Erie Railroad Biography - HENRY E. BLACKBURN
From the September, 1927 Issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
H.E. BLACKBURN
HENRY E. BLACKBURN died by his own hand in his room on Grand street, Susquehanna, Pa., on Thursday, June 30 (1927). His lifeless body, hanging by a scarf which he had wound around his neck, was found at night suspended from the ceiling. He was unmarried and lived with his aunt, Mrs. Elston, who was away from home on a visit. For several days he had neen complaining of ill health and the day of his death had several teeth extracted.
Mr. Blackburn had been for a series of years instructor of apprentices in the Erie Railroad school for apprentices at Susquehanna. He was a son of Vincent Blackburn, deceased, at one time master mechanic of the Erie Railroad shops at Susquehanna.
Henry E. Blackburn for a dozen or more years had contributed articles to the ERIE RAILROAD MAGAZINE. He was an expert in radio mechanism. His tragic end is a cause of profound sorrow to all that knew him.
From the October, 1927 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Editorial -- Deserved Tribute to Blackburn
In the September issue of this Magazine was a brief account of the death of Henry E. Blackburn, of Susquehanna, Pa., who for about fifteen years had been an instructor of apprentices for the Erie Railroad, first at Dunmore, Pa., and later at Susquehanna, Pa.
For the last dozen years, the name H.E. Blackburn has been familiar to readers of the ERIE RAILROAD MAGAZINE as a voluminous contributor. He wrote on shop craftsmanship, and wrote sensibly and well. Other articles contributed by him in recent years were on the subject of radio, on which he was an authority; and there were also articles dealing with local history or with trips made by him with his school of apprentices.
Mr. Todd, master mechanic of the Erie Railroad shops at Susquehanna, elsewhere in the Magazine sketches the career of Mr. Blackburn and pays an excellent tribute to him as man and Erie Railroad employe. Many will be surprised, no doubt, to learn how wide a range of experience and contact with life on land and sea the late Henry E. Blackburn had.
H.E. Blackburn of Susquehanna, PA, A Personal Tribute
By John Todd, Master Mechanic
You have asked me to write for the Magazine a brief sketch of the career of the late Henry E. Blackburn, instructor of apprentices, Susquehanna shops and roundhouses, who died at Susquehanna, Pa., June 30, 1927.
It has recently been my mournful pleasure to go over a complete diary which Mr. Blackburn kept, and from it I have culled this information:
Henry E. Blackburn, born at Utica, N.Y., June 10, 1867.
Entered the service of the Erie Railroad (then the New York, Lake Erie & Western Railway) May 1, 1885, as machinist apprentice at Susquehanna, Pa.
May 1, 1889, completed apprenticeship.
April 2, 1890, left Susquehanna for the West.
From May 11, 1890, to March 4, 1891, worked variously as machinist clerk, engineer in saw mills and in iron works at Aurora, Ill., La Grande, Baker City and Portland, Ore., and San Francisco, Cal.
March 4, 1891, joined steamer Columbia, San Francisco to Portland, as storekeeper.
March 14, 1892, joined steamship Maraposia as oiler, San Francisco to Sydney, New South Wales, via Honolulu, Apia and Auckland.
May 15, 1892, joined steamer Queen, San Francisco to Sitka, Alaska.
Sept. 20, 1894, joined steamship Rio Janeiro for Honolulu, Yokohama, Nagasaki and Hong Kong.
Nov. 5, 1895, returned to San Francisco and started East, arriving in Susquehanna after an absence of over five years.
Jan. 28, 1896, joined steamer City of Augusta at New York for Savannah, Ga.
March 20, 1896, took position with the Norfolk & Western Railroad in shop at Roanoke, Va.
June 1, 1897, began work on elevator repairs with Love Bros., New York City.
Oct. 18, 1897, took position with the Fitchburg Railroad at Keene, N. H.
June 18, 1898, returned to the Norfolk & Western Railroad, remaining until Sept. 23, 1908.
Oct. 1, 1908, resumed service with the Erie Railroad as tool room foreman, Dunmore, Pa.
July 15, 1912, appointed apprentice instructor at Dunmore shop.
Sept. 1, 1923, promoted to apprentice instructor in Erie shop at Susquehanna, Pa.
Having given the main facts in his career, I want to add:
Henry E. Blackburn was an expert draftsman, machinist, electrician and marine engineer. Like Magellan, he had circumnavigated the globe. Starting on the Erie Railroad in 1885 as a machinist apprentice, he completed his apprenticeship, went West and worked in several cities. Then he spent several years at sea, and his travels carried him to Honolulu, Samoa, Australia, New South Wales, China and Japan. Returning to the United States in 1895, he worked in several railroad shops, notably the Roanoke shop of the Norfolk & Western, where he was for over ten years. Finally he returned to the Erie Railroad, being employed first at Dunmore, Pa., and subsequently at Susquehanna, Pa.
Mr. Blackburn was a man of high character, honest and faithful in the discharge of his duties to the companies for which he worked, and to his fellow men. As an instructor of the young in the complicated and important work of shop craftsmanship, he excelled. Besides his knowledge of shop and marine craftsmanship he had a thorough knowledge of the new science of radio. He was a musician and a local historian of merit. His researches in history in connection with the town of Susquehanna, the county of Susquehanna and the state of Pennsylvania, and his published articles on historical subjects, are well known.
In the death of Henry Blackburn, the town of Susquehanna has lost a sterling citizen and a man of accomplishment and fine character; and the Erie Railroad has lost a faithful and valuable employe.
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