William H. Osborn
Encyclopedia
William Henry Osborn was a 19th Century railroad tycoon. Born and educated in Salem, Massachusetts
, Osborn became one of the most prominent railroad leaders in the United States.
After several years working in business in the Philippines
, Osborn took an interest in the Illinois Central Railroad
in 1854. The Illinois Central, the first land grant railroad in the United States, was on the verge of bankruptcy in the wake of a stock scandal. A year after joining the railroad's Board of Directors, he was elected president, a position he held from December 1, 1855 to July 11, 1865.
Osborn became interested in the Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad and guided the railroad from difficult economic times to profitability between 1875-1882. He retired from the railroad business in 1882 to concentrate on philanthropy near his home in Garrison, New York
.
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, Osborn became one of the most prominent railroad leaders in the United States.
After several years working in business in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Osborn took an interest in the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
in 1854. The Illinois Central, the first land grant railroad in the United States, was on the verge of bankruptcy in the wake of a stock scandal. A year after joining the railroad's Board of Directors, he was elected president, a position he held from December 1, 1855 to July 11, 1865.
Osborn became interested in the Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad and guided the railroad from difficult economic times to profitability between 1875-1882. He retired from the railroad business in 1882 to concentrate on philanthropy near his home in Garrison, New York
Garrison, New York
Garrison is a hamlet in Putnam County, New York, United States. It is part of the town of Philipstown and is on the east side of the Hudson River, across from the United States Military Academy at West Point...
.