Horace Henry Baxter

Horace Henry Baxter (January 8, 1818 – February 17, 1884) was a Vermont businessman who served as Adjutant General of Vermont at the start of the American Civil War and President of the New York Central Railroad.

H. Henry Baxter, the son of Judge Henry Baxter, was born in Saxtons River, Vermont on January 8, 1818. He attended schools in Windham and Windsor Counties and at age 15 he became a clerk in a Boston dry goods commission warehouse. He worked in Boston for two years and became a supervisor of employees as the warehouse's head bookkeeper.

In the mid-1830s Baxter returned to Vermont, after securing the financing to open his own dry goods store in Bellows Falls. Having extended credit to his customers during the Panic of 1837, Baxter did not receive timely repayment. He closed the store when he was unable to run it profitably.

Despite bouts of ill health usually caused by overwork, Baxter was a large man with commanding presence. Drawing on these traits and his experience managing employees in Boston, in the early 1840s Baxter bid successfully for the contract to grade rail bed and lay track for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad. Baxter personally supervised his workers, and completed the Rutland and Burlington contract successfully. His success led to construction work for other railroads, including the Western Vermont and Cleveland and Toledo. Baxter then settled in Rutland and purchased the Rutland Marble Company. Baxter operated Rutland Marble in partnership with his brother John N. Baxter and Charles Clement and Sons, which included Percival W. Clement. Rutland Marble employed Redfield Proctor as Manager.

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