John Flint Kidder
Encyclopedia
John Flint Kidder was a politician, civil engineer
and railroad executive who built and later owned Northern California
's Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
(NCNGRR) which, during its operation, never experienced an attempted robbery.
. He was born in New York City, New York in 1830, and moved in 1840 to Syracuse, New York
with his parents.
Kidder attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in 1846-47, but did not graduate.
In 1861, he headed west for Government service, becoming an officer of the Nevada Territorial Legislature
in which he surveyed the boundary from Lake Bigler to Honey Lake
, followed by a survey south of Lake Bigler the following year. On July 8, 1862, the Governor appointed Kidder as Surveyor of Esmeralda County, Nevada
.
In 1863, the Houghton-Ives Commission hired Kidder to survey the California/Nevada state line with Kidder representing the interests of California. The following year, on April 4, he was appointed County Surveyor of Nye County, Nevada
, a position he held until September when an elected official took over the position.
He moved to El Dorado County, California
in 1864, remaining for four years. While there, he served as a Member of California's 15th State Assembly district
during the period of 1865-1867. After El Dorado County, he lived jointly in Sacramento and Nevada until 1868 when he moved to Oregon, and in 1871, he moved to Washington Territory
. From 1873-1875, he lived in Solano County, California
and Monterey County, California
, and in 1875, moved to Grass Valley, California
.
Kidder took over as building engineer of the Oregon and California Railroad
, completing it on Christmas Eve, 1869. He also supervised the building of a portion of the Central Pacific Railway, and served as the Central Pacific's location engineer. In 1874, he was the building engineer on the Monterey and Salinas Valley Rail Road, the first narrow gauge railway in California.
Later in the same year, he became chief engineer to construct the NCNGRR from Nevada City, California
, through Grass Valley, to Colfax, California
where it connected with the Central Pacific Railway. Construction was completed in 1876 and Kidder became the railroad's General Superintendent by 1877. He went on to become the railroad's President in 1884, along with Secretary, Treasurer, and made his family the Board of Directors.
He owned four mines, and was a multi-millionaire.
and County Central Committees. He was a delegate to the 1892 Republican National Convention
, where he cast the only vote for Ohio's William McKinley
, the Permanent Chair of the convention.
Governor Robert Waterman
appointed Kidder to the position of Yosemite Valley
Commissioner. In 1893, Kidder was appointed State Debris Commissioner by the California State Mining Bureau, a position he held until his death.
Though Kidder became the first Exalted Ruler of the Grass Valley Elks Club
in 1900, he continued his membership in Syracuse's Masonic Lodge
even after leaving 40 years earlier.
In April 1901, suffering from diabetes, Kidder died at his home in Grass Valley. His wife Sarah Kidder
succeeded him as President of the NNGRR, becoming the first female railroad president in the world.
Kidder and his wife had one adopted daughter, Beatrice, who married Howard Ridgely Ward in Grass Valley in 1905. The Wards had two children both daughters, Elizabeth K. Ward born in about 1907 and Beatrice H. Ward born in about 1908 but died sometime between 1910 and 1917. .
planted three trees for the Kidder family in Grass Valley's Clamper Square.
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and railroad executive who built and later owned Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
's Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad was located in Northern California's Nevada County and Placer County, where it connected with the Central Pacific Railroad. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Company incorporated on April 4, 1874, and was headquartered in Grass Valley, California...
(NCNGRR) which, during its operation, never experienced an attempted robbery.
Early years
Kidder's ancestors came to America before the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He was born in New York City, New York in 1830, and moved in 1840 to Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
with his parents.
Kidder attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
in 1846-47, but did not graduate.
Career
Kidder began his engineering career in 1849. For several years, until 1860, he was a city engineer in Syracuse.In 1861, he headed west for Government service, becoming an officer of the Nevada Territorial Legislature
Nevada Territorial Legislature
The Nevada Territorial Legislature was established in 1861 after the establishment of the Territory of Nevada.- History :The first Legislature passed a bill entitled An Act to Prohibit Gambling....
in which he surveyed the boundary from Lake Bigler to Honey Lake
Honey Lake
Honey Lake is an endorheic sink within the Honey Lake Valley located in northeastern California, near the Nevada border. Summer evaporation reduces the lake to a lower level of 12 km² and creates an alkali flat....
, followed by a survey south of Lake Bigler the following year. On July 8, 1862, the Governor appointed Kidder as Surveyor of Esmeralda County, Nevada
Esmeralda County, Nevada
Esmeralda County is a county in the west of U.S. state of Nevada. Its county seat is Goldfield. Its 2000 census population was officially 971, making its population density 0.1045 inhabitants/km² , the second-lowest of any county-equivalent outside of Alaska. As of 2010, the population had...
.
In 1863, the Houghton-Ives Commission hired Kidder to survey the California/Nevada state line with Kidder representing the interests of California. The following year, on April 4, he was appointed County Surveyor of Nye County, Nevada
Nye County, Nevada
-National protected areas:* Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Death Valley National Park * Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest * Spring Mountains National Recreation Area -Demographics:...
, a position he held until September when an elected official took over the position.
He moved to El Dorado County, California
El Dorado County, California
El Dorado County is a county located in the historic Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills of the U.S. state of California. The 2010 population was 181,058. The El Dorado county seat is in Placerville....
in 1864, remaining for four years. While there, he served as a Member of California's 15th State Assembly district
California's 15th State Assembly district
California's 15th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Joan Buchanan.-District profile:Contra Costa County - 27.21%*Alamo*Bethel Island...
during the period of 1865-1867. After El Dorado County, he lived jointly in Sacramento and Nevada until 1868 when he moved to Oregon, and in 1871, he moved to Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
. From 1873-1875, he lived in Solano County, California
Solano County, California
Solano County is a county located in Bay-Delta region of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. The county's population was reported by the U.S. Census to be 413,344 in 2010...
and Monterey County, California
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
, and in 1875, moved to Grass Valley, California
Grass Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Grass Valley had a population of 12,860. The population density was 2,711.3 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Grass Valley was 11,493 White, 46 African American, 208 Native American, 188 Asian, 9 Pacific Islander, 419 from other...
.
Kidder took over as building engineer of the Oregon and California Railroad
Oregon and California Railroad
The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
, completing it on Christmas Eve, 1869. He also supervised the building of a portion of the Central Pacific Railway, and served as the Central Pacific's location engineer. In 1874, he was the building engineer on the Monterey and Salinas Valley Rail Road, the first narrow gauge railway in California.
Later in the same year, he became chief engineer to construct the NCNGRR from Nevada City, California
Nevada City, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada City had a population of 3,068. The population density was 1,399.7 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Nevada City was 2,837 White, 26 African American, 28 Native American, 46 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 40 from other races,...
, through Grass Valley, to Colfax, California
Colfax, California
Colfax is a city in Placer County, California, at the crossroads of Interstate 80 and State Route 174. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,963 at the 2010 census...
where it connected with the Central Pacific Railway. Construction was completed in 1876 and Kidder became the railroad's General Superintendent by 1877. He went on to become the railroad's President in 1884, along with Secretary, Treasurer, and made his family the Board of Directors.
He owned four mines, and was a multi-millionaire.
Later years
Kidder, a Republican, was involved in StateCalifornia Republican Party
The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party chairman is Tom Del Beccaro and is based in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The RPC also has a headquarters in Sacramento....
and County Central Committees. He was a delegate to the 1892 Republican National Convention
1892 Republican National Convention
The 1892 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held at the Industrial Exposition Building, Minneapolis, Minnesota, from June 7 to June 10, 1892. The party nominated Benjamin Harrison from Indiana for re-election as President of the United States on the first ballot...
, where he cast the only vote for Ohio's William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, the Permanent Chair of the convention.
Governor Robert Waterman
Robert Waterman (governor)
Robert Whitney Waterman was an American politician. He served as the 17th Governor of California from September 12, 1887 until January 8, 1891.-Early years:...
appointed Kidder to the position of Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
Commissioner. In 1893, Kidder was appointed State Debris Commissioner by the California State Mining Bureau, a position he held until his death.
Though Kidder became the first Exalted Ruler of the Grass Valley Elks Club
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
in 1900, he continued his membership in Syracuse's Masonic Lodge
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
even after leaving 40 years earlier.
In April 1901, suffering from diabetes, Kidder died at his home in Grass Valley. His wife Sarah Kidder
Sarah Kidder
Sarah Clark Kidder was president of Northern California's Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad from 1901 to 1913. She was the first female railroad president in the world, taking on the position upon the death of her husband, John Flint Kidder, who is credited with building the railroad.Civil...
succeeded him as President of the NNGRR, becoming the first female railroad president in the world.
Family
Kidder married Sarah A. Clark of Ohio in 1874. From 1875, they lived on Bennett Street in Grass Valley where he collected paintings and a large collection of books. He had a family orchard across from the Grass Valley train depot where he grew a variety of produce.Kidder and his wife had one adopted daughter, Beatrice, who married Howard Ridgely Ward in Grass Valley in 1905. The Wards had two children both daughters, Elizabeth K. Ward born in about 1907 and Beatrice H. Ward born in about 1908 but died sometime between 1910 and 1917. .
Historic recognition
Honoring Kidder, who built Grass Valley's first modern house and first concrete sidewalk, the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus VitusE Clampus Vitus
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western heritage, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area...
planted three trees for the Kidder family in Grass Valley's Clamper Square.