Background
Wilgus, William John was born on November 20, 1865 in Buffalo, New York, United States. Son of Frank Augustus and Margaret Ann (Woodcock) Wilgus.
Wilgus, William John was born on November 20, 1865 in Buffalo, New York, United States. Son of Frank Augustus and Margaret Ann (Woodcock) Wilgus.
Graduate Buffalo Central High School, 1883. Pupil in civil engineering, Buffalo, 1883-1885. Honorary Doctorate.E., Stevens Institute Technology, 1921, University of Vermont, 1927.
Rodman, draftsman, resident engineer, division engineer, construction Minnesota & Northwestern Railroad and its successor the C.,Street.P.& Knights of Columbus Railway (now C.G.W. Railway), 1885-1891. Locating engineer Duluth & Winnipeg Railroad, and Duluth & Iron Range Railroad extension to Mesabe range and resident engineer in charge construction Chicago Union Transfer Railway, 1890-1893. With New York City&Hassaram Rijhumal Railroad during rehabilitation, as assistant engineer Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg division, 1893-1897, chief engineer Terminal Railway of Buffalo, 1895-1898, resident engineer, Eastern division, 1897, chief assistant engineer, 1898, engineer maintenance of way, 1898-1899, chief engineer construction, and maintenance of way, enlargement of terminals, bridges, et cetera, including Grand Central Station, New York and Weehawken terminals, 1899-1903, vice president in general charge of construction, including new extensions, change of motive power from steam to electricity and other improvements in New York electric zone, and inception and creation of new Grand Central Terminal, February 1903-September 1907.
Chairman Buffalo Union Station Committee, 1907.
Chairman advisory board of engineers for construction of tunnel under Detroit River, Detroit, connecting Medical Corps Railroad and Canada Southern Railway, 1905-1910. Private consulting practice, 1908-1930.
Chairman of the Board consultant engineers for building interstate vehicular tunnel of States of New York and New Jersey beneath North River, New York, 1919-1922. Construction engineering proposed railroad tunnel under The Narrows for City of New York, 1921-1922.
Construction engineering New York Transit Commission, 1923-1924.
Same to Regional Plan of New York and its Environs. Consultant to rys., industries, states and Federal Government. During World War member military railway commission to England and France.
Director military rys. and deputy director general transportation, American Expeditionary Force, rank colonel United States Army.
Clubs: Century (New York).
Married May Reed, March 1, 1892 (died October 2, 1918). Married second, Gertrude Bernadette Tobin, June 16, 1919.