RARE \"Grand Trunk Railway\" John A Poor Hand Written Letter For Sale

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RARE \"Grand Trunk Railway\" John A Poor Hand Written Letter:
$139.99

Up for sale a RARE! "Grand Trunk Railway" John A Poor Hand Written Letter Dated 1857.

ES-8827

John Alfred Poor

(January 8, 1808 – September 6, 1871) was an American lawyer, editor, and

entrepreneur best remembered for his association with the Grand Trunk Railway[1] and his role in developing the railroad system in Maine.[2] He was the older brother of Henry Varnum

Poor of Standard & Poor's, who was his partner

in some business ventures. John Poor was an articulate man standing 6 feet, two

inches (1.9 m) tall and weighing over 250 pounds (110 kg). He learned the

geography and commerce of northern New England during travels as a young man;

and developed an early appreciation for the potential of railroads. His

commanding presence was enhanced by early speaking experience as a teacher and

attorney. He had a unique ability to assemble the necessary resources to build

early railroads, although he left the routine work of operations to others. John

Poor was born in Andover, Maine to Dr. Silvanus Poor and Mary

(Merrill) Poor. He became a school teacher at Bethel, Maine

before undertaking the study of law. He was admitted to the Maine Bar in 1834

and established a law practice in Bangor, Maine

with his brother Henry Varnum Poor. John Poor was inspired by his first viewing

of a steam locomotive on the Boston and Worcester Railroad in 1834. John Poor promoted the concept of a

railroad from Montreal

to Portland, Maine. Montreal would gain access to

an ice-free seaport while the Saint Lawrence River was frozen; and

Portland would gain commercial opportunities from the transfer of Canadian

exports in its harbor. Poor's vision was realized when Portland became the

winter seaport of the transcontinental Grand Trunk Railway. The Montreal Board of

Trade weighed the benefits of rail connection to Portland or Boston.

Portland was 100 miles closer to Montreal and Portland was a half day closer to

European ports; but Portland's population of 16,000 could hardly offer the

financial support for railroad construction promised by Boston businessmen. As

Boston representatives presented their case, John Poor made a legendary

300-mile (500-km) trip through the White Mountains during a

February blizzard.

Poor left Portland shortly after midnight February 5, 1845, but the wind driven

snow made it very difficult to follow the road. His sleigh

covered only 7.5 miles (12.5 km) to Falmouth,

Maine in three hours. After breakfast at Leach's Tavern, he traveled

40 miles (65 km), and had frostbite on his nose and one ear by the time he reached South Paris, Maine at nightfall. He traveled to

his home town of Andover on February 6, after obtaining help from residents of Rumford,

Maine to break a path through snowdrifts

higher than a horse's back. He then traveled another 40 miles (65 km) to

reach Colebrook, New Hampshire, at midnight.

Colebrook residents helped Poor carry his sleigh and lead the horses through Dixville

Notch where howling winds formed a 20-foot snowdrift. Poor rested in

Sherbrooke,

Quebec before venturing forth through unbroken snow 18 inches (46 cm)

deep in temperatures of -18 °F (-27 °C) and crossed the ice-covered Saint Lawrence

river at dawn on February 9. After resting 3 hours in his Montreal hotel room,

Poor addressed the Montreal Board of Trade as they considered a resolution in

support of the railway to Boston. Poor convinced the Canadians to delay support

of the railway to Boston, and subsequent debate resulted in approval of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad

to Portland. Poor had frostbitten feet and developed pneumonia

upon his return to Portland that spring. In 1846, Poor turned his attention to

building locomotives for Portland's railway. After discussions with Norris Locomotive Works Poor organized,

and became first president of, the Portland

Company on August 8, 1846. Portland Company's locomotive erecting

shops opened for business in October 1847.In 1849, John Poor purchased the American Railroad Journal, and his

brother Henry Varnum Poor became manager and editor.  Standard & Poor's traces its history

back to this publication. John Poor began promoting a railway from Portland to Halifax, Nova

Scotia in 1850. He became a director of the European and North American Railway

in 1867. The railway was completed a month

after his death in 1871. He was president of the York and Cumberland Railroad

in 1851, and president of the Penobscot and Kennebec Railroad

in 1852. He died at his home in Portland, Maine, on September 6, 1871. He was

president of the Portland, Rutland, Oswego and Chicago

Railroad at the time. His ambitious vision for Portland's

rail connection with Chicago was never realized, but his European and North

American Railway became the eastern end of the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway.

RARE "Grand Trunk Railway" John A Poor Hand Written Letter

$139.99

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