Charles E. McCluer (sic) Worked at "CN" Central Depot 1855-1857

[NW Mailing List]

The bronze plaque has been missing since 1996. 
Mike Pierry, Jr.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 14, 2022, at 8:07 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> This is the story of a man who worked as a Telegraph Operator at "CN" Central Depot (later known as East Radford,) 1855-1857, and later in Lynchburg.
> 
> His name was Charles Edward McCluer (sic) and he was born in Indianapolis, 28 May 1836.   How he found his way to New York City is not recorded for us, but in 1851 he was working as a "boyish clerk in the pioneer electrical establishment of J W Norton, 177 Broadway."  There he had the very good fortune of meeting Mr. Charles Minot (1810-1866,) the Harvard-educated General Superintendent of the Erie Railroad, who had early-on learned the new science of Telegraphy and was interested in harnessing its power to advance his railroad.  Yes, this is THE Charles Minot who was responsible for the first "Train Order," in 1851.  Minot liked young McCluer, hired him, and moved him right along.
> 
> The attached three page PDF reproduces an article which appeared in a 1911 issue of Telegraph Age magazine.  The article resulted from a letter McCluer had written to the editor.  The context of the letter is that the railroad and telegraph industries had been in the process of collecting donations to erect a large stone and bronze monument memorializing Mr. Minot on the 50th anniversary of the first Train Order.  
> 
> Thomas Edison, Andrew Carnegie and Theodore Newton Vail, President of AT&T, all whom started out as Telegraph operators, gave substantial donations, but the working men of the industry sent in 50-cents or $1 each, as they could afford.  Mr. McCluer sent in his $1 donation and a letter explaining how Charles Minot had given him his start and employed him on the railroad.  The monument was erected in Turners, New York, which is now called Harriman, NY, where the Averill Harriman family had its seat.  The widow of Averill Harriman had the stone for the monument quarried on her property, and donated it for the monument.
> 
> McCluer's letter goes on to mention his service to the Virginia & Tennessee RR at Central Depot (now Radford) 1855-1857, then as Superintendent of Telegraph on the Virginia Central (C&O) RR, then as superintendent of supplies for the Confederate Telegraph Company at Richmond.  Thereafter he worked as a Telegraph operator at Richmond and Knoxville, and as Superintendent of Western Union at Lynchburg.  When that nefarious telephone-thingie came around, he worked in that line of business until 1902, and thereafter went in business with his son at Norfolk.  He died in Tarboro, NC, 14 June 1914.  The whole story is in the PDF, and I am also attaching a photograph of the gentleman.
> 
> If anyone wants the story of the stone monument at Harriman, NY, with photos and contemporary articles, and the sad details of what eventually happened to it, I have prepared a PDF on that topic.  Glad to send it to anyone who asks.
> 
> -- abram burnett,
> asserting sovereign turnip immunity
>  
> <McCluer, Chas E_V&T RR Telegraph Operator at Central Depot_1855-1857.pdf>
> <McCluer, Charles Edward_photograph_Telephony.JPG>
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