Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Marsh, Sylvester
From Wikisource Jump to: navigation, search  MARSH, Sylvester,
engineer, b. in Campton, N. H., 30 Sept., 1803; d. in Concord,
N. H., 30 Dec., 1884. He had but little opportunity for
education. In 1826 he established himself as a provision-dealer
in Boston, and later was engaged in Ashtabula, Ohio, in
supplying Boston and New York with beef and pork. He settled in
Chicago during the winter of 1833-'4, and there followed a
similar business till 1837, when his accumulations were swept
away in the financial crisis of that year. He began again in the
grain business, and acquired a substantial fortune. Meanwhile he
was active in all that pertained to the advancement of Chicago,
and ranks among its founders. The meat-packing industry was
originated by him, and he invented many appliances that were
incidental to its success, especially those having reference to
the use of steam. He invented the dried-meal process, and
“Marsh's caloric dried meal” is still