Edward Payson Ripley

Edward Payson Ripley (October 30, 1845 – February 4, 1920), sometimes referred to as Edward P. Ripley or E. P. Ripley, was the fourteenth president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

Youth and education

Ripley was born on October 30, 1845, in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Although his family had settled in the American colonies as early as 1638, his family's most prestigious quality was that there were nine blacksmiths in his ancestry.

Ripley attended public schools, entering the workforce in 1862 at a dry goods merchant's in Boston. Six years later, Ripley started his first job for a railroad as a freight agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad. After two years, he transferred to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad as a clerk. He worked his way up through various positions including New England agent, general eastern agent, general freight agent, traffic manager and finally general manager. In 1890 Ripley left the Burlington for a few years to work for the Milwaukee Road.

Santa Fe leadership

On December 1, 1895, as the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway emerged from receivership, Ripley became the Santa Fe's president. After the financial scandals that brought on the railroad's bankruptcy in the earlier part of the decade, Ripley had his work cut out for him to restore the public opinion of the railroad. He served as president until January 1, 1920.

Legacy

A Liberty Ship, hull number 2690, was named Edward P. Ripley in his honor (see List of Liberty ships).

Disneyland Railroad locomotive number 2, a 4-4-0 built in 1954 by the Disney shops, was named E. P. Ripley in his honor.

Ripley, California, is a town named after him when the Arizona and California Railroad's Blythe Branch was originally a shortcut to San Diego until his death as the branch reaches to the town in 1920.

References

• Bryant Jr., Keith L. (1974). History of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska. ISBN 0-8032-6066-0. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
• Waters, Lawrence Leslie (1950). Steel Trails to Santa Fe. University of Kansas Press, Lawrence, Kansas. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
• White, John H. Jr. (Spring 1986). "America's Most Noteworthy Railroaders". Railroad History. 154: 9–15. ISSN 0090-7847. JSTOR 43523785. OCLC 1785797.