About Thomas J. Potter
Lived 1840 – 1888 (aged 47). Thomas J. Potter was a businessperson.
Thomas J. Potter (August 16, 1840 – March 9, 1888) was vice-president and general manager of the Union Pacific Railroad. Early life Thomas J. Potter was born on August 16, 1840, in Carroll County, Ohio. He grew up on a farm. In 1853, he moved with his parents to Ottumwa, Iowa as they engaged in a hotel business.
Career In 1862, Potter worked with a surveying party to lay out the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad from Ottumwa to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Potter also served as vice president of the St. Louis and Keokuk Railroad, the Chicago, Burlington and Kansas City Railroad, the Chicago and Iowa Railroad, the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, and the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad.
A memorial arch was erected in his honor at Aspen Grove Cemetery by his wife around 1906.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Thomas J. Potter's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Thomas J. Potter?
American businessman
When was Thomas J. Potter born?
Thomas J. Potter was born on 16 August 1840 in Carroll County.
When did Thomas J. Potter die?
Thomas J. Potter died on 9 March 1888 in Washington, D.C..
What was Thomas J. Potter's occupation?
Thomas J. Potter was a businessperson.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Thomas J. Potter. https://biography.guide/thomas-j-potter/
MLA: "Thomas J. Potter." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/thomas-j-potter/.
Chicago: "Thomas J. Potter." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/thomas-j-potter/.
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