Asa Whitney
Encyclopedia
Asa Whitney was an American merchant and great railroad promoter. Whitney lived in New Rochelle, New York
, just to the north of New York City where he was a highly successful dry-goods merchant.
He was one of the first backers of an American
Transcontinental Railway. As early as 1830 Whitney became enthralled with railroads and foresaw their future role in business and transport. While on a buying trip in England
, he rode on the newly opened Liverpool and Manchester Railway
. A trip to China in the 1840s is supposed to have shown Whitney the need for a transcontinental railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific. When he returned to the United States in 1844, he realized the benefits from such an undertaking, and spent a great deal of money trying to get the Congress to take up the project. In 1849, he published A Project for a Railroad to the Pacific. For years he continued to write revised memorials and take expeditions through what was then known as Indian Territory to support his cause. After more than ten years of trying he at last gave up. Later Whitney's dream was realized through the efforts of Theodore Judah
. In the end, Whitney lived to see his dream realized in 1869 with the opening of the Union Pacific.
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
, just to the north of New York City where he was a highly successful dry-goods merchant.
He was one of the first backers of an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Transcontinental Railway. As early as 1830 Whitney became enthralled with railroads and foresaw their future role in business and transport. While on a buying trip in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he rode on the newly opened Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
. A trip to China in the 1840s is supposed to have shown Whitney the need for a transcontinental railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific. When he returned to the United States in 1844, he realized the benefits from such an undertaking, and spent a great deal of money trying to get the Congress to take up the project. In 1849, he published A Project for a Railroad to the Pacific. For years he continued to write revised memorials and take expeditions through what was then known as Indian Territory to support his cause. After more than ten years of trying he at last gave up. Later Whitney's dream was realized through the efforts of Theodore Judah
Theodore Judah
Theodore Dehone Judah was an American railroad engineer who dreamed of the first Transcontinental Railroad. He found investors for what became the Central Pacific Railroad...
. In the end, Whitney lived to see his dream realized in 1869 with the opening of the Union Pacific.