Cassius Milton Wicker
Cassius Milton Wicker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date North Ferrisburgh, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | November 2, 1913 (aged 69) |
| Occupation(s) | Railroad executive, banker |
Cassius Milton Wicker (August 25, 1844 – November 2, 1913) was a distinguished figure in railroad management and banking sectors.
The Railroads
Wicker embarked on his railroad profession at the age of twenty-one, initially working as a check clerk for the Star-Union Line in East St. Louis. He subsequently progressed to roles including cashier at People's Dispatch, Chinese emigrant agent for the North Missouri Railway, and assistant general freight agent for the same railway. In 1871, he took on the position of assistant general freight agent at the Chicago and North Western Railway, where he managed claims arising from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. By 1876, Wicker had joined the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, serving in multiple capacities such as general agent, assistant general freight agent, traffic manager of the Trans-Ohio division, mining manager in Northern Michigan, and general manager overseeing B&O’s coal mines in Illinois. He became a commissioner of the Chicago Freight Bureau by 1882. His leadership extended to executive positions including vice-president of the Colorado Eastern Railway (1887), president of the Zanesville and Ohio River Railway (1889), vice-president roles at both the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway and the Brooklyn, Queens County and Suburban Railroad, as well as presidencies of Hudson Valley Railway, Denver Railroad, Land and Coal Company, Dillon-Griswold Wire Company, and North Shore Traction Company—the latter controlling Lynn and Boston Railway among other assets.
The Banks
In addition to his railroad endeavors, Wicker held significant banking appointments. He was trustee and vice-president at the Washington Savings Bank, chaired the board at Bank of Discount, served as president of the Bankers' Money Association, and acted as director for Aetna.
Personal life
Cassius M. Wicker was born on August 25, 1846, in North Ferrisburgh, Vermont, to parents Cyrus Washburn Wicker and Maria Delight Halladay. His education took place locally along with studies at Williston and Middlebury Academies. His lineage included three ancestors from the Mayflower—William Latham, Elder Brewster, and Mary Chilton. On June 5, 1872, he married Augusta Carroll French, daughter of former Illinois Governor Augustus C. French, thereby connecting him to Edward French and poet Nora May French. The couple had three children: Henry Halladay Wicker, Lucy Southworth Wicker, and Cyrus French Wicker. Cassius Milton Wicker passed away in 1913.