Kenneth Allen Papers, 1869-1888.

Biographical Note

Kenneth Allen, C.E. (Sherburn, Mass.,) son of Edward A. H. and Eugenia S. (Tenlon) Allen, was born in New Bedford, Mass., April 6, 1857. He remained at New Bedford until the summer of 1872, when he went To Madison, Wis., and spent a year in the preparatory school of the University of Wisconsin. The next year was spent at the West Newton (Mass.) English and Classical School which he left to enter the Institute in 1874. Career projects are as follows:

1875 -1877, Boston Water Works, Sudbury River, Framingham, MA.

April 1879 - September 1879, Lawrence, MA.

Sep. 1879 - Feb. 1881, Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad

February 1881 - May 1881, Missouri Pacific Railroad, Mineola, Texas

May 1881 - May 1882, Building Dept., Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, Topeka, KS

May, 1882 - May 1883, Pittsburg, McKeesport & Youghiogheny Railroad, Pittsburg, PA

May 1883, Philadelphia Water Department of Surveys, Philadelphia, PA

1886, Civil Engineer, iron and steel structures, Kansas City, MO.

Member of Engineers Society Western Pennsylvania, (resigned January, 1884), Rensselaer Society of Engineers, and Engineers Club of Philadelphia.

Married, 1886, Rose Switzer, of Philadelphia, PA.

(from Henry B. Nason's Biographical Record of the Officers and Graduates of RPI, 1823-1886)

Scope and Content Note

The Kenneth Allen Papers include an interesting array of student notebooks. The engineering notebook contains not only a section dealing with surveying, structures, tunnels, hydraulics, water work and machinery, but also includes miscellaneous notes on botany, astronomy, philosophy, physiology, physics, biology, etc. The drawing notebooks contain exercises in perspective, drafting, topography, etc. performed in pencil, pen, or watercolors. The notes and problem notebook include a variety of exercises and notes on calculus, electricity, mechanics, moment of inertia, resistance of materials, astronomy, waterwheels, etc. The account books contain accounts before, during, and after Allen's attendance at RPI. In addition, the 1869-1877 volume includes miscellaneous notes on surveying, travel, books and duck hunting.

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