European Capital, British Iron, and an American Dream: The Story of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad

Editors' Afterword

Editors’Afterword O ne of the purposes of this afterword is to tell something nabout William Reynolds and Marvin Kent in the dencades following their separation from the A&GW RR. Another aim is to see what happened with this railroad once Reynolds and Kent had departed from it in 1864. Were their fears of the railroad’s future justified? Upon their resignations both men returned to their business and civic pursuits. In 1865 Kent succeeded his father as president of the Kent National Bank and retained this position for forty-three years. He did take time off in 1875 to serve as a Republican senator in the Ohio legislature. Afterwards he continued to be active in promoting business enterprises in his town. Reynolds likewise dabbled a little in politics by becoming Meadville’s first mayor in 1866, when it became a city of the third class. Most likely he viewed his stewardship as mayor more as a duty than as a stepping-stone to higher political of- fice. Politics, like the law, held little charm for him. Shortly after leaving office, he and William Thorp, a longtime associate of his in the railroad business, established the Athens Mill in Meadville, a dealer in rough and dressed lumber. There were other business adventures. Yet it was public service for which Reynolds is best remembered after his railroad years. Many charitable groups 221
profited through his generosity. Giving something back to the community was a family tradition that he,his children,and his father cherished. He served as trustee or board member of a number of organizations, including Allegheny College and Park Avenue Church of Meadville. He helped organize the city’s waterworks system that pumped water from the feeder canal to a reservoir high on a hill in the northeastern suburb of the city. Also to his credit was Island Park. Started in 1876, this twenty-five-acre park proved to be a popular attraction, with its walks and gardens. The position he may have enjoyed the most was the presidency of the Meadville Library, Art, and Historical Association. As an amateur historian Reynolds took the lead in preserving his county’s documentary heritage. It was through his efforts that prized collections like the papers of the A&GW RR and the complete run of the Crawford Weekly Messenger were saved. He also wrote numerous essays on the county’s past in addition to two fine but unpublished histories of the bench and bar of the county and the story of the A&GW RR. His contributions to the community seemed limitless. It is no wonder that on the day of his burial, January 13, 1911, the entire city of Meadville came to a standstill. In his honor, public offices, factories, and small shops closed for an hour as townspeople mourned the loss of their favorite neighbor. Long before his death, Reynolds undoubtedly mourned the loss of the railroad he had helped build. He had good reason to, considering the amount of time and energy he had devoted to it. From late 1864 until its final demise in 1880, the story of the A&GW RR was agonizingly predictable. After Reynolds and Kent resigned from their respective boards, McHenry succeeded in having James Robb elected chief executive of all three companies, or divisions. He remained for only three months, however, from October 1 through December 31. What prompted his departure after such a short tenure was Robb’s claim that he had been deceived into accepting the office. He charged McHenry, Kennard, and others with having skillfully manipulated the company’s books involving millions in pound sterling. The true condition of the railroad turned out to be quite different than what he had 222 editor’s afterword been told. Robb’s utter disgust in having been misled and his shock to learn how the company was conducting itself probably contributed to a heart attack just prior to his resignation. Before he left office Robb had urged, as Reynolds had before him, that both retrenchment and a better administrative system be adopted. He pointed to the decline of traffic on the A&GW RR. There was little sense in forecasting for 1865 a promising $200,000 per week in earnings that could alleviate some of the financial distress. It could never happen. He harped on the many bad policies the company insisted upon retaining. For example, he cautioned against offering shares in payment for...