Looking Back

‘Boss on the RR’

By Ann O’Hara
Posted 3/11/20

William Hicks Hoyle was born in 1823 in Cornwall, England, to Arthur Walker Hoyle and his wife Margaret Hicks. He came to America as a boy and by 1850 was living in Texas Township with his parents …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in
Looking Back

‘Boss on the RR’

Posted

William Hicks Hoyle was born in 1823 in Cornwall, England, to Arthur Walker Hoyle and his wife Margaret Hicks. He came to America as a boy and by 1850 was living in Texas Township with his parents and six siblings. Rising rapidly through the D&H ranks, by the time of the 1860 census, his occupation was “Boss on RR,” meaning the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company Gravity Railroad. At that time, he was 37 years old, married, living in Prompton and the father of two children. His wife was Ann Melissa Keen, daughter of Jacob L. Keen. Their children were Arthur, 14, who also worked on the railroad, Mary, 5, Samuel, 2, and Grace, 6 months. In 1879, they had one more child, Robert, who also became a railroader. By 1900, the Gravity was no more, and Hoyle is listed as a farmer on the census. William Hoyle died on September 14, 1904 and his obituary described him as “foreman of the car runners on the old Delaware and Hudson Gravity railroad until that road was abandoned.”

From the files of the Wayne County Historical Society. The museum and library are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday through April.



looking back, william hicks hoyle, wayne county, historical society,

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here