JOHN JOSEPH BYRNE

Los Angeles County

Biographies

JOHN JOSEPH BYRNE

BYRNE, JOHN JOSEPH, Assistant Passenger Traffic Manager of the Santa Fe Railroad, Los Angeles, California, is a native of the Dominion of Canada. He was born at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1859. His father was Andrew W. Byrne and his mother Mary (Flannigan) Byrne.

In Chicago, Illinois, June 8, 1892, he married Mary Castle. There are three children, Constance, Beatrice and John Castle Byrne.

He was educated in the schools of Hamilton, Canada, in which city he spent his early life.

Mr. Byrne has been a railroad man all of his business life, which began in 1873, with the Great Western Railway system in Canada. There he worked his way from the position of office boy in that company, with promotion after promotion following in rapid succession, until today he holds an enviable place in the railroad world. However, the history of his success has not been a jump from office boy to the top, but has been a series of many merited advances, with years of persistent study and the development of a genius for his chosen work.

From office boy in the auditor’s office of the Great Western Railway he was advanced to clerk in the same office, December 19, 1877.

On October 14, 1880, he became clerk in the General Passenger Agent’s office of the Chicago and Alton Railway, with offices at Chicago. From that date until one year later he acted in the capacity of rate clerk on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway.

His next advance was into the office of the General Passenger Department of the Missouri Pacific Railway.

From January 1, 1882, until March of the following year he was employed in the same position with the Michigan Central Railway.

During the next two years he was made secretary of the Chicago Railroad Association, with offices in that city, and at the same time he acted as chief clerk in the General Passenger office of the Michigan Central system.

On April 1, 1885, he went to Oregon, where he became the general passenger and ticket agent of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.

In August, 1887, he was made passenger agent for the Atlantic and Pacific Railway of San Francisco, with headquarters situated in that city. He became a typical Western railroad man, displaying that interest in the growth and upbuilding of the Far West which was so essential to the prosperity of his interests. He devoted his principal efforts to colonization work, thereby creating the phenomenal growth of railway systems on the Pacific Coast.

From December 1, 1887, until the following September, he acted in the capacity of chief clerk of the Passenger Department of the Chicago, Santa Fe and California Railway, with its headquarters located at Chicago. He was next made assistant general passenger and ticket agent of the road, which office he retained until January 1, 1890, when on the consolidation of that system with the Santa Fe lines he went over to the parent organization and remained in various capacities up to January 31, 1895, when he took up the important duties of assistant passenger traffic manager of that railroad. Meanwhile he was made general passenger agent for the Southern California Railway, a subsidiary interest, and on March 1, 1896, was appointed general passenger agent of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroads, another Santa Fe interest, both of which were later merged into the growing Santa Fe System.

On July 1, 1899, he was made general passenger agent of the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad, another line that was ultimately consolidated with the Santa Fe system. On October, 1905, he became assistant passenger traffic manager of the Santa Fe Railroad.

For twenty-seven years he has been in the railroad profession, during which time he has worked with most of the leading Western and Canadian railroads. When he received a position he stayed with it until he had successfully mastered the duties of the office, and as a result he is today acknowledged to be one of the best equipped railroad men in the West. He work in behalf of Southern California has been one of the strong factors in the upbuilding of that country.

He is a member of the California, Sunset, Celtic, Gamut and Los Angeles Country Clubs; belongs to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants and Manufacturers’ Association.

Transcribed 10-8-08 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 145, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.

GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPIES

GOLDEN NUGGET INDEX