[3] His father owned a sawmill,[4] He was a hard-working child, and learned carpentry and construction at an early age.

[6] William Howe established a career as a construction contractor, building homes and churches.

[7] In 1840, Howe was engaged to build a railroad bridge over the Connecticut River in Springfield, Massachusetts.

(Amasa Stone received financial backing from Azariah Boody, a Springfield businessman.

[8] That same year, the two men formed a bridge-building firm, Boody, Stone & Co.,[10] which erected a large number of Howe truss bridges throughout New England.