DIKE, Chester Thomas
DIKE, ELDER, RICE
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 5/7/2014 at 04:54:05
The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, March 23, 1940, Page 16THEY STARTED HERE
No. 1 in a Mason City Series of Success Stories
Chester Thomas Dike, Railroad Engineer
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A leader among Mason Cityans who have made outstanding records in their chosen fields is Chester T. Dike, well known to many local residents as the man in charge of much railroad construction in North Iowa years ago and now vice president and chief engineer of the Chicago and North Western railroad.
Mr. Dike is the man for whom the town of Dike in Grundy county is named, for it was he who handled the engineering work in connection with the building of the old Iowa, Minnesota and North Western railroad from Belle Plaine to Fox Lake around the turn of the century.
The road was originally a project of W. E. Brice of Mason City but later was taken over by the North Western and is now a part of the C. and N.W. system.
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The former local man first became associated with railroading in 1890 when he was 20 years old. At that time he was a chainman, or assistant on a surveying crew on the Northern Pacific which was then being built.
However, this was not a permanent connection, for Mr. Dike went back to Cornell college, which he first entered in 1889, and continued his study of engineering, graduating with the class in civil engineering in 1893. Two more years of study brought him a master's degree in the same subject.
Teaching the John Main country school north of Mason City for a time and acting as city engineer here for a brief period, Mr. Dike in 1896 became connected with the proposed Mason City and Clear Lake railroad as chief engineer and was in charge of the construction of the electric railway which is still in use.
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Two years later, in 1898, Mr. Dike became affiliated chief engineer with the Iowa, Minnesota and North Western railroad, which was being built from Belle Plaine through Mason City to Fox Lake by interests headed by Mr. Brice, who had headed the Mason City and Clear Lake railway project.
Not long after the work got under way on the Iowa, Minnesota and North Western railroad closed a deal for the entire project and Mr. Dike became affiliated with the road for the first time, being appointed resident engineer in charge of the location and construction of the Belle Plaine-Mason City-Fox Lake line. He served in this capacity from 1899 to 1901.
Evidence of the influence of the former Mason Cityan had in the construction of the Belle Plaine-Mason City-Fox Lake line is found in the town of Dike, named for the engineer, in eastern Grundy county.
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Mr. Dike's connection with the Chicago and North Western was one that led him through various stages to the high position he now holds.
Following the work on the Iowa, Minnesota and North Western, his company sent him to a similar position on the Peoria and North Western and the Verdigre extension of the North Western.
In 1903, Mr. Dike was division engineer for the Chicago and North Western, serving in this position and as resident engineer in charge of the location and construction branch lines until 1907 when he became superintendent of the Pierre, Rapid City and North Western system.
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The former local man served as engineer and superintendent of construction on various new line projects of the C. and N.W., including the Bell Fourche Valley and James river valley lines.
Promoted to general superintendent of the Minnesota and Dakota divisions with headquarters at Huron, S. Dak., Mr. Dike served in that capacity until the United States entered the World war and operation of the railroads was taken over by the government.
During the period of federal control of the railroads, he served as assistant general superintendent at Boone and then as assistant general manager at Omaha.
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When control of the railroads passed back into private ownership, Mr. Dike was named engineer and continued in that capacity until his appointment as vice president and chief engineer in 1934. He was also appointed vice president of way and structures of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha railroad, an organization affiliated with the C. and N.W.
Mr. Dike was married to Bonnie Elder of Mason City Feb. 19, 1900. They have two children, Edwin and Gardner Dike.
NOTE: Chester Thomas Dike was born August 13, 1870, and died on August 2, 1958. His wife, Bonnie (Elder) Dike, was born May 9, 1875, and died August 13, 1966. They were interred at Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, Mason City, Iowa.
Photograph courtesy of Globe-Gazette
Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2014
Cerro Gordo Biographies maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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