George Francis “Frank” Lindley (1847-1931)

LINDLEY, WILSON

Posted By: Eileen Reed (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:07:01

April 9, 1847 --- July 29, 1931

Engineer Lindley Given Is Given Pension

Engineer G. F. Lindley was retired by the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Feb. 1, 1911, and given a pension, under the rules of the company. Mr. Lindley has been a familiar and prominent personage in the railroad life of Eagle Grove, and his retirement removes a familiar countenance, and a trustworthy man has laid down his work for younger men. Mr. Lindley began working for the Northwestern when 21 years of age and was in their employ—nearly continuously—for 43 years.

G. F. Lindley was born in Chicago April 9, 1847. The family removed by team to Laken, Ill., where a 68-acre farm was purchased. Mr. Lindley enlisted in the Civil war in the spring of '64, and at the close of the war was discharged at Springfield, Ill., after which he returned to the farm.

In the spring of 1866 he went to Omaha and entered the employ of a Union Pacific contractor and was engaged in hauling supplies to the Black Hills with a team of five yoke of oxen. His next employment was upon a government ferry boat between Jewelsburg and Fort Sedgwick.

Began with Northwestern

In the spring of 1868 Mr. Lindley entered the employ of the Northwestern as a freight brakeman on the run between Chicago and Clinton. He was married in September of the same year to Ursula Wilson and he and his wife began housekeeping at Sterling. With the shifting scenes of railroad life he accepted the position of fireman under Engineer Charley Tilton upon a run from Chicago to Rockford. A strong personal friendship developed between Tilton and Lindley, and as a memento of their experiences together, Mr. Tilton’s son, some 20 years ago, came to Eagle Grove and presented Mr. Lindley with his father’s solid silver watch chain, which Mr. Lindley now has in his possession and will ever keep as a friendship token.

June 1, 1878, Mr. Lindley was promoted to engineer and his run was from Chicago to Sterling. Rules differed slightly, evidently, in those days, for Mr. Lindley’s first run upon his promotion to the right side of the cab was pulling one of the best passenger trains, filling the position of one of the old engineers who was "off duty " for a week or more.

In 1881 Mr. Lindley was transferred to the Northern Iowa division, and his run was from Tama to Webster City, that being the northern terminus of the road at that time, to which place he moved his family, remaining there until Dec. 1885, when they moved to Eagle Grove, the road having been extended to this point. Being one of the oldest engineers in the service of the company at this point, he pulled the first time freight south bound out of Eagle Grove to Tama, and when the road was extended west he pulled the first passenger train.

Mr. Lindley was never in but one serious railroad accident, and that happened in Illinois, though it was no fault of his. His engine smashed into some freight cars and the pilot gave one of them a lift and it landed across the top of his engine, wrecking the smoke stack and doing other damage, but no one was hurt. Mr. Lindley made an improvised smoke stack of two old kerosene barrels and pulled into Chicago, where an ingenious photographer took a "shot " at it.

Snow blockade was the terror of pioneer railroading in Iowa, and one specially bad winter Mr. Lindley was a whole week making the round trip from Engle Grove to Hawarden. Engineer Jno. S. Keith was ahead with the snow plow. We pause a moment to note the contrast of late years, and also note the various changing conditions brought about by the influence of the railroad and the progress of the times, and that J. S. Keith is at present visiting in sunny California and incidentally plucking an occasional orange from the trees at Los Angeles.

Mr. Lindley has had a remarkable career in that he has never been called “upon the carpet" by the officials and his clean record may well be envied by railroad men.

The Times-Gazette --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
March 2, 1911

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G. F. Lindley Dies in Burbank, Calif.

Arthur Martin received a telegram Wednesday afternoon from H. P. Lindley at Burbank, Calif., stating that George F. Lindley had died about 3 o’clock Wednesday morning at his home in Burbank, Calif. Mr. Lindley was formerly a Northwestern engineer and made his home here until about ten years ago when he moved to Burbank.

Funeral arrangements are not available as this is written.

Eagle Grove Eagle --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
July 30, 1931

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[Transcriber’s Note: Deceased’s date of death taken from the California, Death Index, 1905-1939. Middle name was taken from the Cook County, Illinois, Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1922 for son, Harry Percival Lindley, born April 14, 1878.]