Epes Randolph

Epes Randolph (August 16, 1856 – August 22, 1921) was an American civil engineer and businessman who constructed railroads in America's South, Ohio, Arizona, California, and Mexico. From 1905 to 1907 he led the successful effort to restore the Colorado River to its banks after irrigation canal construction and flooding diverted it from the Gulf of California and into California's Imperial Valley, creating the Salton Sea. Randolph spent his later life in Tucson, Arizona, where he served as president of several railroads, as vice-president of Tucson's Consolidated National Bank, and as chancellor of the University of Arizona Board of Regents.

Early life Randolph was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia. His parents were also natives of Virginia, his father, William Eston Randolph, having been born in Clarke County, and his mother, Sarah Lavinia Epes, in Lunenburg County.

Career

Railroad Between the years 1876 and 1885, Epes Randolph worked for several railroads performing location, construction, and maintenance. Railroads he worked for included the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, the Chesapeake, Ohio & Southwestern, and the Kentucky Central. From 1885 to 1890 Randolph was chief engineer of the Kentucky Central R.R., headquartered in Covington, Kentucky. He was also chief engineer of Cincinnati Elevated Railway, Transfer & Bridge Company. Randolph occupied a suite at the Santa Rita at the time of his death. The three office buildings of the Southern Pacific, the Eastern Arizona Railroad, and the Southern Pacific de Mexico in Tucson were closed and draped with black crepe in mourning. The offices remained closed until Friday. That afternoon the Tucson City Council passed a resolution in honor of Epes Randolph in special session. The Kiwanis Club eulogized Randolph and held a moment of silence. Randolph's body was laid in state at the Scottish Masonic temple. The casket was completely hidden behind floral arrangements that stretched across the rostrum from wall to wall.

On Wednesday, August 24, the flag was lowered to half mast on the Arizona State Capitol for the day upon news of his death. The executive board of the Retail Merchant's Association and the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce passed resolutions requesting all members to close at 4 PM the following day. The Board of Supervisors of Pima County passed a resolution in honor of Randolph. University of Arizona president Dr. von KleinSmid wrote a tribute for Randolph on behalf of the officials and faculty of the University of Arizona. That night a Knights Templar service was held at 8 pm, followed by a Kadosh ceremony at midnight. Reported as "extremely brilliant and beautiful" and "performed only upon rarest occasions," Randolph was the first person to be honored with a Kadosh ceremony in Arizona. At 5 PM, all trains and every wheel in the shops of the Southern Pacific, Arizona Eastern and Southern Pacific of Mexico railroads stopped for one minute to mark his death. After the ceremony at the Masonic Temple, the funeral procession traveled to Evergreen Cemetery for interment. The funeral procession crossed the railroad tracks to the cemetery and a train was stopped as the funeral procession passed. Another Masonic ceremony, longer than the 5 o'clock ceremony, was held at the grave site.

Named after Epes Randolph In 1908 The village of Randolph, California, was founded just south of Brea Canyon.

The Epes Randolph Lodge No. 32 of Free & Accepted Masons was chartered on February 14, 1923, in Tucson, Arizona.

Randolph Street in Brea, California, Randolph Street in Huntington Park, California, and Randolph Way in Tucson, Arizona, are named for him.

Randolph, Arizona, located in Pinal County was founded in the early 1920s.

Randolph Park, A 480-acre park in central Tucson created four years after Randolph's death was named in his honor.