General William Jackson Palmer
William Jackson Palmer was born to a Quaker family in Delaware on September 17, 1836. As a young boy, William was fascinated by trains. Later, Palmer went on to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad and learned all he could about the railroad industry and railroad engineering. Palmer was one of the earliest proponents of utilizing coal rather than wood to power locomotive engines, and The Pennsylvania Railroad became the first to switch to coal.
As a Quaker, William disapproved of violence. However, he also believed in ending slavery and served as a general in the Civil War. After earning a Medal of Honor after the Civil War, Palmer joined the Kansas Pacific Railroad. In August, 1870, under Palmer’s direction and guidance, the Kansas Pacific Railroad reached Denver, Colorado. Soon after, William founded his own railroad company, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad with his friend, Dr. William Bell. Seeing an opportunity, Palmer promoted connecting Denver to the Pikes Peak area, the heart of mining at the time, via railroad.
William married Mary Lincoln (Queen) Mellen in 1870, and on their honeymoon in the British Isles, Palmer saw a narrow gauge railroad. Narrow gauge is cheaper to build, can make sharper turns, and climb steeper slopes. William realized that by using narrow gauge technology, his railroad could more efficiently navigate through the mountains. Today, two sections remain of the narrow gauge rail: the 45-mile track between Durango and Silverton, and a 63-mile track between Cumbres and Toltec.
William retired to Colorado Springs, a city that he help found. A great benefactor, he helped to establish the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, a tuberculosis hospital, and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. William died on March 13, 1909 at age seventy-two.
As a Quaker, William disapproved of violence. However, he also believed in ending slavery and served as a general in the Civil War. After earning a Medal of Honor after the Civil War, Palmer joined the Kansas Pacific Railroad. In August, 1870, under Palmer’s direction and guidance, the Kansas Pacific Railroad reached Denver, Colorado. Soon after, William founded his own railroad company, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad with his friend, Dr. William Bell. Seeing an opportunity, Palmer promoted connecting Denver to the Pikes Peak area, the heart of mining at the time, via railroad.
William married Mary Lincoln (Queen) Mellen in 1870, and on their honeymoon in the British Isles, Palmer saw a narrow gauge railroad. Narrow gauge is cheaper to build, can make sharper turns, and climb steeper slopes. William realized that by using narrow gauge technology, his railroad could more efficiently navigate through the mountains. Today, two sections remain of the narrow gauge rail: the 45-mile track between Durango and Silverton, and a 63-mile track between Cumbres and Toltec.
William retired to Colorado Springs, a city that he help found. A great benefactor, he helped to establish the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, a tuberculosis hospital, and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. William died on March 13, 1909 at age seventy-two.
