Notable people · Inventor · Engineer · Fire Apparatus
Alexander Bonner Latta
Alexander B. Latta was a Cincinnati machinist and locomotive builder. With Miles Greenwood and Abel Shawk he built the steam fire engine delivered to Cincinnati on January 1, 1853, and went on to sell more than 30 engines to other cities. He moved to Ludlow, Kentucky around 1864 and died there.
At a glance
- Born
- 1821-06-11
- Died
- 1865-04-28
- Known as
- Inventor, Engineer, Fire Apparatus
- Organizations
- Cincinnati Fire Department
Life story
Alexander Latta was born in 1821 in Ross County, Ohio. His father died when he was five, and the family moved to Cincinnati in 1827.
He worked in several Cincinnati shops and spent time in Washington, D.C., in 1846 on a Navy Yard job. He married Elizabeth Pawson in 1847.
In 1853 Cincinnati bought the steam fire engine he built, called Uncle Joe Ross. He later sold more than thirty engines to other cities and held patents on steam engine improvements.
He moved to Ludlow, Kentucky, built a house on what is now Latta Avenue, sat on the first city council in 1864 and died there in April 1865.
Timeline
- 1821-06-11: Born (Ross County, OH) source
- 1827: Family moves to Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1846: Navy Yard position (Washington, DC) source
- 1847: Marries Elizabeth A. Pawson (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1853: Sells steam fire engine 'Uncle Joe Ross' to Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1864-03: Elected to Ludlow's first city council (Ludlow, KY) source
- 1865-04-28: Dies (Ludlow, KY) source
What Alexander is known for
- Co-built the first practical steam fire engine ('Uncle Joe Ross', 1853) for Cincinnati
- Steam fire engine 'Uncle Joe Ross' (1853)
- More than 30 further steam fire engines sold to other cities
- Patents on steam engine improvements (numbers not given in source)
Inventions and firsts
- First paid steam-powered fire department (1852-1853) credit is disputed
Family
- father: John Latta
- mother: Rebecca Bonner Latta
- wife: Elizabeth A. Pawson
- son: G. Taylor Latta
- daughter: Luella Latta
Ohio places
Where Alexander Bonner Latta was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Worked: Cincinnati, Hamilton County ZIP 45202 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: Credit for building Cincinnati's first steam fire engine is shared among Latta, Miles Greenwood and Abel Shawk, depending on the source.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. High: the main facts were confirmed in sources we opened.
- Alexander Latta - Kenton County Public Library life, family, Ludlow