City: Knoxville
HUDSON, Charles Henry, civil engineer, railway manager; born Westminster, Mass., July 10, 1833; son of Charles and Martha (Brigham) HUDSON; father’s occupation, member of legislature, Congress, naval officer, and Internal Revenue Assessor; paternal grandparents, Stephen and Louisa (Williams) HUDSON, maternal grandparents, John and Mercy (Brigham) RYDER; educated at Cambridge, Mass., graduated from Harvard University with S. B. degree in 1854; began life as civil engineer, and spent three years in practice of his profession, in railway surveys and construction in Ohio; 1857-8-9 he spent in engineering work and exploration in Wis., and the then wilderness West and Northwest of that State; in March 1880 he entered Gen Freight Office of the C. B. & Q., R. R., at Chicago; 1862 he was transferred to engineer corps of same road; 1865 he became Eng. and Assistant Supt. of Chicago & Great Eastern Ry., from Chicago to Cincinnati. (now a part of the “Penn. Lines”); in 1866 he became head of Eng. Corps constructing line of present C. & N. W. Ry., from Boone, Ia., to Omaha, on the Missouri river; in 1887 he returned to Chicago Burlington & Quincy R. R., in charge of construction of the bridge on the Miss. river at Burlington, Ia.; also constructed several branches of same road; in 1869 he was transferred to Chicago as Supt. of that division; in 1871, in addition to duties of Supt. was given charge of Mechanical Dept. of the road; in 1872 went to Dubuque, Ia., as Gen. Sup. of C. C. & D. and C. D. & M. railroads 1874; in 1877 became Gen Sup of B. & O., west of Ohio river; in 1881 became Gen. Manager of M. & St. L. R. R., at Minneapolis, Minn.; in 1883 went to Richmond, Va., as Gen. Supt. C & O. Ry.; in 1885 became Gen. Manager of the East Tenn. Va. & Ga. R. R., and associated lines, at Knoxville, Tenn., and upon the consolidation of these and other line forming the Southern Ry., in 1894 he became Chief Engineer of Southern Railway, and located at Washington, D. C., in 1895 was Mechanical Engineer and head of Mechanical Dept.; 1899 he retired and moved to Knoxville, Tenn.; married Frances Helen NICHOLS Jan. 1, 1862; member of Union League, Western Society of Engineers, Am. Railway Guild, Masonic Order including both K. T., and 32d degrees; Republican; for many years he was president of the school board at his Illinois home.
