George Edwin Waring was born in Poundridge, NY, July 4, 1833. He was agricultural engineer of Central Park, New York City in 1857. He was the drainage engineer of the park until the Civil War broke out, when he entered the Union army as major of the 39th New York Volunteers, and later served as colonel of the 4th Missouri Cavalry, till its close. After the epidemic of yellow fever in Memphis in 1878, he changed the sewerage system of the city on an original plan, which was adopted in many cities of the United States.