Dean Richmond
Encyclopedia
Dean Richmond was Batavia, New York's railroad magnate, director of the Utica and Buffalo Railroad Company, First Vice President of the New York Central Railroad
, and from 1864 to 1866, president of the New York Central. He was born in the town of Barnard, Vermont
on March 31, 1804, and was a son of Hathaway and Rachel Dean Richmond. His father moved the family to Syracuse, New York
, where he was engaged in the early salt industry. His father died when Dean was only fourteen years of age.
He expanded the salt business and, in 1842, he moved to Buffalo, New York
where he established a commission and transportation business
. With these businesses, he became one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of the Great Lakes
region. He became a director in the Utica and Buffalo Railroad Company and with the completion of the direct line to Batavia, he took up his residence there. With the establishment of the New York Central Railroad Company in 1853, he was chosen the first vice-president of the company, and held that position until 1864, when he was elected president upon the retirement of Erastus Corning
. He was also elected president of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
. He served as chairman of the Democratic State Committee from 1857 to his death in 1866. In the summer of 1866, after attending the State convention at Saratoga, he accompanied Samuel J. Tilden
on a trip to Washington and Philadelphia. After returning to New York, on August 19, 1866, he was stricken with illness and died on August 27, 1866. He was buried in Batavia Cemetery
. The Richmond Memorial Library
, in Batavia, was a gift of Mrs. Mary E. Richmond, in memory of her son. Dean Richmond, Jr., who died in 1865.
In 1861, as President-Elect Abraham Lincoln
made his way to Washington D.C., the engine that pulled the train was The Dean Richmond. In a gesture of bi-partisanship, Richmond, as chairman of the Democratic State Committee, boarded the train and had lunch with the Lincoln family as the train roared past Syracuse. On the leg of the journey from Albany to Buffalo the same engine that brought Lincoln to his inauguration pulled his funeral train. Great Lakes freighter was also named after him. The freighter itself became famous when it sunk in Lake Erie near the town of North East, Pennsylvania
on October 15, 1893.
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
, and from 1864 to 1866, president of the New York Central. He was born in the town of Barnard, Vermont
Barnard, Vermont
Barnard is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 958 at the 2000 census.- History :The town was chartered on July 17, 1761 by a New Hampshire Grant and named after the second-listed grantee of the town Sir Francis Bernard, 1st Baronet and since 1760 Governor of the...
on March 31, 1804, and was a son of Hathaway and Rachel Dean Richmond. His father moved the family to Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, where he was engaged in the early salt industry. His father died when Dean was only fourteen years of age.
He expanded the salt business and, in 1842, he moved to Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
where he established a commission and transportation business
Freight forwarder
A freight forwarder, forwarder, or forwarding agent is a person or company that organizes shipments for individuals or other companies and may also act as a carrier...
. With these businesses, he became one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region. He became a director in the Utica and Buffalo Railroad Company and with the completion of the direct line to Batavia, he took up his residence there. With the establishment of the New York Central Railroad Company in 1853, he was chosen the first vice-president of the company, and held that position until 1864, when he was elected president upon the retirement of Erastus Corning
Erastus Corning
Erastus Corning I , American businessman and politician, was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Corning moved to Troy, New York at the age of 13 to clerk in the hardware store of an uncle; six years later he moved to Albany, New York, where he joined the mercantile business under James Spencer...
. He was also elected president of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana...
. He served as chairman of the Democratic State Committee from 1857 to his death in 1866. In the summer of 1866, after attending the State convention at Saratoga, he accompanied Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel Jones Tilden was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency in the disputed election of 1876, one of the most controversial American elections of the 19th century. He was the 25th Governor of New York...
on a trip to Washington and Philadelphia. After returning to New York, on August 19, 1866, he was stricken with illness and died on August 27, 1866. He was buried in Batavia Cemetery
Batavia Cemetery
Batavia Cemetery is located on Harvester Avenue in Batavia, New York, United States. It opened in 1823 and contains over 8,000 graves, mostly from the 19th century...
. The Richmond Memorial Library
Richmond Memorial Library
The Richmond Memorial Library is located on Ross Street in Batavia, New York, United States. It is an 1880s stone structure in the Richardsonian Romanesque style designed by Rochester architect James Goold Cutler....
, in Batavia, was a gift of Mrs. Mary E. Richmond, in memory of her son. Dean Richmond, Jr., who died in 1865.
In 1861, as President-Elect Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
made his way to Washington D.C., the engine that pulled the train was The Dean Richmond. In a gesture of bi-partisanship, Richmond, as chairman of the Democratic State Committee, boarded the train and had lunch with the Lincoln family as the train roared past Syracuse. On the leg of the journey from Albany to Buffalo the same engine that brought Lincoln to his inauguration pulled his funeral train. Great Lakes freighter was also named after him. The freighter itself became famous when it sunk in Lake Erie near the town of North East, Pennsylvania
North East, Pennsylvania
North East is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Erie. Fruit growing was an early economic endeavor, and is still to this day, as this is a popular area for especially cherries and grapes. There is an annual Cherry Festival in the summer and an annual in the fall. It contains...
on October 15, 1893.