William Cornelius Van Horne

Born February 3, 1843 , near Frankfort, Illinois, U.S.A

At 15 years old , Van Horne was already working as a freight checker and a messenger on railways at the Illinois Central Railroad until 1864.

He became a ticket agent, Divisional Superintendent and then finally, the general manager of The Chicago and Alton Railway from 1878-1879.

Van Horne was offered a very high salary that he couldn’t turn down Van Horne was offered a very high salary that he couldn’t turn down. He accepted and therefor became the general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1882.

He would have responsibility for the construction of three major sections: Oak Lake in western Manitoba to a juncture where the rails were being laid by Onderdonk, the line north of lake Huron and lake Superior from Callander, Ontario, to Thunder Bay, and gaps in the line between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg.

Van Horne considered the railway a type of communications and transportation system and persuaded the directors and shareholders to create a telegraph service and an express freight delivery service as an additional complement to the railway.

. On may 16th of 1885 the last rail on the Superior section was laid and on November 7th the last spike was driven in British Columbia by Donald Smith.

Van Horne’s contributions did not go unnoticed Van Horne’s contributions did not go unnoticed. Afterward, on May 14th he was made vice president, general manager as well as being elected to the CPR’s board of directors.

During the six years Van Horne had served as general manager, his greatest achievement was by far the construction of the Canadian pacific railways main line.

When Van Horne became president in 1888, the company had survived its greatest financial difficulties.

By 1890 the basic system of the Canadian Pacific Railway was finished and Van Horne’s positive contribution to the growth of Canada was complete.