Son of Simeon and Ellen (Perman) Hodder. Wife of Jane.
Contributed by #7992836:
William was born in Devonshire, England in 1842. When he was less than 10 years old he was greasing the journals of cars used to haul stone from a quarry to build a breakwater in the English channel at the Island of Alderney. With his family he sailed for America in 1856, he spent 7 weeks and 3 days at sea, and landed at New York on July 3. The next day he was firing Jackson crackers along with American youngsters.
His family went across to Canada, where, while clearing a farm, he disagreed with his father, was whipped and ran away. He soon got a job with the Grand Trunk railway as a flagman, and he told an odd story of the duty of a flag man of those days. A flag was hoisted on a towering staff to warn an engineer that a train was in the way and his duty was to raise it and lower it.
Near the outbreak of the civil war he sailed for Chicago, making the trip on one of the lake boats from Goderich, in Lake Huron. He helped unload the boat and pocketed the money. Then he sought a job as a mule driver in the service of the northern army, went down to St. Louis to take it, but was rejected because he was not a citizen of the United States.
In the next few years, he worked for a farmer near Alton and cut cordwood on an island in the Mississippi. Later he went to St. Paul, hired out to a wagon train to drive a team across the plains, but his chum backed out and he did likewise. He spent one winter in the pineries near St. Cloud, Minn., and then found his way to Chicago.
Up to this time and for long afterward he regularly sent a portion of his earnings to his people on the old Canadian farm.
By sheer chance while wandering about Chicago he strayed into the yards of the Rock Island road, near Clark and Thirteenth streets. He all along had had the railroad virus in his veins. It had always been his desire to run an engine. He was given a job of wiping, then firing on a switch engine. Then wood was entirely used for fuel. Hodder was the first man to coal an engine in the Rock Island. At that time the Rock Island road extended only to Rock Island and it had but fifty-six engines on the entire road. Ultimately he was given a switch and then a freight engine. His passenger service began in 1870 when he was given a run between Chicago and Blue Island.
Up to this time Hodder had never pulled or backed his train into an accident. He said that in his entire service he cost his company less that $20 in damages.
William sent for his brother Eli to join him in railroading. He too rose from the ranks of a wiper. At one time the two brothers were running the same engine, taking turns firing and driving.
That arrangement continued for many years until Eli had to retire on account of failing eyesight. He was married 53 years and raised five girls and a boy. He lived in a substantial home on High Street, Blue Island.
Contributed by #7992836:
William was born in Devonshire, England in 1842. When he was less than 10 years old he was greasing the journals of cars used to haul stone from a quarry to build a breakwater in the English channel at the Island of Alderney. With his family he sailed for America in 1856, he spent 7 weeks and 3 days at sea, and landed at New York on July 3. The next day he was firing Jackson crackers along with American youngsters.
His family went across to Canada, where, while clearing a farm, he disagreed with his father, was whipped and ran away. He soon got a job with the Grand Trunk railway as a flagman, and he told an odd story of the duty of a flag man of those days. A flag was hoisted on a towering staff to warn an engineer that a train was in the way and his duty was to raise it and lower it.
Near the outbreak of the civil war he sailed for Chicago, making the trip on one of the lake boats from Goderich, in Lake Huron. He helped unload the boat and pocketed the money. Then he sought a job as a mule driver in the service of the northern army, went down to St. Louis to take it, but was rejected because he was not a citizen of the United States.
In the next few years, he worked for a farmer near Alton and cut cordwood on an island in the Mississippi. Later he went to St. Paul, hired out to a wagon train to drive a team across the plains, but his chum backed out and he did likewise. He spent one winter in the pineries near St. Cloud, Minn., and then found his way to Chicago.
Up to this time and for long afterward he regularly sent a portion of his earnings to his people on the old Canadian farm.
By sheer chance while wandering about Chicago he strayed into the yards of the Rock Island road, near Clark and Thirteenth streets. He all along had had the railroad virus in his veins. It had always been his desire to run an engine. He was given a job of wiping, then firing on a switch engine. Then wood was entirely used for fuel. Hodder was the first man to coal an engine in the Rock Island. At that time the Rock Island road extended only to Rock Island and it had but fifty-six engines on the entire road. Ultimately he was given a switch and then a freight engine. His passenger service began in 1870 when he was given a run between Chicago and Blue Island.
Up to this time Hodder had never pulled or backed his train into an accident. He said that in his entire service he cost his company less that $20 in damages.
William sent for his brother Eli to join him in railroading. He too rose from the ranks of a wiper. At one time the two brothers were running the same engine, taking turns firing and driving.
That arrangement continued for many years until Eli had to retire on account of failing eyesight. He was married 53 years and raised five girls and a boy. He lived in a substantial home on High Street, Blue Island.
Son of Simeon and Ellen (Perman) Hodder. Wife of Jane.
Contributed by #7992836:
William was born in Devonshire, England in 1842. When he was less than 10 years old he was greasing the journals of cars used to haul stone from a quarry to build a breakwater in the English channel at the Island of Alderney. With his family he sailed for America in 1856, he spent 7 weeks and 3 days at sea, and landed at New York on July 3. The next day he was firing Jackson crackers along with American youngsters.
His family went across to Canada, where, while clearing a farm, he disagreed with his father, was whipped and ran away. He soon got a job with the Grand Trunk railway as a flagman, and he told an odd story of the duty of a flag man of those days. A flag was hoisted on a towering staff to warn an engineer that a train was in the way and his duty was to raise it and lower it.
Near the outbreak of the civil war he sailed for Chicago, making the trip on one of the lake boats from Goderich, in Lake Huron. He helped unload the boat and pocketed the money. Then he sought a job as a mule driver in the service of the northern army, went down to St. Louis to take it, but was rejected because he was not a citizen of the United States.
In the next few years, he worked for a farmer near Alton and cut cordwood on an island in the Mississippi. Later he went to St. Paul, hired out to a wagon train to drive a team across the plains, but his chum backed out and he did likewise. He spent one winter in the pineries near St. Cloud, Minn., and then found his way to Chicago.
Up to this time and for long afterward he regularly sent a portion of his earnings to his people on the old Canadian farm.
By sheer chance while wandering about Chicago he strayed into the yards of the Rock Island road, near Clark and Thirteenth streets. He all along had had the railroad virus in his veins. It had always been his desire to run an engine. He was given a job of wiping, then firing on a switch engine. Then wood was entirely used for fuel. Hodder was the first man to coal an engine in the Rock Island. At that time the Rock Island road extended only to Rock Island and it had but fifty-six engines on the entire road. Ultimately he was given a switch and then a freight engine. His passenger service began in 1870 when he was given a run between Chicago and Blue Island.
Up to this time Hodder had never pulled or backed his train into an accident. He said that in his entire service he cost his company less that $20 in damages.
William sent for his brother Eli to join him in railroading. He too rose from the ranks of a wiper. At one time the two brothers were running the same engine, taking turns firing and driving.
That arrangement continued for many years until Eli had to retire on account of failing eyesight. He was married 53 years and raised five girls and a boy. He lived in a substantial home on High Street, Blue Island.
Contributed by #7992836:
William was born in Devonshire, England in 1842. When he was less than 10 years old he was greasing the journals of cars used to haul stone from a quarry to build a breakwater in the English channel at the Island of Alderney. With his family he sailed for America in 1856, he spent 7 weeks and 3 days at sea, and landed at New York on July 3. The next day he was firing Jackson crackers along with American youngsters.
His family went across to Canada, where, while clearing a farm, he disagreed with his father, was whipped and ran away. He soon got a job with the Grand Trunk railway as a flagman, and he told an odd story of the duty of a flag man of those days. A flag was hoisted on a towering staff to warn an engineer that a train was in the way and his duty was to raise it and lower it.
Near the outbreak of the civil war he sailed for Chicago, making the trip on one of the lake boats from Goderich, in Lake Huron. He helped unload the boat and pocketed the money. Then he sought a job as a mule driver in the service of the northern army, went down to St. Louis to take it, but was rejected because he was not a citizen of the United States.
In the next few years, he worked for a farmer near Alton and cut cordwood on an island in the Mississippi. Later he went to St. Paul, hired out to a wagon train to drive a team across the plains, but his chum backed out and he did likewise. He spent one winter in the pineries near St. Cloud, Minn., and then found his way to Chicago.
Up to this time and for long afterward he regularly sent a portion of his earnings to his people on the old Canadian farm.
By sheer chance while wandering about Chicago he strayed into the yards of the Rock Island road, near Clark and Thirteenth streets. He all along had had the railroad virus in his veins. It had always been his desire to run an engine. He was given a job of wiping, then firing on a switch engine. Then wood was entirely used for fuel. Hodder was the first man to coal an engine in the Rock Island. At that time the Rock Island road extended only to Rock Island and it had but fifty-six engines on the entire road. Ultimately he was given a switch and then a freight engine. His passenger service began in 1870 when he was given a run between Chicago and Blue Island.
Up to this time Hodder had never pulled or backed his train into an accident. He said that in his entire service he cost his company less that $20 in damages.
William sent for his brother Eli to join him in railroading. He too rose from the ranks of a wiper. At one time the two brothers were running the same engine, taking turns firing and driving.
That arrangement continued for many years until Eli had to retire on account of failing eyesight. He was married 53 years and raised five girls and a boy. He lived in a substantial home on High Street, Blue Island.
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