188:. In an 1804 Trustee meeting, the Committee on the Orrery presented a contract "with Henry Voigt (or Voight)" of Philadelphia for which he was paid $ 500 in 1807 for the repair of the orrery. The clockmaker Henry Voigt had long been acquainted with Rittenhouse, who was the first director of the United States Mint in Philadelphia, where in 1792 Voigt became chief coiner and first superintendent of the mint. The following inscription is on the face of the orrery: "Invented by David Rittenhouse. A.D. 1768. Repaired and extended by Henry Voigt. A.D. 1806. Both of Philadelphia." On the back side is the name Thomas Voigt, Henry's son who is assumed to have assisted in the work under Henry's direction.
142:
to build additional steamboats were unsuccessful. Fitch later described Voigt's participation. He claimed that the principal part of the original thoughts were his own, but that he could hardly propose anything that Voigt would not make some improvement upon, and that he had left the actual execution of production and fabrication to Voigt. "He is a man most ready of mechanical improvements of any on earth, and I am persuaded that I never could have completed the steamboat without him."
82:, a Nancarrow, and Matlack , all combined, as he is a man of superior Mechanical abilities, and Very considerable Natural Philosophy; and as we have many of the first Geniuses in our Co., perhaps nearly equal to those I have mentioned, it is Certain that he has pointed out more defects than them all, and pointed out ways to remedy those defects, when consternation sat silent in every breast for the disaster."
74:"Mr Voight is a Plain Dutchman who fears no man and will always speak his sentiments which has given offense to some of the Members of our Co., and some of them have effected to have a contemptible an opinion of his Philosophic abilities. It is true he is not a man of Letters nor mathematical Knowledge but for my own part I would depend on him more than a
141:
Although Voigt was married with children, he had an illicit affair with a widow and landlady, Mrs. Mary Krafft. She gave birth to two children by him. Fitch, in an attempt to save Krafft's reputation, married her. This caused a break in the Fitch–Voigt partnership. Afterward, all of Fitch's attempts
137:
In 1791, Fitch and Voigt both applied for jobs in the new United States Mint, hoping that while they held these offices they would have time to perfect the steamboat. In their petition, Voigt was described as perfectly acquainted with all machinery and processes of coining, and capable of making the
94:
1753 idea of a jet propulsion boat could be made practical utilizing a steam driven water pump. Although this appeared to be much simpler and superior to his original paddle driven design, Voigt induced him rightly to give up
Franklin's suggestion and retain his original objectives. Bernoulli's idea
70:
with some of his manufacturing machines. Fitch became acquainted with Voigt the watchmaker and was impressed by his ingenuity. Following several conversations in which Voigt took an interest in the scheme, he had made such sensible suggestions that Fitch offered Voigt a share in the
Company if he
128:
Fitch and Voigt joined together with a few friends in 1790 to try and establish a new religion called the
Universal Society, in which good works would be inspired by a sense of honor rather than by supernatural suspicions and fears. Although the group ended in failure, plans and debates were made
103:
principles. However, he was only able to obtain speeds of about 3 miles per hour, whereas Fitch and Voigt ultimately obtained speeds of about 6 to 8 miles per hour. The first suggestion Voigt made was that they build a working model steam engine. When completed, it was the first steam engine that
50:
that in 1790 that traveled in a commercial operation between 1,300 and 3,000 miles at speeds estimated from 6 to 8 miles per hour. He is credited with some of the first U.S. coin designs and participated in the 1770 production (as one of the "hands" or helpers) and 1806 repair and extension of
175:
for the United States, running through
Washington, D.C. and then took it to the new Territory. The resulting transit and equal altitude instrument, with the inscription "Henry Voigt Philadelphia" is now in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
138:
necessary instruments himself, having worked in a mint in
Germany in his younger years, during which he had introduced valuable improvements. Fitch was unsuccessful in this endeavor, but Voigt obtained an appointment as Chief Coiner, a position he held for many years.
170:
for his transit and equal altitude instrument for the purpose of surveying the 828,000 square miles of territory. When
Ellicott refused to sell, Briggs turned to Henry Voigt, who produced an instrument. Briggs used this Voigt instrument in 1804 to establish a
191:"Henry Voigt died at Philadelphia, February 7, 1814 in the seventy first year of his age and was buried from the house of John Kessler Esq., corner of Fourth and Coates streets."
129:
during its short duration, concerning all fundamental questions of life that could be raised. Persons of all faiths were accepted, as well as agnostics and atheists.
429:
367:
116:
could not be obtained on the
American continent due to British export restrictions, so that much of the development of the steam engine (and in particular, the
387:
460:
280:, 1767-1954. A commentary on an exhibition held in the Princeton University Library. Howard Crosby Rice. Princeton University Library, 1954
166:
similarly successful experiment, they launched a boat against the current of the
Savannah River, which traveled five miles an hour.) asked
16:
This article is about the first
Superintendent and Chief Coiner of the United States Mint. For the American rugby union player, see
207:
455:
79:
374:, Physical Sciences Collection, Surveying and Geodesy. Transit and Equal Altitude Instrument Catalogue number: PH*311772
450:
364:
167:
67:
66:
By 1775, Voigt had a watchmaking business in
Philadelphia. He also claimed to have made himself useful during the
42:, who knew him well. In Philadelphia he participated in the development and production of the first practical
71:
would help him, which Voigt agreed to do. Some years later Fitch recorded a description of Voigt as follows:
470:
217:
100:
47:
384:
465:
445:
195:
185:
184:
An orrery was purchased in 1771 from the Pennsylvania clockmaker and astronomer David Rittenhouse by
117:
227:
159:
151:
35:
34:, mathematical instrument maker, machine and steam engine builder, and Chief Coiner of the first
105:
75:
52:
91:
39:
391:
371:
113:
172:
302:
275:
248:
38:. He operated a wire mill in Reading Pennsylvania and repaired clocks and watches for
439:
163:
212:
155:
96:
420:
109:
31:
21:
17:
395:, Vol. XII Number 3, Spring 1951. Friends of the Princeton Library p.121-124
222:
43:
432:
Catalogue number: PH*311772 Smithsonian National Museum of American History
55:
265:. James Thomas Flexner. Fordham University Press, 1944, 1992. p.187
423:
Henry Voigt and others involved with America’s Early Coinage
307:. Thompson Westcott. J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1857. p.157
120:) in the United States had to be developed independently.
253:. James P. Ronda. Montana Historical Society, 1998. p.164
154:
treaty was signed with France in 1803, Surveyor General
90:Fitch had been convinced by Benjamin Franklin that
263:Steamboats Come True: American Inventors in Action
20:. For the Prussian-born American cigar maker, see
104:Fitch had ever seen. At this time, the advanced
365:Smithsonian National Museum of American History
162:on February 1, 1788. In 1807, a few days after
158:(Isacc Briggs also patented a steamboat with
8:
278:: Princeton's Eighteenth-century Planetarium
99:, who was able to utilize the much simpler
251:: Essays on the Lewis and Clark Expedition
194:He is buried in Section L-204 & 205,
240:
430:Transit and Equal Altitude Instrument
7:
385:The Princeton University Chronicle
30:or Henry Voight (1738–1814) was a
14:
305:: the Inventor of the Steam-boat
208:Half cent (United States coin)
1:
461:American currency designers
487:
150:Several months before the
68:American Revolutionary War
15:
276:The Rittenhouse orrery
95:was later taken up by
218:John Fitch (inventor)
101:Newcomen steam engine
78:, a Rittenhouse, an
456:American clockmakers
353:Steamboats Come True
329:Steamboats Come True
290:Steamboats Come True
249:Voyages of discovery
196:Laurel Hill Cemetery
186:Princeton University
62:Watchmaking business
146:Surveying equipment
118:marine steam engine
53:David Rittenhouse's
451:American inventors
405:Life of John Fitch
390:2010-06-18 at the
370:2011-10-05 at the
343:. Westcott. p. 154
341:Life of John Fitch
317:Life of John Fitch
303:Life of John Fitch
228:United States Mint
160:William Longstreet
152:Louisiana Purchase
92:Daniel Bernoulli's
36:United States Mint
478:
408:
402:
396:
381:
375:
362:
356:
350:
344:
338:
332:
326:
320:
314:
308:
299:
293:
287:
281:
272:
266:
260:
254:
245:
198:, Philadelphia.
40:Thomas Jefferson
486:
485:
481:
480:
479:
477:
476:
475:
436:
435:
426:by Wayne Homren
417:
412:
411:
403:
399:
392:Wayback Machine
382:
378:
372:Wayback Machine
363:
359:
351:
347:
339:
335:
327:
323:
315:
311:
300:
296:
288:
284:
273:
269:
261:
257:
246:
242:
237:
204:
182:
168:Andrew Ellicott
148:
135:
126:
114:Matthew Boulton
88:
64:
25:
12:
11:
5:
484:
482:
474:
473:
471:Coin designers
468:
463:
458:
453:
448:
438:
437:
434:
433:
427:
416:
415:External links
413:
410:
409:
397:
376:
357:
345:
333:
321:
309:
294:
282:
267:
255:
239:
238:
236:
233:
232:
231:
225:
220:
215:
210:
203:
200:
181:
178:
173:prime meridian
147:
144:
134:
131:
125:
122:
87:
84:
63:
60:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
483:
472:
469:
467:
464:
462:
459:
457:
454:
452:
449:
447:
444:
443:
441:
431:
428:
425:
424:
419:
418:
414:
406:
401:
398:
394:
393:
389:
386:
380:
377:
373:
369:
366:
361:
358:
354:
349:
346:
342:
337:
334:
330:
325:
322:
318:
313:
310:
306:
304:
298:
295:
291:
286:
283:
279:
277:
271:
268:
264:
259:
256:
252:
250:
244:
241:
234:
229:
226:
224:
221:
219:
216:
214:
211:
209:
206:
205:
201:
199:
197:
192:
189:
187:
179:
177:
174:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
145:
143:
139:
132:
130:
123:
121:
119:
115:
111:
107:
106:steam engines
102:
98:
93:
85:
83:
81:
77:
72:
69:
61:
59:
57:
54:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
23:
19:
422:
404:
400:
383:
379:
360:
352:
348:
340:
336:
328:
324:
316:
312:
301:
297:
289:
285:
274:
270:
262:
258:
247:
243:
213:James Rumsey
193:
190:
183:
156:Isaac Briggs
149:
140:
136:
133:Chief coiner
127:
124:New religion
97:James Rumsey
89:
86:Steam engine
73:
65:
27:
26:
466:1814 deaths
446:1744 births
180:Orrery work
28:Henry Voigt
440:Categories
407:. Westcott
355:. Flexner.
331:. Flexner.
319:. Westcott
235:References
110:James Watt
48:John Fitch
32:clockmaker
22:Henry Vogt
18:Guy Voight
292:. Flexner
223:Steamboat
44:steamboat
421:Review:
388:Archived
368:Archived
202:See also
164:Fulton's
76:Franklin
230:History
80:Ellicot
56:Orrery
46:with
112:and
108:of
442::
58:.
24:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.