Memoirs of Henry Villard/Volume 1/00.1

by Henry Villard

CHRONOLOGY OF HENRY VILLARD

1835.	April 10. Born at Speyer, Rhenish Bavaria.
1839.	Home in Zweibrücken.
1849-50. At school in Phalsbourg, Lorraine.
1850-52. At the gymnasium in Speyer.
1852-53. Studies at Munich and Würzburg.
1853.	August (September ?). Sails from Hamburg for America. — October 18. Lands in New York. November 18. — Western wanderings begun.
1854.	Christmas. At Belleville, Illinois.
1855.	At Belleville and Peoria, Illinois.
1856-57. Edits Volksblatt at Racine, Wisconsin.
1857-58. Teaches a district school at Jonestown, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
1858.	Reports Lincoln-Douglas debates in Illinois.
1859.	Visits Denver and Cherry Creek, Colorado.
1860-61. Reporter for the Associated Press at Springfield, Illinois.
1861.	February. Accompanies Lincoln and Presidential party to New York. — Founds news syndicate in Washington, and becomes telegraphic correspondent there of the New York Herald. — July 21. Witnesses first battle of Bull Run. Sent by the Herald to Kentucky.
1862.	Visits Fort Donelson immediately after its capture by General Grant (February 16). — Enters Nashville before General Buell. — Reaches Pittsburg Landing at close of first day's fighting, April 6; witnesses that of the second day, and the subsequent occupation of Corinth, May 30. — Witnesses Perryville campaign and battle, October 8. — Becomes Washington war correspondent of the N. Y. Tribune. — Witnesses battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, and brings the first tidings to Washington.
1863.	Sent to Port Royal by the Tribune, and witnesses Dupont's engagement of the Charleston forts from on board the New Ironsides, April 7. — First visit to Boston. Sent to Murfreesboro by the Tribune to report Rosecrans's operations. — Disabled by fever, and misses the battle of Chickamauga (September 19, 20).
1864.	Organizes news agency in Washington, and joins Grant's army in the Wilderness in May, and brings to Washington the first tidings of the battles there. — Witnesses explosion of the mine at Petersburg, July 30. — To Europe; reunion with his father. — Winter in Munich.
1865.	April 15. Lands in Boston. Becomes Washington correspondent of the Chicago Tribune.
1866.	January 3. Marries Fanny Garrison. — To Europe in July, as correspondent of the New York Tribune in the Franco-Prussian War. Winter in Munich.
1867.	In March to Paris as correspondent of the Chicago Tribune at the World's Fair.
1868-70. Home in Boston. — Secretary of the American Social Science Association.
1870-71. To Germany, with mortgage-bank plan.
1871-72. First employment as expert in American railroad affairs.
1872-73. Serious illness in Heidelberg.
1873.	Joins committees of bondholders of Oregon & California R. R. Co. and of Kansas Pacific R. R. Co.
1874.	Their delegate to the United States.
1875.	Opens Oregon immigration bureau in New York.
1876.	First visit to Oregon. — President of Oregon & California R. R. Co. and of Oregon Steamship Co. — A receiver of the Kansas Pacific.
1877.	Desperate illness in San Francisco.
1878.	Dislodged by Jay Gould from Kansas Pacific receivership.
1879.	Victorious over Gould. — Buys out creditors of the Oregon Steamship Co. and the Oregon Steam Navigation Co. — Conceives the Oregon Railway & Navigation Co.
1880.	Contract for division of traffic with Northern Pacific R. R. Co. — Founds Oregon Improvement Co. — Buys the two Oregon railroads.
1881.	Gains control of the Northern Pacific R. R. by the “blind pool.” — Elected its president, and founds the Oregon & Transcontinental Co. — Buys the New York Evening Post and Nation.
1882-83. Extends the main line of Northern Pacific and builds branches.
1883.	Organizes St. Paul & Northern Pacific Co. — Builds St. Paul & Manitoba R. R. — Procures the writing of a ‘History of the Northern Pacific Railroad.’ — Leads international excursion to witness completion of the Northern Pacific. — Involved in collapse of the road. — Resigns presidency of the Oregon & Transcontinental, Oregon Railway & Navigation Co., and Northern Pacific.
1884-86. To Germany.
1885.	Resigns presidency of the Oregon & California R. R.
1886.	To New York as representative of the Deutsche Bank. — Saves the Oregon & Transcontinental.
1887-88. Re-enters the Northern Pacific board.
1889.	Founds Edison General Electric Co. — Final retirement from Oregon Railway & Navigation Co. — Chairman of finance committee of the Northern Pacific.
1890.	Founds the North American Co. to absorb the Oregon & Transcontinental. — Loses his son Hilgard. — To Germany. — Interview with Chancellor Caprivi. — Visit to Bismarck.
1891.	Last official tour of the Northern Pacific.
1893.	Retires from the Northern Pacific and North American boards.
1893-94. Tour of the Mediterranean and sojourn in Europe.
1898.	To Europe for the last time.
1899.	Last tour over the Northern Pacific. — Visit to Alaska.
1900.	Dies November 12.