William Wheelwright

William Wheelwright (March 18, 1798 – September 26, 1873) was an Anglo-American businessman who played an essential role in the development of steamboat and train transportation in Chile and other parts of South America.In 1838, with help from the Chilean government, he founded the Pacific Steam Navigation Company which commenced operations on October 15, 1840, and provided commercial sea access to cities such as Valparaíso and El Callao.Wheelwright lived in a house on High Street and attended public school until he was about twelve years of age, when he was sent to Andover Academy, where he completed his education.In 1823, he was in command of the ship Rising Empire, owned by William Bartlett, when the vessel was wrecked off the coast of South America, near the mouth of the Río de La Plata.Interested in studying the business opportunities on the west coast of South America, he traveled to Guayaquil, the seaport of Ecuador, where he decided to remain.