job hand" at the Essex Machine Shop.
At Essex, Blood manufactured locomotive parts. He built up enough of a cash reserve that he was able to purchase a share of the Manchester Locomotive Works
Manchester Locomotive Works
Manchester Locomotive Works was a manufacturing company located in Manchester, New Hampshire, that built steam locomotives in the 19th century. The first locomotive they built was for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in March 1855. In 1901, Manchester and seven other locomotive...
when it opened in 1853. Blood took over the shop superintendent position at Manchester in 1857 when the original superintendent, O. W. Bayley, left the company.
It was Blood's opinion that the locomotives that Manchester produced were too light for the future needs of the railroads. When he took over in 1857, he quickly instigated more substantial locomotive construction at the shop. Through succeeding years, Blood acquired greater principal in the company until he was the majority owner.
Under Blood's tenure, Manchester purchased the fire engine
Fire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
manufacturing business of Amoskeag Locomotive Works
Amoskeag Locomotive Works
The Amoskeag Locomotive Works, located in Manchester, New Hampshire, built steam locomotives at the dawn of the railroad era in the United States....
in 1872. Blood died in 1897, but Manchester continued in his absence, building as many as 1,800 locomotives by 1901.
Blood's wife Lavinia Kendall Blood, founded the Manchester Women's Aid and Relief Society in 1875. They are both interred at Valley Cemetery
Valley Cemetery
The Valley Cemetery is a public cemetery located in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. It is bounded on the east by Pine Street, on the north by Auburn Street, on the west by Willow Street, and on the south by Valley Street, from which it derives its name.It came into existence in 1840, when the...
in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
in one of the cemetery's 13 private mausoleums.
Blood's daughter, Elenora Blood Carpenter, married Amoskeag Manufacturing Company
Amoskeag Manufacturing Company
The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company was a textile manufacturer which founded Manchester, New Hampshire. From modest beginnings in near wilderness, it grew throughout the 19th century into the largest cotton textile plant in the world. At its peak, Amoskeag was unrivaled both for the quality and...
president Frank Pierce Carpenter. Upon her death in 1910, Carpenter donated funds for an elaborate new building for the city's public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
.