| Birth | 29 Aug 1813 | Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts | | | |
| Graduated | 1832 | Union College where he obtained his degree with Phi Beta Kappa honors - Schenectady, Schenectady County, New York | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1835 | had studied law and was admitted to the New York bar - New York | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1837 | founded "The Madisonian," a Democratic newspaper - Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia | | | |
| Occupation | From 1837 to 1839 | printer of the House of Representatives - Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia | | | |
| Occupation | From 1839 to 1842 | printer to the United States Senate - Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia | | | |
| Marriage | 12 Jul 1842 | Ann Clementina RUSSELL | | | |
| Residence (family) | Aft 12 Jul 1842 | Saint Louis, Saint Louis County, Missouri - Ann Clementina RUSSELL | | | |
| Residence | Aft 1842 | on his grandfather's homestead during the summer - Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts | | | |
| Miscellaneous | From 1850 to 1854 | was the founder and president of the Missouri Pacific Railroad - Saint Louis, Saint Louis County, Missouri | | | |
| Election | From 1850 to 1854 | a member of the Missouri State Senate - Saint Louis, Saint Louis County, Missouri | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1851 | was the first owner of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad - Saint Louis, Saint Louis County, Missouri | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1852 | took the first steam locomotive to cross the Mississippi River - Missouri | | | |
| Occupation | From 1857 to 1858 | president of the St. Louis and Terre Haute Railroad - Saint Louis, Saint Louis County, Missouri | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1858 | was the organizer of the Allen, Copp & Nisbet banking house - Saint Louis, Saint Louis County, Missouri | | | |
| Miscellaneous | | was the founder of the Allen professorship of Mining and Metallurgy at Washington University - Saint Louis, Saint Louis County, Missouri | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1876 | donated the Berkshire Athenaeum to his hometown - Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Aft 1877 | owned and rebuilt the Southern Hotel after its destruction by fire - Sainte Genevieve, Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri | | | |
| Election | 4 Mar 1881 | a member of the United States House of Representatives - Missouri | | | |
| Death | 8 Apr 1882 | Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia | | | |
| Burial | Aft 8 Apr 1882 | in Pittsfield Cemetery - Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts | | | |