Thomas J. Potter (August 16, 1840 – March 9, 1888) was vice-president and general manager of the

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 ...

Early life

Thomas J. Potter was born on August 16, 1840, in

Carroll County, Ohio Carroll County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,721. Its county seat is Carrollton. It is named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independ ...

. He grew up on a farm. In 1853, he moved with his parents to

Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,529 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. Located in the state's southeastern section, the city is split into northern and southern halves b ...

as they engaged in a hotel business.

Career

In 1862, Potter worked with a surveying party to lay out the

Burlington and Missouri River Railroad The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad (B&MR) or sometimes (B&M) was an American railroad company incorporated in Iowa in 1852, with headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. It was developed to build a railroad across the state of Iowa and began oper ...

from Ottumwa to

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...

. Potter enlisted in 7th Iowa Cavalry Regiment as a private during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

in January 1863. He rose to the rank of captain and was honorably discharged in 1866. Potter became a station agent for the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad in

Albia, Iowa Albia is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, in southern Iowa, United States. The population was 3,721 at the 2020 census. The city of Albia is known for its historic square and city-wide Victorian Architecture. Albia is also known ...

in 1867. He was promoted to the office of chief clerk in the roadmaster's department after he gained the approval of Superintendent

Charles Elliott Perkins Charles Elliott Perkins (November 24, 1840 – November 8, 1907) was an American businessman and president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad."Charles E. Perkins, Dead." ''New York Times.'' November 9, 1907. He was so well respected th ...

. Potter was offered a better position in 1873 with the

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illin ...

. With the latter firm he rose from assistant superintendent, to general manager, and then vice-president in 1884.Potter also served as vice president of the St. Louis and Keokuk Railroad, the Chicago, Burlington and Kansas City Railroad, the Chicago and Iowa Railroad, the

Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad The Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad was the first railroad to cross Missouri starting in Hannibal in the northeast and going to St. Joseph, Missouri, in the northwest. It is said to have carried the first letter to the Pony Express on April 3, ...

, and the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad. In 1887, Union Pacific President

Charles Francis Adams Jr. Charles Francis Adams Jr. (May 27, 1835 – March 20, 1915) was an American author, historian, and railroad and park commissioner who served as the president of the Union Pacific Railroad from 1884 to 1890. He served as a colonel in the Union Arm ...

offered the job of vice president and general manager of the

to Potter. Potter accepted the role.

Personal life

Briefly furloughed during the war, Potter married Urdillia Jane Wood of Ottumwa on May 21, 1863. He died an untimely death at the age of 48. His remains were transported west on the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

after he died at Welcker's Hotel in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, on March 9, 1888. Potter was buried in Ottumwa Cemetery. A memorial arch was erected in his honor at

Aspen Grove Cemetery Aspen Grove Cemetery is a cemetery in Burlington, Iowa. History Aspen Grove Cemetery was established in 1843. The Aspen Grove Cemetery Association was approved by the Legislature of the Iowa Territory in December 1843 and they first met on Janua ...

by his wife around 1906.

References

1840 births 1888 deaths People from Carroll County, Ohio 19th-century American railroad executives People of Iowa in the American Civil War {{US-business-bio-1840s-stub