Erie Railroad Biography - Hiram D. Bicknell

HIRAM D. BICKNELL. Hornellsville, New York
Hiram D. Bicknell was born in Tioga, N. Y., on October 21, 1837, and his father was Dana Bicknell, a farmer, who was also a sub-contractor on the construction of the Erie, between Owego and Corning, in 1848. The young man drove a team at the age of 12 during the building of the Erie, and later left school at the age of 16 to team again for his father, entering upon his railroad career in the fall of 1855 as a brakeman on the Susquehanna Division of the Erie. After a year in this branch of the work he was advanced to fireman, and served two years on freight and four years on passenger, running on the same division. He was promoted to engineer in June, 1862, and ran in the freight service until December, 1867, when he went to the Northern Central Railroad as an engineer, returning to the Erie in 1869. In 1891 he was advanced to passenger and for three years pulled trains 7 and 10. In 1894 he was given trains 5 and 8, the New York and Chicago Flyer, and has had this run for the past five years. The importance of Mr. Bicknell's run is silent testimony of the Company's regard for his qualities as an engineer, while personally he has the esteem and friendship of all.

During his career as an engineer he has had but one bad wreck, that being a head-end collision at Chemung Junction in 1862, in which both engines and fifteen cars were burned on account of a car of oil which was next to Mr. Bicknell's engine-an old wood burner-taking fire.

Mr. Bicknell was married on October 31, 1861, to Miss Jane Scott, daughter of Wiliam Scott of Hornellsville. Twelve children have been born to them, eight of whom are living. Carrie M. is the wife of Mr. Jackson, a photographer of Newton, N. J.; Stella N. resides at home; Hiram D., Jr., aged 20, is a brakeman on the Erie; William Lewis, aged 17, is an apprentice in the Erie shops at Hornellsville; Mary J., Boyd, Benjamin Harrison, and Earl are attending public school; Charles P. and Scott, both of whom were firemen on the Erie, died at the age of 19 and 22 respectively; Eva Jane and Ralph Waldo both died in infancy. Mrs. Bicknell is affiliated with the Protective Legion, while Mr. Bicknell belongs to Maple City Lodge No. 16, A. 0. U. W. He owns a fine residence at 7 Mill street, and is regarded as one of Hornellsville's best citizens.

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

From the September 30, 1887 issue of the Hornellsville Weekly Tribune:
Mr. Hiram Breknell (sic), an old resident of Hornellsville, but for the past three years a resident of Owego, where he was an engineer on the way freight, has taken a regular train from Hornellsville to Susquehanna and contemplates to soon return to this city with his family.

From the November, 1907 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Hornell News):
Two engineers that have been retired under the age limit are J.J. Delancy and H.D. Bicknell, both of whom leave the service with a splendid record behind them, and to the genuine regret of all who have the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with them. Everybody on the Division wishes them many years of life and a happy old age. Mr. Delancy ran on trains 1 and 2, and Mr. Bicknell on 3 and 4.

From the January, 1927 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:

HIRAM D. BICKNELL, a retired locomotive engineer on the Erie Railroad, was 89 years old on Oct. 21, 1926, and his birthday was celebrated by a family gathering at his home, 17 Mill street, Hornell, N.Y. Children and grandchildren vied to do him honor. At the dinner, covers were laid for twenty.

Mr. Bicknell was born in 1837 at Tioga, Tioga county, N.Y., the son of D. Bicknell, a farmer who became a subcontractor in,the construction of the New York and Erie Railroad between Owego, N.Y., and Corning, N.Y. This was in 1848 and young Hiram Bicknell, 12 years old, drove a team for his father.

The new railroad was opened in 1851. Four years later Hiram Bicknell became a brakeman on the Susquehanna division. The next year he took a job as locomotive fireman, serving two years on a freight engine and four years on a passenger engine. In 1862 he was promoted to engineer in the freight service. In December, 1867, he left the Erie and ran a locomotive on the Northern Central Railroad.

In 1869 Engineer Bicknell returned to the Erie. In 1891 he was given charge of a passenger engine, and for three years he "pulled" fast Trains 7 and 10. In 1894 he was transferred to Trains 5 and 8, staying on this run until the train numbers were changed to 3 and 4. In 1907, being 70 years old, he made his last run on a locomotive.

As an engineer he was "in" only one wreck, a headon collision at Chemung Junction, N. Y., due to wrong train orders. In that wreck a car of oil, next to the Bicknell engine, a wood-burner, caught fire, and both engines and fifteen cars were burned.

Hiram Bicknell made a fine record as a faithful, fearless and capable engineer for more than forty years. He was married, Oct. 31, 1861, to Mary Jane Scott, now deceased. Of twelve children born to them, six survive. They are Carrie, wife of J.T. Jackson, photographer, of Newton, N.J.; Stella, wife of F. Arver, machinist foreman in the Erie shop at Hornell, N. Y.; Hiram D. jr., brakeman on the Susquehanna division; William L., an Erie machinist at Hornell, who married Kathryn Drake; Mary J., wife of Frank Magee, Erie switchman; and Earl, Erie conductor on the Allegany division.

Is there another man living today that can say with Hiram D. Bicknell: "I helped in the construction of the New York and Erie Railroad?"

From the April, 1927 Issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
WILLIAM LEWIS BICKNELL
William Lewis Bicknell, employed at the Erie Railroad shops at Hornell, N.Y., died Feb. 7 (1927). He was a native of Owego, N.Y. He is survived by his father, Hiram Bicknell, a retired Erie locomotive engineer, and a widow, three daughters and one son.

From the June, 1928 Issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Hiram D. Bicknell Sr., a retired and well-known Erie Railroad locomotive engineer, died recently at Hornell, aged 90 years. For years he piloted the fastest and best trains over the Susquehanna Division, and up to the time of his retirement in October, 1907, held one of the best places on the line. His father was a sub-contractor on the construction of the Erie Railroad between Owego and Corning in 1848.

Hiram Bicknell joined the Erie in 1855 as a brakeman on the Susquehanna Division. When he was retired as engineer he was made a mechanical inspector. His service with the Erie extended over a period of 75 years. He leaves three daughters, Mrs. John Jackson, of Newton, NJ; Mrs. Frank Arver and Mrs. Frank McGee, both of Hornell; and two sons, Hiram D. Jr., and Earl, of Hornell.

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