Lincoln Bush
Lincoln Bush was an American civil engineer and inventor who worked on railroads. He was born December 14, 1860, in Palos Township, Illinois. Named for President Abraham Lincoln, he later dropped the name Abraham. He started as a teacher before becoming an engineer and studied at the University of Illinois, earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1888.
Bush worked at several railroads and engineering firms from 1888 to 1903, including the Union Pacific Railroad, the Pittsburg Bridge Company, and the Chicago and North Western Railroad. In 1900 he joined the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and became Chief Engineer in 1903. He led improvements to the line and facilities, and designed the tracks and sheds for the Hoboken Terminal. He created Bush-style train sheds, a modular design using cast iron, steel, and concrete with vents and skylights. He also planned the Lackawanna Cut-Off project.
Bush left DL&W in 1909 to start Flickwir and Bush. As president and chief engineer, he oversaw the construction of the Tunkhannock Viaduct, the world’s largest concrete structure at the time. During World War I he served as a Colonel in the Army Quartermaster Corps, designing ports, warehouses, arsenals, and other facilities. After the war, he helped form Bush, Roberts & Schaefer Company, focusing on concrete bridges, elevated tracks, piers, and other engineering work.
He held leadership roles in professional groups, including president of the University of Illinois Alumni Association of New York and director of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He married Alma Rosetta Green in 1890, and they had two sons, Cedric and Denzil. The family lived in East Orange, New Jersey. Lincoln Bush died December 10, 1940.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:48 (CET).