Samuel Zimmerman
Encyclopedia
Samuel Zimmerman was a Canadian railway promoter and entrepreneur
instrumental in the construction of the Great Western Railway
of Upper Canada
.
, of German ancestry. He was the fifth son in a family of seven sons and one daughter. He received little formal education and began to work, originally as a laborer
, at an early age.
On August 15, 1848, he married Margaret Ann Woodruff, daughter of a businessman and politician, Richard Woodruff of St. Davids, and settled near Niagara Falls
.
, Upper Canada
, to become involved in the reconstruction of the Welland Canal
being carried out by the Board of Works.
Between 1846 and 1849 Zimmerman built four locks and an aqueduct
under contract to the board. Though he did require an extension of time to complete his contracts, according to Francis Hincks
he gained a reputation as "one of the best and most successful contractors that had ever been employed by the Government at that time." This reputation was achieved, at least in part, by his refusal to allow work to be stopped on his projects during a series of strikes by canal workers. He later claimed that he and other contractors had been close to bankruptcy
during their work on the Welland.
His success as a canal contractor brought him into contact with a number of influential businessmen and politicians, including Hincks. It also brought him into the field of railway construction and railway politics, where Americans soon achieved a commanding presence. During the reconstruction of the Welland Canal
, one of the "host of Yankees" employed by Zimmerman was an engineer from New York
. Roswell Gardinier Benedict
had acquired extensive railway-building experience in the United States and became assistant to the chief engineer of the Great Western Railroad
in 1847 and then chief engineer four years later.
In 1849, Benedict was influential in persuading Great Western's inexperienced board of directors to give a contract to Oswald, Zimmerman and Company, the firm organized by Zimmerman and James Oswald (another contractor on the Welland who was to be associated with Zimmerman in numerous business ventures). Construction did not begin until 1851, when the firm began building the eastern division of the Great Western, from Paris
to Niagara Falls
. Almost invariably Oswald and Zimmerman relied upon sub-contractors for actual construction. Zimmerman was also a promoter of and contractor for the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge
. Designed by the eminent American engineer John A. Roebling
, it was completed in 1855 and connected the Great Western to the American railway network.
Because the Great Western planned to build a number of branch lines during and after the construction of the main line from Niagara Falls to Windsor
, Zimmerman attempted, with some success, to gain a degree of personal control over the company. His influence rested on a growing reputation for having the energy and resources to carry out large undertakings and on an equally useful reputation as a political lobbyist who operated on a grand scale. On behalf of the Great Western, his lobbying had probably begun in the late 1840s when attempts were made in the provincial parliament to charter a rival railway system, parallel to and south of the Great Western’s route.
Well before the completion of the Great Western, Zimmerman had begun to look for additional railway contracts. He appears to have been extraordinarily adept in his use of the Municipal Loan Fund Act, introduced by Hincks in 1852. The act made rapid railway expansion feasible, since it provided for a fund against which municipalities could borrow in order to invest in railways planned to run through them. Zimmerman took advantage of this new situation by using his growing reputation as a successful contractor and his powers of promotion and persuasion to become the contractor
for a number of short railways.
In 1852, he agreed to build the Cobourg and Peterborough Railroad
, of which Ira Spaulding, formerly engineer for the central division of the Great Western and an American friend of both Benedict and Zimmerman, was chief engineer. This railway was badly engineered and built and was never successful, due to the repeated collapse of the bridge as a result of ice. Despite the low quality of construction, Zimmerman refused to turn over the tracks or the engines and rolling-stock, which he also provided as contractor, until he had been paid in cash and bonds for alleged extra costs, greatly in excess of the original estimate.
Meanwhile he had entered into a contract to build a parallel and rival railway, which was constructed as far as Lindsay
between 1854 and 1857. Though better built than the Cobourg and Peterborough, it also began operations in a near bankrupt state after paying Zimmerman’s bills for the work. Zimmerman himself had contributed to the company’s capital by buying $100,000 of first mortgage bonds, thereby effectively becoming a part owner.
He became deeply involved in the affairs of two projected railways: the Woodstock
and Lake Erie
Railway and Harbour Company in 1853 and the Amherstburg and St. Thomas Railway in 1856.
, due to a broken axle on the engine. He was buried at Clifton but was later reinterred beside his first wife at St. Davids.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
instrumental in the construction of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway (Ontario)
The Great Western Railway was a historic Canadian railway that operated in Canada West and later the province of Ontario, following Confederation...
of Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
.
Early life
Samuel Zimmerman was born March 17, 1815 in Huntington County PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, of German ancestry. He was the fifth son in a family of seven sons and one daughter. He received little formal education and began to work, originally as a laborer
Laborer
A Laborer or labourer - see variation in english spelling - is one of the construction trades, traditionally considered unskilled manual labor, as opposed to skilled labor. In the division of labor, laborers have all blasting, hand tools, power tools, air tools, and small heavy equipment, and act...
, at an early age.
On August 15, 1848, he married Margaret Ann Woodruff, daughter of a businessman and politician, Richard Woodruff of St. Davids, and settled near Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
.
Career
While employed on construction and public works projects in his native state, Zimmerman gained the basic experience which was to make him a rich man. In 1842 or 1843 he came to ThoroldThorold, Ontario
Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara....
, Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, to become involved in the reconstruction of the Welland Canal
Welland Canal
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that extends from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. As a part of the St...
being carried out by the Board of Works.
Between 1846 and 1849 Zimmerman built four locks and an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
under contract to the board. Though he did require an extension of time to complete his contracts, according to Francis Hincks
Francis Hincks
Sir Francis Hincks, KCMG, PC was a Canadian politician.Born in Cork, Ireland, he was the son of Thomas Dix Hincks an orientalist, naturalist and Presbyterian minister and the brother of Edward Hincks orientalist, naturalist and clergyman.He moved to York in 1832 and set up an importing business...
he gained a reputation as "one of the best and most successful contractors that had ever been employed by the Government at that time." This reputation was achieved, at least in part, by his refusal to allow work to be stopped on his projects during a series of strikes by canal workers. He later claimed that he and other contractors had been close to bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
during their work on the Welland.
His success as a canal contractor brought him into contact with a number of influential businessmen and politicians, including Hincks. It also brought him into the field of railway construction and railway politics, where Americans soon achieved a commanding presence. During the reconstruction of the Welland Canal
Welland Canal
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that extends from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. As a part of the St...
, one of the "host of Yankees" employed by Zimmerman was an engineer from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Roswell Gardinier Benedict
Roswell Gardinier Benedict
Roswell Gardinier Benedict was a civil engineer by profession and became involved in land development and the manufacturing of rolling stock for railways....
had acquired extensive railway-building experience in the United States and became assistant to the chief engineer of the Great Western Railroad
Great Western Railway (Ontario)
The Great Western Railway was a historic Canadian railway that operated in Canada West and later the province of Ontario, following Confederation...
in 1847 and then chief engineer four years later.
In 1849, Benedict was influential in persuading Great Western's inexperienced board of directors to give a contract to Oswald, Zimmerman and Company, the firm organized by Zimmerman and James Oswald (another contractor on the Welland who was to be associated with Zimmerman in numerous business ventures). Construction did not begin until 1851, when the firm began building the eastern division of the Great Western, from Paris
Paris, Ontario
Paris, Ontario is a community on the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. The town was established in 1850. In 1999, its town government was amalgamated into that of the County of Brant, Ontario, thus ending about 149 years as a separate incorporated municipality.-History:The town was first settled in...
to Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
. Almost invariably Oswald and Zimmerman relied upon sub-contractors for actual construction. Zimmerman was also a promoter of and contractor for the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge
Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge
The Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge was the world's first working railway suspension bridge. It spanned and stood downstream of Niagara Falls from 1855 to 1897...
. Designed by the eminent American engineer John A. Roebling
John A. Roebling
John Augustus Roebling was a German-born American civil engineer. He is famous for his wire rope suspension bridge designs, in particular, the design of the Brooklyn Bridge.-Early life:...
, it was completed in 1855 and connected the Great Western to the American railway network.
Because the Great Western planned to build a number of branch lines during and after the construction of the main line from Niagara Falls to Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Zimmerman attempted, with some success, to gain a degree of personal control over the company. His influence rested on a growing reputation for having the energy and resources to carry out large undertakings and on an equally useful reputation as a political lobbyist who operated on a grand scale. On behalf of the Great Western, his lobbying had probably begun in the late 1840s when attempts were made in the provincial parliament to charter a rival railway system, parallel to and south of the Great Western’s route.
Well before the completion of the Great Western, Zimmerman had begun to look for additional railway contracts. He appears to have been extraordinarily adept in his use of the Municipal Loan Fund Act, introduced by Hincks in 1852. The act made rapid railway expansion feasible, since it provided for a fund against which municipalities could borrow in order to invest in railways planned to run through them. Zimmerman took advantage of this new situation by using his growing reputation as a successful contractor and his powers of promotion and persuasion to become the contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
for a number of short railways.
In 1852, he agreed to build the Cobourg and Peterborough Railroad
Cobourg and Peterborough Railroad
The Cobourg and Peterborough Railway was one of the first rail lines to be built in Central Ontario, Canada, having been founded in 1834 as the Cobourg Railway Company. The line was proposed to extend from Cobourg to Peterborough, though plans for construction were constantly put on hold or...
, of which Ira Spaulding, formerly engineer for the central division of the Great Western and an American friend of both Benedict and Zimmerman, was chief engineer. This railway was badly engineered and built and was never successful, due to the repeated collapse of the bridge as a result of ice. Despite the low quality of construction, Zimmerman refused to turn over the tracks or the engines and rolling-stock, which he also provided as contractor, until he had been paid in cash and bonds for alleged extra costs, greatly in excess of the original estimate.
Meanwhile he had entered into a contract to build a parallel and rival railway, which was constructed as far as Lindsay
Lindsay, Ontario
Lindsay is a community of 19,361 people on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes region of south-eastern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately west of Peterborough...
between 1854 and 1857. Though better built than the Cobourg and Peterborough, it also began operations in a near bankrupt state after paying Zimmerman’s bills for the work. Zimmerman himself had contributed to the company’s capital by buying $100,000 of first mortgage bonds, thereby effectively becoming a part owner.
He became deeply involved in the affairs of two projected railways: the Woodstock
Woodstock Railway
The Woodstock Railway was an intrastate railroad in southeastern Vermont. It ran from White River Junction, Vermont to Woodstock, Vermont, a distance of approximately 14 miles.-History:...
and Lake Erie
Lake Erie and Western Railroad
The Lake Erie and Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.-The beginning:The Seney Syndicate linked several short railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to form the Lake Erie and Western Railroad in 1879 and 1880...
Railway and Harbour Company in 1853 and the Amherstburg and St. Thomas Railway in 1856.
Death
Zimmerman was widely believed to be the richest man in Canada. He was famous for his lavish hospitality toward politicians of all kinds and as a lobbyist for railway legislation he wished to see passed. He was at the height of his activity and influence when he died on March 12, 1857 in a railway accident in which a Great Western train crashed into the frozen Desjardins CanalDesjardins Canal
The Desjardins Canal, named after its promoter Pierre Desjardins, was built to give Dundas, Ontario, easier access to Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes system of North America...
, due to a broken axle on the engine. He was buried at Clifton but was later reinterred beside his first wife at St. Davids.