Albert Bowman Rogers
Albert Bowman Rogers (born May 29, 1829 in Orleans , Massachusetts , USA , † May 4, 1889 in Waterville , Minnesota ), commonly known as AB Rogers , was an American surveyor . He discovered the Rogers Pass, named after him, in the Canadian province of British Columbia .
He started his studies at Brown University , but after a year he moved to Yale University , where he graduated in engineering . Rogers served in the United States cavalry ; he was promoted to major during the Lakota Uprising in 1862 . He carried out his first work as a surveyor on the American prairie for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad .
In April 1881, Rogers was commissioned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to find a pass crossing in the largely unexplored Selkirk Mountains for the transcontinental railway , which was under construction . He was promised a check for $ 5,000, and the passport would be named after him. The engineer Walter Moberly had previously discovered the Eagle Pass a little further to the west . Trusting Moberly's guesswork, Rogers began his expedition at what is now the city of Revelstoke .
Rogers and his expedition companions followed the Illecillewaet River from the west. Since they ran out of food, they turned back shortly before the pass. The second expedition in 1882 led from the east through the valley of the Beaver River. Rogers came to a point where he could see the spot where he had had to turn back the previous year. Now he was certain that he had found a suitable crossing for the railway, which at that time was already at a very advanced stage of construction. The CPR kept the promise, christening the crossing Rogers Pass, and handing the check. Rogers initially refused to cash the check, instead framing it and saying he did it not for money but for fame. Finally, CPR manager William Cornelius Van Horne was able to persuade him to cash in when he put an engraved watch on it.
His surveyor career came to an abrupt end while working for the Great Northern Railway near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho . He fell from his horse and was badly injured. On May 4, 1889, he died of the consequences of his injuries; however, some sources cite stomach cancer as the cause of death.
Web links
- Albert Bowman Rogers . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).
- Albert Bowman Rogers ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rogers, Albert Bowman |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rogers, AB |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American surveyor and explorer of the Rogers Pass |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 29, 1829 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Orleans , Massachusetts , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 4, 1889 |
| Place of death | Waterville , Minnesota |