William C. Kingsley family collection

William C. Kingsley (1833-1885) was a businessman, politican, and engineer who is most well-known for his prominent role in the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. He was born in Fort Covington, N.Y., and at the age of 18 moved to Westmoreland County, PA, to work as a clerk for his brother, a railroad contractor. Later he worked as a clerk for Colonel Snodgrass, a canal contractor, in Wyoming County, PA. When the Superintendent of the project left his post prematurely, Kingsley became Superintendent of the building of the canal, seeing the project through successfully. He then worked as a railroad civil engineer, building a tunnel on the Pennsylvania Central Railroad between the towns of Altoona and Johnstown. As his reputation as a highly competent engineer grew, Kingsley took on greater responsibilities, overseeing the construction of railroads in Illinois, Wisconsin, and other states further west. Kingsley finally settled in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1861, and after overseeing the successful completion of the Brooklyn City Waterworks, he went into partnership with Abner C. Keeney, primary owner of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper. The firm of Kingsley & Keeney would go on to build miles of sewerage in Brooklyn and New York, as well as the stone walls surrounding Central Park and Brooklyn's Washington Park.

Kingsley's connection with the Brooklyn Bridge began in 1866, when he played an instrumental role in generating interest among wealthy members of the private sector in the prospect of a bridge connecting the two cities of Brooklyn and New York. When the building of the bridge commenced with the incorporation of the New York Bridge Company in 1867, Kingsley & Keeney were the owners of the largest share of private stock in the company, and Kingsley was made a member of the Board of Trustees. He later became Vice President of the company in 1875, and President in 1882, overseeing the completion and opening of the bridge in 1883. Kingsley resigned from his presidency of the company in December of 1884.

Aside from his work as an engineer and contractor, Kingsley was also actively involved in much of the political and business life of Brooklyn. He was a member of the Democratic National Committee, a frequent delegate to the Democratic National Convention, and a member of the State Capitol Commission. Along with his partner Abner C. Keeney, Kingsley was the primary owner of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and upon Keeney's death in the summer of 1884, Kingsley became the principal owner of the paper. Kingsley died, reportedly of pneumonia, at his home in Brooklyn in February of 1885, after suffering from ill health for nearly a year. At the time of his death he was one of the wealthiest citizens in Brooklyn.

Kingsley was married to Kate Cook Kingsley, and the couple had three children. One son, Harry Smith Kingsley (1863-1900), was a decorated military officer and the Treasurer of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle before dying at the age of 37 in Florence, Italy. Another son, James Cooke Kingsley, was also an engineer, and a daughter, Anna Kingsley Thayer, was the wife of Boston banker Albert Thayer.