Hartwell Carver | |
|---|---|
 54-foot monument to Carver in Mount Hope Cemetery. Paid for by Union Pacific Railroad. | |
| Born | July 19, 1789 |
| Died | April 16, 1875 |
| Resting place | Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York |
| Occupation(s) | Doctor, businessman |
| Known for | Advocate for Pacific Railroad |
Dr. Hartwell Carver (July 19 1789 – April 16, 1875)[1] was anAmerican medical doctor, businessman, and an early promoter of what would become theTranscontinental Railroad.
Carver's push for arailroad to connect both coasts of the United States began in 1832 with a proposal that was dismissed byCongress. Over the next several years, Carver wrote a series of articles in theNew York Courier and Enquirer about the subject.[1] He participated in the hammering of theGolden Spike that officially joined theCentral Pacific andUnion Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869 atPromontory,Utah.[2]
His historic home inPittsford sold in 2018 for $1,179,000.[3]
Carver was interred atMount Hope Cemetery inRochester, New York under a 50-foot (15.24 m)monument erected by theUnion Pacific Railroad. The monument is the second tallest in the cemetery.[4] The inscription reads:
"Dr. Carver was the father of the Pacific Railroad; with him originated the thought of connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by railroad."[5]
Carver was erroneously described on the monument at his grave, as well as by local histories, as the great-grandson ofJohn Carver, who came over on theMayflower and was the first governor ofPlymouth Colony,[6] while this purported ancestor actually had no descendants.[7]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
