From Telegrapher to Titan: The Life of William C. Van Horne
William C. Van Horne, a true titan of North American business, started his railroad career at the age of 12 working various jobs for the Michigan Central, and crowned it by becoming the president of the Canadian Pacific. He is credited with opening Cuba’s interior by means of railway, greatly expanding Canada’s interests by launching the sea transport division of the Canadian Pacific—with regular luxury liner service between Vancouver and Hong Kong—and completing Canada’s first...
Search in google:
William Van Horne was one of North America's most accomplished men. Born in Illinois in 1843, he became a prominent railway figure in the United States before coming to Canada in 1881 to become general manager of the fledgling Canadian Pacific Railway. Van Horne pushed through construction of the CPR's transcontinental line and went on to become company president. He also became one of Canada's foremost financiers and art collectors, capping his career by opening Cuba's interior with a railway.
Preface9Acknowledgements11Prologue13Chapter 1Growing Up in Frontier Illinois17Chapter 2Early Career37Chapter 3Rapid Advancement55Chapter 4New Challenges and Hobbies83Chapter 5New Horizons95Chapter 6Toward the Last Spike117Chapter 7Cutting Costs147Chapter 8The Final Push175Chapter 9All That Grant Was to the U.S.A.209Chapter 10Van Horne at the Helm239Chapter 11Art for Art's Sake283Chapter 12Family Matters299Chapter 13Cuba Beckons325Chapter 14Building the Cuba Railroad339Chapter 15Chasing the Money367Chapter 16Dodging the Grim Reaper397Afterword429Bibliography433Notes443Index495
\ Branchline"For the most part, Van Horne was a remarkable person and for Canada a real hero that helped pull Canada together and settle the west. Valerie Knowles has done an excellent job in describing the man and telling his story. The book is easy to read and, as in all good history books, includes a broad range of references. It is certainly well worth the read and is a must for anyone who wants to learn more about Van Horne." —Bruce Ballantyne, Branchline, June 2005, reviewing a previous edition or volume\ — Bruce Ballantyne\ \ \ \ \ \ Rail Canadien"In From Telegrapher to Titan, Valerie Knowles takes us back to an era of frenzied progress, a time of frontier mentality and old money, and shows us a titan amongst men, who rose from being a messenger boy to the Chairman of the Canadian Pacific Railway while becoming one of the foremost art patrons of his time as well as a devoted father and husband. Van Horne’s legacy is felt today—his signature forever etched upon the country in tracks, coast to coast." —Rail Canadien, September-October 2004, reviewing a previous edition or volume\ \ \ The Michigan Railfan"While much has been written about the CPR's construction and early years of operation, there has been comparatively little recorded about the man who was such a key figure in its early history.This exhaustive volume by Valerie Knowles fills that void nicely." —The Michigan Railfan, Vol. 72#3, May-June 2011\ \ \ \ \ NMRA Magazine"In this volume, Valerie Knowles delivers a gripping account of this larger-than-life figure." —NMRA Magazine\ \ \ \ \ From the Publisher"... her biography will remain a good reference book for all aspects of Van Horne's life and career for a long time to come."\ "From Telegrapher to Titan is more than a biography; it is a first-rate work of business history, covering in detail the development of railways in 19th-century North America." -Graeme Voyer, Winnipeg Free Press, May 2, 2004.\ \ \
