Mary Walton

Innovative environmental engineer who transformed urban pollution control

Mary Elizabeth Walton (1827-1899) pioneered pollution reduction technologies that reshaped industrial cities during America's Gilded Age. Her 1879 railroad noise dampening system and 1881 smoke-consumer patent addressed two critical urban crises: deafening train noise and coal-smoke pollution.

Walton's noise reduction method involved building wooden sound-dampening boxes around elevated railway tracks, later adopted by New York City's Metropolitan Railroad. Her more impactful invention trapped factory emissions in water tanks before release, dramatically reducing airborne particulates. This system earned EPA recognition as foundational to modern scrubber technology.

Unlike contemporary inventors focused on industrial output, Walton prioritized public health impacts. Her work preceded environmental regulations by nearly a century, demonstrating how engineering could balance industrial progress with livable cities. Despite gender barriers, she secured multiple patents and worked with Thomas Edison's team to improve urban air quality monitoring devices.