Background
He was born on January 31, 1803 in Wilton, Franklin County, Maine, United States. his parents were Josiah Perham and Elizabeth (Gould).
(This reproduction was printed from a digital file created...)
This reproduction was printed from a digital file created at the Library of Congress as part of an extensive scanning effort started with a generous donation from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Library is pleased to offer much of its public domain holdings free of charge online and at a modest price in this printed format. Seeing these older volumes from our collections rediscovered by new generations of readers renews our own passion for books and scholarship.
https://www.amazon.com/Perhams-platform-feasible-suppressing-rebellion/dp/B003TZK986?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B003TZK986
He was born on January 31, 1803 in Wilton, Franklin County, Maine, United States. his parents were Josiah Perham and Elizabeth (Gould).
He was educated in Wilton, Franklin County.
He made a considerable fortune as a store-keeper and woollen manufacturer, but this he soon lost through a bad investment; and only by moving to Boston in 1842 was he able to accumulate enough to pay off his creditors. Forced for a second time into bankruptcy in 1849, he was saved from despair by an idea which only a man of his character could have turned to profit. What he did was, in effect, to anticipate the cinema.
He bought in 1850 a panorama of the Great Lakes, established it in Melodeon Hall, Boston, and by an ingenious device which caused the pictures to move across an illuminated screen, he managed to arouse popular curiosity. The surrounding countryside flocked into Boston to see the performance, while the railroads did a roaring business.
During the Civil War he published a pamphlet entitled Gen. Perham's Platform: The Most Feasible Plan Yet Offered for Suppressing the Rebellion (1862), in which he recommended that the Northern soldiers make conquest of Southern territory and settle permanently there, volunteering, himself, to "arrange with the railroads for tickets at excursion prices for all who emigrate to settle in the conquered territory. " To the Army of the Potomac, encamped near Washington, he sold excursion tickets to the capital.
In the course of his work with the New England railroads he became convinced of the need for a transcontinental line; and with commendable energy he formulated plans for a People's Pacific Railroad, "to be owned, " as he put it, "by the people in small sums". After an abortive attempt to secure a charter for his company in Massachusetts, he turned to his native state of Maine, where, on March 20, 1860, he was successful. Then, hurrying to Washington, he sought the cooperation of Thaddeus Stevens for the purpose of obtaining the passage of a bill giving recognition to his company and granting land to meet the construction expenses of the line. Strong opposition from the Union and Central Pacific railroads was sufficient, however, to crowd Perham's efforts out of existence, and until Stevens prevailed upon him to obviate all danger of competition with the southern railroads by changing to a northern route, the bill had no chance of success. Even then, as amended, it was defeated by opposition to the Maine charter. But Stevens was not discouraged. He assured Perham that if the Maine charter were relinquished, the bill would pass. On May 23 a new draft was introduced, creating the company by direct charter, and this time it was successful.
Perham's charter provided for a capital stock of $100, 000, 000, and though no mention of a government subsidy had been made, a munificent land grant was bestowed upon the company. The corporators formed a board of commissioners who, after collecting $2, 000, 000 as security, chose directors and elected Josiah Perham the first president of the Northern Pacific Railroad. He held the post for a year - just long enough to see the failure of his scheme for popular subscriptions.
Illness overtook him and he was forced to make settlement of his debts by transferring, in December 1865, the presidency and the franchise of the company to John Gregory Smith of Vermont.
Perham died in extreme poverty in East Boston on October 4, 1868.
(This reproduction was printed from a digital file created...)
Perham was a shrewd man. He had courage and steadfastness.
He married Esther Sewell.