Oliver Ames, Jr.

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Oliver Ames, Jr. (1807 – 1877) was president of Union Pacific Railroad when the railroad met the Central Pacific Railroad in Utah for the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in North America. Born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, he was a son of Oliver Ames, Sr., and a brother of Oakes Ames.^[1][2]

Contents 1 Youth and education 2 Union Pacific Railroad presidency 3 Legacy 4 References

[edit] Youth and education

[edit] Union Pacific Railroad presidency

Oliver Ames, Jr., served as president of Union Pacific Railroad (UP) while the railroad was busy building the First Transcontinental Railroad in North America. His tenure at UP was marked by controversy as he ascended to the presidency in 1866 over Thomas C. Durant who had tried to gain the position for himself. Durant filed lawsuits against Ames that stopped construction, and Ames retaliated by garnering support to remove Durant from the railroad's executive committee. Ames finally acquiesced in 1867 and Crédit Mobilier awarded a new construction contract.^[3]

[edit] Legacy

The contributions of Ames and his brother Oakes in the building of the Union Pacific are commemorated in the Oliver and Oakes Ames Monument at Sherman Summit, near Laramie, Wyoming, along the original route. The pyramidal monument was designed by famous architect Henry Hobson Richardson (who designed a number of projects for the Ames family) with sculpted plaques of the Ames brothers by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. At the time of its construction, the monument was located at the highest point attained by the Union Pacific's transcontinental route. With a change in the route of the railroad, the monument today is not on any major transportation route.

[edit] References

1. ^ Spencer Marks (2005), The Ames Family of North Easton, MA. Retrieved December 29, 2005.
2. ^ Union Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific: Significant Individuals. Retrieved December 29, 2005.
3. ^ PBS; The American Experience, People & Events: Oakes Ames (1804-1873). Retrieved December 29, 2005.

Preceded by John Adams Dix

President of Union Pacific Railroad 1866 – 1871

Succeeded by Thomas Alexander Scott