The Watson Engineering Company was founded by Civil Engineer Wilbur J. Watson. Watson (1871-1939) was born in Berea and recieved a B.S. from Case School of Engineering. He would work for the Osborn Company. He founded the Watson Company in 1907. The company specialized in bridge design, setting standards for bridge design throughout the country. With his daughters Sara and Emily he would write Bridge Architecture: A Decade of Bridges 1926-1936 and Bridges in History and Legend.
The following are abbreviations used throughout the database
AABN – American Architect and Builders News (1876 – 1909) bp – City of Cleveland Building Permits (1889 – present) cd – City Directories mps – Mary Peale Schofield files – Western Reserve Historical Society Inland – Inland Architect Intestate – Interstate Architect and Builder (1899 – 1902) nd – no date NRHP – National Register of Historic Places OAB – Ohio Architect and Builder (1903 – 1909) OAEB – Ohio Architect, Engineer and Builder (1910 – 1919) ohi – Ohio Historical Inventory form PD – Plain Dealer