EDWARD KAVANAUGH, Galion, Ohio.
Starting on his career as an engine wiper, Edward Kavanaugh has advanced step by step until he is now recognized as one of the best engineers on his division. Mr. Kavanaugh was born in London, Ontario, on February 1, 1858, and is the son of Thomas Kavanaugh, a shoemaker who has pursued his calling in New York and Pennsylvania. The subject of this sketch left school at the age of 14 and immediately secured a position as engine wiper in the Kent shops of the Atlantic & Great Western, as it was then known. From June, 1872, to August, 1878, he served in various capacities about the roundhouse, eventually being promoted to hostler, and from that to fireman, the latter promotion occurring in August, 1878. He fired freight three and one-half years, and passenger six months, being advanced to engineer on December 22, 1886. Since that time he has run continuously in the freight service, excepting occasional extra duty on passenger trains, and at the present is pulling through freight.

Mr. Kavanaugh was married on September 27, 1880, to Miss Agnes King, daughter of James King, a contractor of Spooner, Wisconsin, formerly of Ravenna, Ohio. They have four children, of whom the oldest, Arthur L., aged 18, is an employe of the Galion Wheel Works; George, aged 15; John E., 10, and Katherine U., 9, are attending school.

While Mr. Kavanaugh was firing he experienced two collisions in one day; the first of which was when his engine ran into a switch engine and ten cars of lumber as they were going into Akron; on the return trip they ran into a wrecking car. In neither of these was the damage very great, and Mr. Kavanaugh luckily escaped personal injury. Another wreck in which he had the misfortune to be was more serious, that being when his train, a double-header, plowed through the rear end of a freight standing on the main track and which had failed to properly display signals. Mr. Kavanaugh was on the siding with his train at Rittman on March 22, 1899, and witnessed the ditching of train 5, in which wreck Engineer Logan was killed. Mr. Kavanaugh is a member of Lodge No. 16, B. of L. E.; was a delegate to the St. Louis convention in 1808, and is also a member of the Board of Adjustment of Lodge 16. He is popular in railroad circles, and with his family stands high in the social life of Galion. He owns fine property in the city and is respected by all as a citizen of worth.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the February, 1910 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
Engineer Edward Kavanagh is a grand-dad and is both happy and proud. The addition to his family tree came at Huntington, and is the son of another Engineer, Arthur Kavanagh, running on the C. & E. Division.

From the January, 1915 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
Cincinnati Division engineer E. Kavanaugh was commended for running his engine in passenger service for 32,592 miles between August 1, 1913 and September 1, 1914 without any engine failures.

From the June, 1916 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
Edward Kavanaugh, Kent Division Engineer, is a live wire. On a recent date, the air pump of his engine, hauling train 9, gave out, and he hustled to a plumbing shop and obtained a union, with which he made necessary repairs, losing but 34 minutes on his schedule.

From the March, 1921 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
A notice of the marriage of Miss Carrie Krause and Edward Kavanaugh, a well-known ball player of Kent and a veteran passenger engineer of the Erie, appeared in the Kent Tribune. It stated that the marriage took place at St. Mary�s parsonage, Rev. Father Joseph M. Denning officiating. Mr. and Mrs. Kavanaugh have taken up their residence in Dayton, Ohio.

From the June, 1927 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
Edward Kavanaugh, locomotive engineer on the second district of the Kent division of the Erie Railroad, was fatally injured at Dayton, O., April 18 (1927), as he stepped from his cab in front of an eastbound train on the Big Four Railroad on an adjoining track.

Engineer Kavanaugh was born in London, Ontario, Canada, on Feb. 1, 1858. When 14 years old he entered the service of what is now the Erie Railroad in the state of Ohio as an engine wiper. Subsequently he became a locomotive fireman and in December, 1886, was promoted to engineer.

He was very active in railroad matters and for a number of years was chief of the local division of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

A widow, two sons and one daughter survive him. The funeral was held at Marion, O., on April 21.