pioneer surveyor, engineer, b. Perry County, Pa. He studied surveying and engineering at Washington College in Pennsylvania, and in 1836 moved to Wisconsin, settling in Milwaukee where he was a surveyor for a number of years. In 1852 he moved to Appleton, and in 1855 purchased a tract of land along the Fox River that included Grand Chute Island. Recognizing the potential water power around the island, West constructed a small water-power canal in 1858, and in 1870 built a canal through the entire island. For several years this canal supplied power for much of the industry of the community. West spent most of the remainder of his life in Appleton, and was a trustee of Lawrence College (1856-1867, 1885-1896). Columbian Biog. Dict. . . . Wis. (Chicago, 1895); Milwaukee Evening Wis., May 27, 1903.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Edward West Indian Dictionary for details. See also the Edward West Letter.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]