This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: RMunns7272 Surnames: Stombs, Kinney, Dean Classification: biography Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.wisconsin.counties.lacrosse/2341/mb.ashx Message Board Post: >From "History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin", 1881, p. 797. City of La Crosse J. H. STOMBS, mechanical engineer, has been connected with the steamboat interests on the Mississippi River since 1846, on the Upper Mississippi since 1855, and a resident of La Crosse since 1861. He was born in Salem Co., N. J., Nov. 5, 1830. His father, John Stombs, removed to Ohio with his family in 1834, settled in Clermont County, and died there in 1838. Mr. Stombs learned his trade in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he resided from 1840 to 1854. He then went to St. Louis, Mo., and in May, 1855, removed to Minnesota. He resided in St. Paul from 1857 to 1861, and came from there to La Crosse. He is the inventor of a balance steam puppet valve, patented in 1872; a balance slide steam valve, patented in 1873; also, of an improvement in self-adjusting telegraph relays, patented in 1873; also, of an improvement in steam governors. He is the present Vice President of the National Marine Engineers' Association of the United States. His first wife was Mary A. E. Kinney, of Scott Co., M! inn. She died in 1876, leaving one son, Joseph A., now in the First National Bank of Rock Island, Ill. His present wife was Ella A. Dean, of Rock Island. [I am not related to this family and have no further information. I'm posting this as a service and hope it helps!] Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.