Samuel W. Fordyce

Samuel Wesley "Colonel" Fordyce (February 7, 1840 – August 3, 1919) was a prominent railroad executive of the American South. He served on several boards of directors and as president of a few railroads. Fordyce was also the receiver for several railroads when they declared bankruptcy.

Fordyce was born in Guernsey county, Ohio to John Fordyce and Mary Ann Houseman, both of whom were from Pennsylvania. Samuel was one of ten children. He attended Madison College in Uniontown, Pennsylvania and later studied at North Illinois University in Henry, Illinois.

At the age of twenty, after completing his studies, Fordyce returned home to work as a station agent on the Central Ohio Railroad. After a year, he enlisted as a private in the First Ohio Volunteer Cavalry to fight in the Civil War. He was soon promoted to second lieutenant and then to a first lieutenancy of Company B, First Ohio Volunteers. In 1863, he was promoted to captain of Company H and soon after was made assistant inspector general of cavalry in the Army of the Cumberland. Fordyce was wounded three times and captured three times, but he was recaptured two of those times and managed to escape the other.

After the Civil War, Fordyce relocated to Huntsville, Alabama and established a banking house, Fordyce & Rison. Fordyce assisted in financing the North & South Alabama Railway from Decatur to Montgomery.

In January 1876, Fordyce moved near Hot Springs, Arkansas after being in bad health and knowing the reputation of Hot Springs as a health resort. While in Hot Springs, Fordyce contributed greatly to the development of the city. He assisted Senator John A. Logan in introducing a bill to build an Army and Navy Hospital on government reservation land in Hot Springs. Forydce also helped to finance hotels, an opera house, water, gas and electric light works, street railcars, and other public enterprises.

Fordyce soon turned his attention to building a network of railroads in the south and southwest. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company was built under Fordyce's management, which he operated for sixteen years. Fordyce served in many positions in the rail industry. For three years, he was vice president and treasurer or the Texas & St. Louis Railway, he was a receiver from 1885 to 1886, president of the railroad, which was reorganized under the name St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railway, from 1886 to 1889, receiver from 1889 to 1890, and president of the newly titled St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company from 1890 to 1898. In 1899, Fordyce was appointed receiver of the Kansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf Railway and became its president a year later, when it was renamed the Kansas City Southern Railway. In 1900 and 1901, he helped built the Little Rock, Hot Springs & Western Railway. It is estimated that Fordyce has contributed to the building and financing of at least ten thousand miles of railway. His contributions to the railroad include the following lines: St. Louis and San Francisco system; Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad; the Illinois, Indiana & Minnesota Railroad, the Apaloachicola & Northern in Florida, the St. Louis; Guthrie & El Reno Railroad in Oklahoma; the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico in Texas; and the Fort Worth & Denver.

...
Wikipedia