Charles Alfred Wilson

Charles Alfred Wilson (April 4, 1855 – June 3, 1935) was a leading nineteenth-century American railroad engineer and civil engineer. He was born in Conowingo, Maryland. Wilson married Carrie Ione Stevens Wilson (1858–1919) in 1883, and they had one child, Hamilton Wilson.

His signature project was the Cincinnati Union terminal project, where Wilson, as a consulting engineer, worked with Henry M. Waite, the chief engineer, to direct the work of about 100 engineers and assistants to come up with seven engineering studies for the terminal. In 1935, the American Society of Civil Engineers recognized Wilson as one of its most knowledgeable railroad engineers.

Early life and career Charles Alfred Wilson was born on April 4, 1855, to John Howard Wilson and Anna Cheyney Wilson in Conowingo, Maryland. John Wilson was also a civil engineer who worked on railroads during his career and died in Missouri in 1886. It also required companies like the Louisville and Nashville Railroad to split their operations between two stations. Additionally, the stations were cramped because they were not large enough to support the city's passenger traffic. Cincinnati's stations were also located close to the Ohio River, which was prone to flooding and would frequently render the buildings useless. After the Great Flood of 1884, railroad presidents began seeking one major terminal located far from the river.

Committees of railroad executives were formed to discuss the topic on numerous occasions between 1908 and 1923. Wilson was hired by the railroad companies to plan the terminal, creating several schematics between 1912 and 1923. In 1923, the Cincinnati Railroad Development Company was created to spur creation of the terminal and assess its feasibility;

During the midst of planning, the Depression of 1920–21 and World War I interrupted efforts to create the Union station. A final agreement for a union station among the seven railroads that served Cincinnati and the city itself was not achieved until July 1927, after intense lobbying and negotiations, led by Crabbs.

Legacy and death When Wilson died in 1935, the American Society of Civil Engineers considered him to be one of its "most knowledgeable railroad men". His signature project, the Union Terminal was nominated for National Historic Landmark status in 1974 and recognized in 1977.

Wilson died on June 3, 1935.