Thomas Nickerson

Who was Thomas Nickerson?

Thomas Nickerson was the eighth president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway between 1874 and 1880. He was also president of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad.

He was born in Brewster, Massachusetts, on September 19, 1810. His family was well known for the number of sailors it had produced, and Thomas himself also sailed for nearly 30 years before he turned to land transportation. He invested in the Santa Fe around 1870, becoming the railroad's vice president in May 1873. The next year he was promoted to president of the Santa Fe, succeeding Henry Strong, where he served until 1880.

Nickerson didn't limit himself to just the Santa Fe. He was also a prominent figure in the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, Sonora Railway, California Southern Railroad and Mexican Central Railway, all subsidiary companies of the Santa Fe Railroad.

Nickerson died in Newton Center, Massachusetts, on July 24, 1892.