| Hartwell Carver | |
|---|---|
54 foot monument to Carver in Mount Hope Cemetery. Paid for by Union Pacific Railroad. |
|
| Born | 1789 |
| Died | April 16, 1875 |
| Resting place | Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York |
| Occupation | Doctor, Businessman |
| Known for | Advocate for Pacific Railroad |
Dr. Hartwell Carver (1789 – April 16, 1875) was an American doctor, businessman, and an early promoter of what would become the Transcontinental Railroad.
Carver's push for a railroad to connect both coasts of the United States began in 1832 with a proposal that was dismissed by Congress. Over the next several years, Carver wrote a series of articles in the New York Courier and Enquirer about the subject.[1] He participated in the hammering of the Golden Spike that officially joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869 at Promontory, Utah.[2]
Hartwell Carver was the great-grandson of John Carver, who came over on the Mayflower and was the first governor of Plymouth Colony.[2]
Carver was interred at Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York under a 54 foot (16 m) monument erected by the Union Pacific Railroad. The monument is the second tallest in the cemetery.[3] The inscription reads:
"Dr. Carver was the father of the Pacific Railroad; with him originated the thought of connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by railroad."[4]