A series about railway contractors.
The following posts start from an old railway grade, a remnant of the New Westminster Southern Railway, and describe some of the contractors who built the railway, their associates, families, and some interesting people they met, and other railways they worked on, and then returns to the same spot with a post about the contractor who built the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway where it diverges from the old grade first mentioned. Posts continue with information about some interesting people come across.
1. The New Westminster Southern Railway Survey.
The original survey of the road and the route as built – surveyors AJ Hill and EB Gauvreau – map.
2. Sarah Onderdonk’s Salon – Cleaving the Heart of the Cascade Range.
Onderdonk’s contract on the CPR and a few of the personalities drawn there, some of Onderdonk’s trusted men and close associates, including EG Tilton, Howard Tilton, GF Kyle, James Leamy.
3. Edward Gibson Tilton – Railroad Engineer, Merchant & Platter of Las Vegas.
Andrew Onderdonk’s right-hand man – son of General James Tilton – brother of Howard Tilton – Victoria merchant – later mapped out the site of Las Vegas
4. Howard Tilton – Freight Agent, Merchant
Brother of EG Tilton – CPR Freight Agent – mercantile partner of WB Kyle at New Westminster – Seattle merchant
5. William Black Kyle
Accountant – steamboat owner – in business with Howard Tilton at New Westminster – brother of GF Kyle – husband of New Westminster pioneer daughter Sarah Murray.
6. George F Kyle – The Very Model Timekeeper
George Findlay Kyle – Onderdonk’s Master of Transportation on CPR – boss of Morley Roberts – brother of WB Kyle – partner with James Leamy in Vancouver sawmill – builder of Anacortes
7. Branch Lines – Leamy extends the CPR
CPR railway extensions from Port Moody to Vancouver and New Westminster.
8. Leamy & Kyle – Sawmill on False Creek.
James Leamy and GF Kyle’s Vancouver sawmill and shipbuilding works
9. James Leamy as general contractor on the New Westminster Southern Railway
Introduces Leamy’s subcontractors, subjects the next four posts.:
10. McCorvie & Bonson contractors
Archie McCorvie and LF Bonson
11. Bradshaw & Lemon — Contractors on the New Westminster Southern Railway
EW Bradshaw and RE Lemon
12 Angus L McCoy: Making tracks on the New Westminster Southern Railway
Track layers AL McCoy and Cornelius O’Brien
13. Lee Coy: Contractor of Labor
Supplied the crews of navvies needed in early railway construction.
14. CV Cummings of Canadian Northern Construction
Contractor Superintendent on the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway in the Fraser Valley
15. Archie McCorvie, Aunt Martha and Harold McCracken — Changes on the North Thompson River
Later career of Archibald McCorvie – his marriage – the building of the CNPR through his ranch – visit of nephew Harold McCracken
16. Christopher Lee – steamboat engineer
Brownsville PA machinist – father of Martha Mary – partner with James Robinson on Ada – first engineer on the Samson snagboat
