George W. Wrightson

     George W. Wrightson was born in 1842 in Yorkshire, England. He came to this country when he was three years old.

    When he was 15 years old George W. Wrightson was employed by the New York Central Railroad as a fireman on a freight but he soon advanced to be a fireman on a passenger train.

    George W. Wrightson was one of the fireman in the train that smuggled Abraham Lincoln into Washington D.C.

    George W. Wrightson was promoted to engineer in a passenger train. In 1865, he was one of the engineers who carried Lincoln's body in its way to Springfield (different articles say he was engineer in the trip from New York City to Albany other articles says it was the trip from Utica to Syracuse).

    George W. Wrightson drove the first "crack train" on the West Shore from Ravena to Syracuse. Also drove the first Continental West Shore train which was one of the fastest railroad locomotives.

    In 1902, George W. Wrightson had an accident from which he lost his right eye. It caused him to become a switch engineer in the Albany yards. He retired in 1934.

    In 1910, George W. Wrightson was secretary of the Railroad Legislative Board of New York. He was also a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (which he joined in 1861).

    George W. Wrightson died in 1930 in Redlands California and is buried in Plot 29 Lot 1125 Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica, with his wife Rachel who passed away in 1906 and two of their children.  






Location: 2201 Oneida St, Utica, NY 13501, USA

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