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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by dknelson John Insley Blair also figures, oddly enough, in the history of Wisconsin (Green Bay & Western) Nebraska and Iowa railroading. He was the son of Scottish immigrants and was not well educated. Together with the Scrantons he gained control of the Lackawanna, which in turn controlled lots of Lake Michigan steamboats resulting in railroad interests in Green Bay WI. In 1860 Blair and others investigated the railroad situation in Cedar Rapids Iowa. He attended the 1860 Republican party convention in Chicago during the same trip. He had a hand in building the Cedar Rapids and Missouri River RR and surveyed what became the Chicago & North Western's line across Iowa. By 1860 Blair was in Nebraska and built more railroads in that state. He then promoted a line in Iowa that eventually became part of the Rock Island. By that time Blair had acquired banks, land, railroads -- he would develop a small railroad and then sell it to a larger one at a high price. This included situations where he sat on the Board of both sides! My source is Stan Mailer's tremendous book "Green Bay & Western" published by Hundman. This is one of the finest railroad histories around and highly recommended. Dave Nelson [/quote] Again, perhaps not a man of vision but a RR Baron and good businessman. The interlocking Boards of Directors and other pesky rules weren't as much of a problem in those days... Sounds like he had a good life for his times... LC
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