Thomas Lord Kimball

Thomas Lord Kimball (October 1, 1831 – October 9, 1899) was an American railroad executive. Born in Buxton, Maine, he worked various jobs before becoming an agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1860. He was appointed to various positions in the company, before moving to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1871 to work for Union Pacific. From there, he climbed the ranks, eventually being promoted to the position of vice-president. Kimball retired in 1897 and died in 1899.

In 1888, Kimball County, Nebraska, was formed and named after Kimball. While Kimball was a prominent figure in Omaha, eventually his fame was eclipsed by his son Thomas Rogers Kimball, who became a well-known architect.

Early life and career Thomas Lord Kimball was born on a farm in Buxton, Maine, on October 1, 1831.

Work with railroads

After touring the American West in 1856, he and his wife moved to the Western Reserve area of Ohio in 1857, before moving to Cincinnati in 1859. Kimball eventually served as the president of the Union Depot Company. He faced some controversy in this role. In 1890, voters in the city of Omaha had approved $150,000 in bonds to build the union depot. However, after Union Pacific acted to block the Milwaukee and Rock Island railroads from entering the city, Ernest Stuht filed suit against the city of Omaha, many of its officials, the Union Depot Company, and Kimball, seeking to block the bonds. Regarding this, the Omaha World-Herald criticized Kimball in 1892 for siding with the interests of Union Pacific over those of the city of Omaha. The company lost its cases in court,

Kimball left Union Pacific in 1897 when the company went into receivership. the daughter of Nathaniel Peabody Rogers.

Death and legacy In July 1899, Kimball fell while walking around his property in Omaha. He suffered from his injuries for about two weeks, before dying unexpectedly of heart failure on October 9, 1899.