Yellowstone Genealogy Forum
Northern Pacific Chronology of Presidents
Revised 20 June 2001c
Since its inception, the railroad has had a difficult time in creating and maintaining the empire started in 1864. This chronology of presidents for the line was created from genealogy biographies of many of the men listed below.
Reference: President Lincoln signed an Act of Congress on July 2, 1864 creating the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, whose route was to approximately follow the path created by Lewis & Clark in 1804-1805. This Act provided for Right of Way and land grants.
|
Date Range |
President |
Comment |
|
12-7-1864 to 1-5-1866 |
Joshiah Perham |
Elected by 1st Board Meeting |
|
1-5-1866 to 11-1-1872 |
John Gregory Smith |
Congress extends completion time |
|
11-1-1872 to 6-30-1875 |
Gen’l George Cass |
Fredrick Billings named Managing Director |
|
6-30-1875 to 5-24-1879 |
Charles Wright Barstow |
Fredrick Billings creates re-organization plan |
|
5-24-1879 to 6-9-1881 |
Frederick Billings |
First 100 miles west of Missouri contracted |
|
6-9-1881 to 9-15-1881 |
A. H. Barney |
Interim president after Frederick Billings
resigned |
|
9-15-1881 to 1-4-1884 |
Henry Villard (aka Hilgard) |
Raises millions from ‘Blind Pool” for construction |
|
1-4-1884 to 9-20-1888 |
Robert Harris |
Elected after Villard was ousted |
|
9-20-1888 to 10-20-1893 |
Thomas Fletcher Oakes |
Monad logo adopted in 1893 |
|
10-20-1893 to 6-19-1896 |
Brayton C. Ives |
Railroad slips into 2nd bankruptcy |
|
6-19-1896 to 7-1-1896 |
(No president) |
Reorganized as “Northern Pacific Railway” |
|
7-1-1896 to 7-21-1896 |
Edward D. Adams |
Receivership president |
|
7-21-1896 to 9-1-1897 |
Edwin W. Winter |
James Jerome Hill gains tentative interest in line |
|
9-1-1897 to 10-23-1903 |
Charles Sanger Mellen |
X Class 2-8-0 steam engine accepted |
|
10-23-1903 8-27-1912 |
Howard Elliott |
Sherman Antitrust Act violated (1st Term) |
|
8-27-1912 to 1-11-1918 |
Jule M. Hannaford |
1st Term |
|
1-11-1918 to 2-29-1920 |
Howard Elliott |
2nd presidency term |
|
3-1-1920 to 12-1-1921 |
Jule M. Hannaford |
2nd presidency term |
|
12-1-1921 to 9-4-1939 |
Charles Donnelly |
Company lands are geologically surveyed |
|
9-4-1939 to 9-28-1939 |
(No President) |
Charles Donnelley died in office |
|
9-28-1939 to 12-31-1950 |
Charles Eugene Denney |
Mechanized accounting practices installed |
|
1-1-1951 to 9-22-1966 |
Robert Stetson Macfarlane |
Welded rail program initiated |
|
9-22-1966 to 3-3-1970 |
Louis Wilson Menk |
Last president of the line prior to merger |
The corporate records of the line’s operation were donated to the Minnesota Historical Society on December 2, 1968. On March 3, 1970 the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, Great Northern Railway, Northern Pacific Railway, Spokane Railway, Portland and Seattle Railway merged into the “Burlington Northern Railroad.”