#9 Postcard Trivia 1.9.18

B. Railroad director  John W. Forney was a political journalist and director of the Texas & Pacific Railroad. He had a part in determining the new railroad route across east Texas. Postcard published by Kean Historical Postcard, 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA.  From collection of J Garner.

The "Forney" locomotive on this postcard never chugged along the railroad tracks in Forney, Texas. It was named after its designer, Matthias N. Forney. It was built at the Baldwin Locomotion Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was used by Morgan's Louisiana & Texas Railroad company in Louisiana. Matthias Forney designed and patented the Forney 0-4-4T locomotive around 1863. His locomotive design was popular in large metropolitan areas for elevated trains. Today you can ride on a working Forney 0-4-4T at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. You can also see a 0-4-4T locomotive on display at the Forney Museum of Transportation in Denver, Colorado.

Forney, Texas, was not named after Matthias Forney. In 1873, the town was named after John W. Forney. What was his profession?

A.  Local blacksmith      B. Railroad director     C. Affluent landowner

Hover cursor over image or touch image to reveal answer.

Sources: 

 Matthias N. Forney, Wikipedia   

 Forney Country - A History of Northwestern Kaufman County, Texas by Jerry M. Flook, published in 1998 by Forney Historic

 Preservation League, Inc. 

 

Postcard TriviaJana Garnertrain, railroad, 1863, ForneyComment