George L. Dunlap

George L. Dunlap
City Marshall of Chicago
In office
July 30, 1875 (July 30, 1875) – November 22, 1875 (November 22, 1875)
MayorHarvey D. Colvin
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byRoswell Eaton Goodell[1]
Personal details
Born1830
Maine, United States
DiedMay 12, 1904
Paris, France

George L. Dunlap (1830-1904) served as president of the Chicago & North Western Railway and as City Marshall of Chicago.

Biography

Dunlap was born in 1830 in Maine.[1]

In his career, Dunlap served in various corporate leadership roles at the Chicago & North Western Railway, including general superintendent and president.[2][3]

As the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad continued to build roads west through Iowa in the early 1860s, progress was hampered by the war.[4] It wasn't until 1864 that a newly reorganized Chicago & Northwestern railroad was able to put together The Great Consolidation, making it one organization with multiple divisions. George L Dunlap, formerly Asst. Supt. of the Chicago, St Anthony & Fon du Lac RR, was now the Gen. Supt. for the entire consolidated railroad. IB Howe's Iowa Division included everything from Clinton to the town of Nevada at that time. The Galena Road on the Chicago side of the river became the Galena Division with Dr. EH Williams as Supt. and JC Gault as his assistant.[5] The Nevada railhead was already west of Marshalltown, but by the end of the year they would have pushed the Road past Ames to Boone. The race to Council Bluffs and the transcontinental railroad in Omaha on the Missouri River was on.

Just prior to establishing connection with Council Bluffs Iowa and the Union Pacific transcontinental railroad, the town of Dunlap Iowa was created as a C&NW 'company town' being the "proper point for terminus of the Division, ..... locating a town there and establishing comfortable homes for our men, thereby attaching them to the Co.'s interest and increasing their efficiency." .... "engine house at Dunlap.... secure the spring at "Dunlap".[6]

In late 1869, as president, Dunlap took strong interest in George Westinghouse's railway air brake, inviting him to Chicago to demonstrate the brake to other railroad officials and members of the press. Westinghouse thereafter ran a demonstration trip to Chicago, which helped to advance the adoption of the new technology.[3]

Dunlap was a sailing enthusiast.[7]

From July 30 until November 22, 1875, Dunlap served as City Marshall of Chicago, a newly reconstituted position which served as co-head of the Chicago Police Department alongside the General Superintendent (which was held, coinciding with Dunlap's tenure as Marshall, first by Jacob Rehm until October 4 and thereafter by Michael C. Hickey beginning on October 7).[1] Dunlap had been appointed by mayor Harvey D. Colvin.[1]

Dunlap's wife circa 1893

Dunlap married a daughter of John Blake Rice.[8] Dunlap's wife was principally involved in creating the Children's Building annex of The Woman's Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.[9]

Dunlap served as president of the Chicago Belt Company, which in the 1890s had unsuccessfully planned to build a belt rail line around Chicago.[10]

Legacy

Dunlap is the namesake of Dunlap, Iowa.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "HEADS OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT". ChicagoCop.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Railroads and the Making of Modern America | Search". railroads.unl.edu. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b Olsen, Ronald (November 2019). "Mission: Stop a Train | Trains Magazine". trn.trains.com. Trains Magazine. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  4. ^ https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/z4AyAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1
  5. ^ https://chicagogenealogy.org/resources/Documents/Quarterly%20Issues/V50N02_2018_CGS%20QTR.pdf#page=24
  6. ^ https://iagenweb.org/clinton/people/howe/letters1867.html | date= Feb 13th 1867 to IB Howe, Supt. of the Iowa Div.|quote= Your favor of the 11th inst has been received and contents noted. If it is as you state, that Messrs Blair & Walker do not own the land when we propose locating at "Dunlap", and cannot set up any claim that will conflict with our interests, you are authorized to make all the necessary arrangements with Judge Dow for the proper camping out of the plan your letter indicates. I have read your letter to Mr. Turner who is chairman of our committee, and he concurs with me as to "Dunlap's" being the proper point for terminus of the Division, and he approves the suggestion of locating a town there and establishing comfortable homes for our men, thereby attaching them to the Co.'s interest and increasing their efficiency. As soon as your land arrangements are completed with the Judge, I want you to secure bricks and material for an engine house at Dunlap, and let the work be commenced in the spring as soon as the weather is suitable. And you will also secure bricks and material for an eleven stall engine house, and suitable blacksmiths and car shops at Council Bluffs to be commenced as soon as ever the post gets out enough to permit us. Do not fail to secure the spring at "Dunlap"; and I want you to fix for building the dam at Boone, below the engine house to insure a constant supply of water at the situation. Yours truly, Geo. L. Dunlap Genl. Supt.
  7. ^ Love, Michelle Bie Love (18 May 2020). "Chicago mayor in 19th century was summer resident of Lake Geneva". Lake Geneva News. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Rice Theatres I and II". chicagology.com. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Woman's Part at the World's Fair, Part III". worldsfair1883.com. Chicago's 1893 World's Fair. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Belt Railways and Clearing Yards in Chicago". chicagology.com. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  11. ^ Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 66.