Albert Alonzo Robinson Engineer was a civil engineer, railway builder and operator.
Background
Albert Alonzo Robinson was born 21 October 1844 in South Reading, Vermont, the son of Ebenezer and Adeline (Williams) Robinson. He was descended from William Robinson, one of the early settlers of Newton, Massachussets. His father, a country school-teacher, farmer, and carpenter of unusual mechanical ability--a talent which later appeared in his son--died in 1848.
In 1853 his mother married Albert Childs and the family moved to the W.
Education
After graduating from the academy at Milton, Wisconsin, Albert entered the University of Michigan, from which he received the degrees of Bachelor of Science (B. S. ) and in Civil Engineering (C. E. ) in 1869 and that of Master of Science (M. S. ) in 1871.
Career
Outside of school hours he worked on a farm or as a clerk in stores, and while a student at the University of Michigan he spent about five months of each year as assistant engineer with the United States Lake Survey.
His active career in railroad construction and administration began in May 1869, when he joined the engineering corps of the St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad. He continued with this road in various positions from axeman to assistant engineer until April 1, 1871, when he went to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe as assistant engineer in charge of location and construction.
He was with the Santa Fe road for twenty-two years, eventually becoming second vice-president and general manager. When he became connected with the road it was scarcely a hundred miles long; when he left, it had grown to a system of over 9, 000 miles, more than half of which, as chief engineer, Robinson had built.
He was personally in charge of the party which early in 1878 occupied Raton Pass a few hours ahead of the force sent out by the rival Denver & Rio Grande, thus capturing for the Santa Fe the only practicable gateway into northern New Mexico; and he designed and constructed the "switchback" by means of which, before the completion of the tunnel, the first Santa Fe locomotive crossed the summit of the Pass and entered that region.
In 1893 he became president of the Mexico Central Railway Company, Ltd. , with headquarters in Boston, Massachussets, which position he held until December 1, 1906, when he retired because of age and ill health. He proved himself an able administrator as well as a great engineer.
Achievements
Connections
On December 9, 1869, Robinson was married to Julia Caroline Burdick of Edgerton, Wis. , who died August 3, 1881; on September 3, 1885, he married Ellen Frances (Burdick) Williams, sister of his first wife, who with a daughter by his first marriage survived him.