John Wolfe Ambrose

Who was John Wolfe Ambrose?

John Wolfe Ambrose was a poor Irish immigrant boy who grew up to be a brilliant engineer and developer. Because of his efforts, channels within and leading into the New York Harbor were deepened and widened, to handle the largest transatlantic ships, thus allowing New York's commercial economy to boom.

In 1852, John and his family sailed to America and settled in New York. He was educated at New York University and Princeton University, with the intention of becoming a Presbyterian minister. However, upon graduating in 1862, he decided to work as a newspaper reporter for the Citizens' Reform Association.

A short time later, Ambrose became associated with a noted contractor, John Brown, who was responsible for the city's street cleaning. Under Brown's tutelage, Ambrose acquired the necessary knowledge of the Street Cleaning Department so that later when Mayor Hugh Grant decided to reorganize the Department, it was Ambrose who prepared a plan which was later adopted by the city. The plan involved subdividing the city into a district-block system, using uniformed street cleaners, and removing street garbage with hand carts.