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B
F
William Wilson Finley
President
Biography
William Wilson Finley became President of the Southern Railway Company in 1906 after Samuel Spencer was killed in a train wreck.
G
John Morton Gibson
Conductor
Biography
John Morton “Hoot” Gibson also served as mayor of Smyrna, Georgia.
H
Reginald Fairfax Harrison
President
N
P
Q
S
Samuel Spencer
President
Biography
Samuel Spencer (March 20, 1847 – November 29, 1906) was an American civil engineer, businessman, and influential railroad executive.
Born in Columbus, Georgia, Spencer’s early education was interrupted by his service in the Confederate cavalry during the latter part of the Civil War. After the war, he continued his studies, graduating from the University of Georgia and the University of Virginia.
Spencer worked in various capacities and steadily rose through the ranks, eventually serving as president of six railroads. His career coincided with the rapid growth and expansion of American railroads during the late 19th century.
Spencer was also a director of at least ten railroads and held positions on the boards of several banks and other companies.
Spencer is often regarded as the “Father of the Southern Railway System,” reflecting his contributions to developing and consolidating railroads in the southern United States. His career, however, was tragically cut short when he died in a train wreck in Virginia in 1906.
The town of Spencer, North Carolina, home to the North Carolina Transportation Museum, was named in his honor.
James T. Sullivan
Engineer
Biography
J.T. Sullivan was the engineer of the northbound Southern Railway passenger train that crashed into Camp Creek near McDonough, Georgia, on June 23, 1900.
He was born in Atlanta circa 1858. J.T. Sullivan worked for the Western and Atlantic Railroad and the Southern Railway for twenty years. According to a newspaper account of his death, he was among the best-known and most popular engineers running out of Atlanta. He was highly esteemed by other engineers and idolized by his family.
He left behind a widow and six children. He lived at 608 South Pryor Street in Atlanta at the time of his death.