Edwin Harrison McHenry
Encyclopedia
Edwin Harrison McHenry (January 25, 1859 - August 21, 1931) was the fourth vice-president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
and first vice-president of the Consolidated Railway of Hartford, Connecticut
. Prior to joining the New Haven, McHenry had been chief engineer and a receiver of the Northern Pacific Railway
and later the chief engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway
.
on January 25, 1859. He attended the Pennsylvania Military College at Chester, Pennsylvania
.
He first started working on the railroad in 1883 as a rodman
doing surveying on the Black Hills
branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad. He progressed from rodman to chainman, draftsman, leveler, transitman, assistant engineer, division engineer, principal assistant engineer, and from November 1, 1893 to January 1, 1896, he was the chief engineer
.
Starting on October 1, 1904 he was the first vice-president of the Consolidated Railway. He was also in charge of construction, operation and maintenance of the trolley lines owned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
. He was the fourth vice-president, New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
, in charge of the electrical department.
While working for the Northern Pacific, McHenry performed two notable engineering feats, and made one memorable marketing suggestion:
McHenry died on August 21, 1931 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania
.
was named by the Northern Pacific for him. Frances, Washington
was named by McHenry for his wife, whose middle name was Frances.
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
and first vice-president of the Consolidated Railway of Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. Prior to joining the New Haven, McHenry had been chief engineer and a receiver of the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
and later the chief engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
.
Biography
He was born in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
on January 25, 1859. He attended the Pennsylvania Military College at Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
.
He first started working on the railroad in 1883 as a rodman
Rodman
-Places in the United States:* Rodman, Iowa* Rodman, New York* Rodman Mountains, California* Rodman Reservoir, Florida-People:* Rodman "Rod" Serling, television host* Dennis Rodman, former NBA basketball player* Isaac P...
doing surveying on the Black Hills
Black Hills
The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, USA. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is something of a geological anomaly—accurately described as an "island of...
branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad. He progressed from rodman to chainman, draftsman, leveler, transitman, assistant engineer, division engineer, principal assistant engineer, and from November 1, 1893 to January 1, 1896, he was the chief engineer
Chief Engineer
In marine transportation, the chief engineer is a licensed mariner in charge of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. "Chief engineer" is the official title of someone qualified to oversee the entire engine department; the qualification is colloquially called a "chief's...
.
Starting on October 1, 1904 he was the first vice-president of the Consolidated Railway. He was also in charge of construction, operation and maintenance of the trolley lines owned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
. He was the fourth vice-president, New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
, in charge of the electrical department.
While working for the Northern Pacific, McHenry performed two notable engineering feats, and made one memorable marketing suggestion:
- In the 1880s McHenry was the principal assistant engineer on Stampede PassStampede PassStampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
during the construction of Stampede Tunnel, linking western Washington and especially the Puget SoundPuget SoundPuget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
ports of SeattleSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and TacomaTacoma, WashingtonTacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
to the East by rail.
- In the early 1890s McHenry was tasked with locating a line from the vicinity of LoganLogan, MontanaLogan is an unincorporated community in Gallatin County, Montana, United States.-History:Logan is situated on the Gallatin River and was established in 1889 as a railroad station on the Northern Pacific and Montana...
westward to Butte, MontanaButte, MontanaButte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
. During the course of this work McHenry discovered Homestake PassHomestake PassHomestake Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the United States. It sits on the Continental Divide of the Americas on the border between Jefferson County, Montana and Silver Bow County, Montana, six miles south-southeast of Butte, Montana in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National...
, the pass which Interstate 90Interstate 90Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
now crosses the Continental DivideContinental DivideThe Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
in MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
- In 1893, McHenry was in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
visiting the Columbian Exposition. While there, he visited the KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n display and noticed the prominent ying-yang symbol (or MonadMonad-Philosophy:*Monad a term meaning "unit" used variously by ancient philosophers from the Pythagoreans to Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus to signify a variety of entities from a genus to God....
) in the Korean flag. He suggested the suitability of this symbol to the Northern Pacific General Passenger Agent Charles S. Fee and circa 1896 the symbol was adopted as the logotype of the newly reorganized Northern Pacific RailwayNorthern Pacific RailwayThe Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
.
McHenry died on August 21, 1931 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...
.
Legacy
McHenry, North DakotaMcHenry, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 71 people, 36 households, and 27 families residing in the city. The population density was 276.0 people per square mile . There were 45 housing units at an average density of 174.9 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.59% White, and 1.41% from...
was named by the Northern Pacific for him. Frances, Washington
Frances, Washington
Frances is an unincorporated community in Pacific County, Washington, United States. Frances is located along State Route 6 east of the community of Lebam. Frances and surrounding areas are part of an area heavily affected by the logging industry....
was named by McHenry for his wife, whose middle name was Frances.
Engineering
- In the 1880s on the Northern Pacific, McHenry was the principal assistant engineer on Stampede PassStampede PassStampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
during the construction of Stampede Tunnel, linking western Washington and especially the Puget SoundPuget SoundPuget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
ports of SeattleSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and TacomaTacoma, WashingtonTacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
to the East by rail.
- In the early 1890s McHenry was tasked with locating a line from the vicinity of LoganLogan, MontanaLogan is an unincorporated community in Gallatin County, Montana, United States.-History:Logan is situated on the Gallatin River and was established in 1889 as a railroad station on the Northern Pacific and Montana...
westward to Butte, MontanaButte, MontanaButte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
. During the course of this work McHenry discovered Homestake PassHomestake PassHomestake Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the United States. It sits on the Continental Divide of the Americas on the border between Jefferson County, Montana and Silver Bow County, Montana, six miles south-southeast of Butte, Montana in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National...
, the pass which Interstate 90Interstate 90Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
now crosses the Continental DivideContinental DivideThe Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
in MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
Publications and Papers
- McHenry, Edwin H. Rules for Railway Location and Construction Used on the Northern Pacific Railway [with a chapter on] Estimating Overhaul in Earthwork. New York: Engineering News Publishing, 1901.
- McHenry's papers as chief engineer of the Northern Pacific are held by the Minnesota Historical SocietyMinnesota Historical SocietyThe Minnesota Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehood. The Society is named in the Minnesota...
in St. Paul, Minnesota. Some additional papers and correspondence are held by the University of Montana's K. Ross Toole Archives in Missoula, MontanaMissoula, MontanaMissoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
.
Further reading
- Biographical Directory of the Railway Officials of America, 1906 edition, pp. 381–82.
- Dakota Dateboook, May 26, 2006, "Moving Date." The story of McHenry and the Northern Pacific moving a massive bridge pier for the railway's crossing of the Missouri RiverMissouri RiverThe Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
at Bismarck, North DakotaBismarck, North DakotaBismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
. Available on the Web at: www.prairiepublic.org/programs/datebook/bydate/06/0506/052906.jsp.
- Frances, Washington, history, available on the Web at: visit.willapabay.org/pages/communities/frances.html.
- Krapp, Connie Allen. "The Loop That Has No End." North Dakota Horizons, Spring, 2000. Available on the Web at: www.ndhorizons.com/default.cfm?page=arc_spring00.