Elias Pym Fordham
Encyclopedia
Elias Pym Fordham was the original surveyor of Indianapolis
. He was an English
immigrant to the United States
and author of an American travel memoir.
Elias Pym Fordham was born in eastern England, one of two sons and seven children to Elias and Mary Clapton Fordham. He studied civil engineering under George Stephenson
(inventor of the steam locomotive
).
Fordham came to the US in 1817 with his sister Maria and traveled to Illinois
where he purchased a tract of land known as "the English Prairie".
In April 1821 he along with Alexander Ralston
received joint appointments as surveyors of Indianapolis.
Little else is known of Fordham. He was well educated and articulate as evidenced by his Personal narrative of travels in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky : and of a residence in the Illinois Territory: 1817-1818 which was not published until 1906 (now out of print). He eventually returned to England and continued working on projects with George Stephenson.
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. He was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
immigrant to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and author of an American travel memoir.
Elias Pym Fordham was born in eastern England, one of two sons and seven children to Elias and Mary Clapton Fordham. He studied civil engineering under George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
(inventor of the steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
).
Fordham came to the US in 1817 with his sister Maria and traveled to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
where he purchased a tract of land known as "the English Prairie".
In April 1821 he along with Alexander Ralston
Alexander Ralston
Alexander Ralston was one of two co-architects for the design of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.-Life:Alexander Ralston was born in Scotland in 1771. In Britain he was engineer working for the Baron of Roslin on his estate before immigrating to the United States after the American Revolution...
received joint appointments as surveyors of Indianapolis.
Little else is known of Fordham. He was well educated and articulate as evidenced by his Personal narrative of travels in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky : and of a residence in the Illinois Territory: 1817-1818 which was not published until 1906 (now out of print). He eventually returned to England and continued working on projects with George Stephenson.
External links
- Ogg, Frederic Austin (editor). Personal narrative of travels.., Cleveland: A.H. Clark Co. 1906.