Samuel R. Callaway (December 24, 1850 – June 1, 1904) was an American railroad executive. He served as president of Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad and Belt Line, second vice president and general manager of

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

1884-1887, president of

Toledo, St. Louis and Kansas City Railroad The Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad, often abbreviated TStL&W and commonly known as the Clover Leaf, was a railroad company that operated in northwestern Ohio, north central Indiana, and south central Illinois during the late 19th and early ...

1887-1895, president of

Nickel Plate Road The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road", the railroad served parts of the states of New York, Pennsylva ...

1895-1897, president of Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad 1897-1898, president of

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...

1898-1901 and as president of American Locomotive Company 1901-1904.

Early life and family

Samuel R. Callaway was born in Ontario, Canada; sources differ on his birth date, some citing 1850, others 1851. He listed his birth date in the 1900 U.S. census as December 1850. Samuel's parents, Frederick and Margaret Callaway, were of English and Scottish birth. On June 7, 1875, in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a Canada 2016 Census, population of 569,353, and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington, ...

, Samuel Callaway married Elizabeth J. "Jennie" Ecclestone, daughter of W.T. and Anna Ecclestone. Together they had a daughter and two sons: Annie, Samuel Thompson. and Trowbridge.

Career

Callaway began his railroad career in 1863 with the

Grand Trunk Railway The Grand Trunk Railway (; french: Grand Tronc) was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The rail ...

, where he served as an apprentice to the treasurer, earning $8.33 per month. He was promoted through several positions and in 1874 was appointed as superintendent of

Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

; Callaway continued in this position until 1878 when he became superintendent of Detroit, Saginaw and Bay City Railroad. From 1887 to 1895, Callaway served as president and receiver of

; under his leadership the railroad was reorganized and rebuilt. It was his work at this railroad that earned the attention of the Vanderbilt family and the New York Central system. Callaway succeeded D. W. Caldwell as president of the

in 1895. It was about this time that Callaway was also offered the position of president for the Grand Trunk system he had recently left; he declined this position based on his feeling that he would not be allowed the autonomy that he wanted from the Grand Trunk's board of directors. Callaway was succeeded as president of the Nickel Plate Road by W. H. Canniff in 1897. Callaway then succeeded D. W. Caldwell as president of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad in 1897. On April 20, 1898, Callaway succeeded

Chauncey Depew Chauncey Mitchell Depew (April 23, 1834April 5, 1928) was an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician. He is best remembered for his two terms as United States Senator from New York and for his work for Cornelius Vanderbilt, as ...

as president of

. At the time of Callaway's assumption of the presidency of New York Central, other significant leadership changes were made as well.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II Cornelius "Corneil" Vanderbilt II (November 27, 1843 – September 12, 1899) was an American socialite and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. Noted forebears He was the favorite grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbil ...

retired from the chairmanship of the New York Central and the Michigan Central and

William K. Vanderbilt William Kissam "Willie" Vanderbilt I (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was an American heir, businessman, philanthropist and horsebreeder. Born into the Vanderbilt family, he managed his family's railroad investments. Early life William Kiss ...

retired from the chairmanship of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and the Nickel Plate Road, although both continued as directors for these railroads after the change. When the American Locomotive Company (Alco) was formed through the merger of several smaller locomotive manufacturers in 1901, Callaway was selected to be the new company's first president. The merger was widely not seen as positive by the public, so the directors chose Callaway hoping his reputation as a railroad leader would help with public opinion of the company. Callaway was succeeded as president of Alco by Albert J. Pitkin.

Death and legacy

Samuel R. Callaway died at his home in New York City on June 1, 1904, following an operation for

mastoiditis Mastoiditis is the result of an infection that extends to the air cells of the skull behind the ear. Specifically, it is an inflammation of the mucosal lining of the mastoid antrum and mastoid air cell system inside the mastoid process. The ma ...

. The village of

Callaway, Nebraska Callaway is a village in Custer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 539 at the 2010 census. History Callaway was platted in 1885. It was named for S. R. Callaway, general manager of the Union Pacific Railroad. Geography Accordi ...

, is named in his honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callaway, Samuel R. 1850s births People from York, Upper Canada 1904 deaths Infectious disease deaths in New York (state) 19th-century American railroad executives 20th-century American railroad executives Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad Union Pacific Railroad people New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad New York Central Railroad Canadian emigrants to the United States 19th-century American Episcopalians