HOE. The name of a family prominently
identified with the manufacture and improvement of
the printing-press in America. — (1784-1833) was born in Leicestershire, England. He was indentured to a joiner, in 1802 emigrated to the United States, worked for a time at his trade, and subsequently was an associate of his brothers-in-law, Peter and Matthew Smith, in the manufacture of a hand printing-press invented by the former. In 1823 he became sole proprietor of the business. A skillful mechanic, he constructed and introduced the original Hoe press, and was, it is thought, the earliest American machinist to utilize steam as a motive power in his plant. — (1812-86), son of the foregoing. He began the practical study of printing-press manufacture in 1827, and in 1833 became the senior partner of the Hoe firm. He devised numerous ingenious improvements in the presses, and also produced a fine quality of steel saw. In 1841 he, in connection with his brothers, Peter Smith Hoe and Robert Hoe, took over the entire direction of the business. A rotary press, widely known as ‘Hoe's lightning press,’ was brought out by him in 1846. and forthwith was very extensively adopted for newspaper work. (See .) Afterwards he invented the web perfecting press, which superseded his former invention and prints upon both sides oi the sheet, and includes complicated apparatus for cutting and folding. (See .) Constant improvements were made by him in the output of his works. — III (1839-1909;), a son of Robert Hoe II, succeeded to the headship of the firm, which
retains its preëminence among printing-press
makers. He was one of the organizers and first
president of the Grolier Club, the well-known
New York organization for the promotion of
book-making as an art. He edited Maberley's
Print Collector (1880). See .