User:Notuncurious/Working/James Braidwood (engineer)
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| James Braidwood | |
| Born | 1832 Johnstone, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Died | February 1, 1879 Illinois, United States |
| Residence | Scotland and United States |
| Occupation | Mining Engineer, minor Industrialist |
| Known for | Mine Engineering, compassion for miners |
| Spouse | Helen Ralston (m. 1854) |
| Children | more than 7 |
James Braidwood (1832 – February 1, 1879) was a Scottish-born American Mining Engineer and minor industrialist. He is affectionately remembered by coal miners as a mine owner/operator who always displayed compassion for the miners and their families, a singular honor in the often-violent coal fields of northern Illinois.
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[edit] Early Years
James Braidwood was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1832, the son of a coal miner. He lost his father at an early age, and grew up with his mother and two sisters in his stepfather's home. Braidwood entered the coal mines at about 9 years of age, which was typical for that time and place. He added boilermaker to his skills, and then became a fireman on a sailing ship at 17.
In 1854 he was again a coal miner, and married Helen Ralston, also of Johnstone. Braidwood returned to the sea with the East India Company, surviving several shipwrecks in the course of his travels. He eventually left his seafaring life behind, and became an underground manager at a coal mine in Govan (which is now within Glasgow), and later moved to "the Den", a settlement or small village near Dalry, North Ayrshire.
[edit] Establishing himself
In 1863 Braidwood travelled to the coal fields of Pennsylvania, and then sought opportunities in Iowa. On learning of the discovery of extensive coal deposits south of Chicago, he travelled to northern Illinois and found work there. His wife and 6 sons from Scotland joined him in 1865.
Braidwood's improving station in life, plus the fact that the entire family worked (his wife in a hotel, and his sons in the mines), meant that the family was able to build a comfortable home.
Alexander McDonald, a labor organizer visiting from Scotland, was a guest in Braidwood's home in 1867. He soon after published stories in a Glasgow newspaper, describing the town of Braidwood as having many Scottish miners, noting that his host had been a miner in Scotland only a few years earlier, and was now a respected member of the community living in a fine home on his own land. Such a story was unimaginable in Scotland. Scottish miners had lived in wretched poverty and hopelessness for their entire lives, and many would have remembered Braidwood from when he worked among them. The effect was predictable, increasing the number of Scottish miners who emigrated, both to Braidwood and elsewhere.
[edit] Later Years
Braidwood had knowledge and experience in dealing with underground water problems from his experiences in Scottish coal mines, and in 1872 he superintended the sinking of a deep mine shaft. It was a success, the first one in the area. On July 15, 1873 [2] the community was incorporated as "Braidwood", named in honor of James Braidwood.
had become a boomtown as miners streamed in seeking work, and the city was founded that same year, named "Braidwood", in honor of James Braidwood.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Joyce, Richard, Early Days of Coal Mining in Northern Illinois, The Illinois Labor History Society, <http://www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/earlyday.htm>. Retrieved on 12 February 2008
- ^ City-Data.com entry for Braidwood, Illinois, <http://www.city-data.com/city/Braidwood-Illinois.html>. Retrieved on 13 February 2008
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