Today in Wheeling History: April 6--Edward Turner Jeffery, noted railroad executive who spent his early childhood in Wheeling, was born in Liverpool, England (1843).
Edward Turner Jeffery was born on April 6, 1843, in Liverpool, England, the son of a chief engineer in the Royal Navy. Following his father's death when he was six years old, his mother remarried, and the family immigrated to America in 1850, settling in Wheeling, West Virginia. Jeffery's formative years were spent in Wheeling until 1856, when his family relocated to Chicago.
At just 13 years old, Jeffery began his remarkable railroad career as an office boy for the Illinois Central Railroad. His exceptional work ethic and natural aptitude propelled him through a series of increasingly responsible positions—from apprentice machinist to mechanical draftsman by age 15, and department head by age 20. In 1877, at age 34, he married Virginia Osborne Clarke, daughter of the Illinois Central's general manager.
Jeffery rose to become general manager of Illinois Central before resigning in 1889 due to management differences with Acting President Harriman. His greatest accomplishments came as president of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (1891-1912), where he successfully restored financial stability to the struggling company. He later served as president of Rio Grande Western Railway and Western Pacific Railroad, overseeing major expansions including the construction of the Western Pacific line to California.
Jeffery died at the Biltmore Hotel in New York City on September 24, 1927, at age 84. He was buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago. A business car named "Edna" after his daughter remains one of the few surviving narrow-gauge business cars in the United States.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2fpe3n5v), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/35xafet8)
Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons, Find a Grave
Edward Turner Jeffery was born on April 6, 1843, in Liverpool, England, the son of a chief engineer in the Royal Navy. Following his father's death when he was six years old, his mother remarried, and the family immigrated to America in 1850, settling in Wheeling, West Virginia. Jeffery's formative years were spent in Wheeling until 1856, when his family relocated to Chicago.
At just 13 years old, Jeffery began his remarkable railroad career as an office boy for the Illinois Central Railroad. His exceptional work ethic and natural aptitude propelled him through a series of increasingly responsible positions—from apprentice machinist to mechanical draftsman by age 15, and department head by age 20. In 1877, at age 34, he married Virginia Osborne Clarke, daughter of the Illinois Central's general manager.
Jeffery rose to become general manager of Illinois Central before resigning in 1889 due to management differences with Acting President Harriman. His greatest accomplishments came as president of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (1891-1912), where he successfully restored financial stability to the struggling company. He later served as president of Rio Grande Western Railway and Western Pacific Railroad, overseeing major expansions including the construction of the Western Pacific line to California.
Jeffery died at the Biltmore Hotel in New York City on September 24, 1927, at age 84. He was buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago. A business car named "Edna" after his daughter remains one of the few surviving narrow-gauge business cars in the United States.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2fpe3n5v), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/35xafet8)
Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons, Find a Grave
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