Samuel Rodger 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 is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

1884–1887, president of Toledo, St. Louis and Kansas City Railroad 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 from 1881 to 1964. Commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road", the railroad served parts of the states of ...

1895–1897, president of

Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, established in 1833, and sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, New York, to Chicago, Illinois, primarily along ...

1897–1898, president of

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...

1898-1901 and as president of

American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer that operated from 1901 to 1969, initially specializing in the production of locomotives but later diversifying and fabricating at various time ...

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 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

, 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 (; ) was a Rail transport, railway system that operated in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the List of states and territories of the United States, American sta ...

, 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 List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

; 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 Toledo, St. Louis and Kansas City Railroad; 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 W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP ''Bar ...

in 1897. Callaway then succeeded D. W. Caldwell as president of the

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, a ...

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 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

(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 Accord ...

, 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