Knight was an important surveyor and engineer in western Pennsylvania. He was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on 11/22/1787. His parents moved to East Bethlehem Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1801 and moved their memberships to Westland. After school, Knight became a civil engineer, a fairly rare position to hold at that time. In 1816, the state appointed Knight to map Washington County. Knight served a three-year term as county commissioner, followed by a time in the state house of representatives (1822-1828). He assisted in the preliminary surveys of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and the National Road between Cumberland, Md., and Wheeling, Va. (now West Virginia). Knight went to England to pursue his engineering career, returning home in 1830. Upon his return, Knight was appointed chief engineer of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co., serving until 1842. In 1843, he sought the Whig nomination for the state canal commission, a publicly elected position, losing the nomination at the Whig state convention. Knight farmed most of the remainder of his life and served as secretary of the first agricultural society organized in Washington County. He served a term in the U.S. House from 1855 to 1857 and was an unsuccessful candidate for that position in 1856 and 1858.
Knight held several posts in Westland MM and Redstone QM but became associated with the Gurneyites in 1854. He served as Clerk of the Men's Gurneyite Redstone QM 1854-1855. He died on 11/22/1858 (his birthday); interment in Westland Cemetery, near West Brownsville, Washington County, Pa. See his biography (attached) for more information.
Sources: EAQG 4:43-44 |
