The New International Encyclopædia/Hoe (family)
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press, which superseded his former invention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 .