JOHN A. REYNOLDS.
Time and experience have demonstrated that if an individual remain for a number of years in an avocation and devote his energies and mind to becoming proficient in his particular profession he is certain to become a valued citizen of his community and amass a competence. John A. Reynolds, railroad engineer, is a citizen of this type, who for forty years has been in the employ of the Missouri Pacific railroad, and has arisen to become one of the substantial and well respected citizens of Atchison. Mr. Reynolds is a director of two of the most important banking concerns of northeast Kansas and has taken a leading part in city affairs for many years.
Speaking in a biographical sense. Mr. Reynolds was born in the city of St Louis, Mo., June 7, 1858. a son of Thomas and Bridget (Glancy) Reynolds, both of whom were natives of Roscommon county, Ireland. Thomas Reynolds, after his immigration to America became wharf clerk for a navigation company at St. Louis, where he resided until July 28, 1861, at which time he came to Atchison, Kan., and entered the employ of Theodore Barkow as bookkeeper. He remained in this position until his demise, on April 1, 1870. The mother of John A. Reynolds died February 25, 1915, at the great age of ninety-six years. It is to the everlasting credit of John that when his father died he at once began doing his share of supporting the family and cared tenderly for his mother until her death. Mrs. Reynolds, the widow, was left with very few resources, and John was but twelve years of age at the time. Seven children were born to Thomas Reynolds and wife, of whom John was the only survivor at the time of his father’s death.
John A. Reynolds received his education in the public schools of Atchison, attended a private school, and also studied in St. Benedict’s College. At the age of sixteen years he entered the employ of the Missouri Pacific Railway Company as a fireman and brakeman and remained with the railroad at Atchison until January 1, 1881, when he entered the service of the Missouri Pacific at Sedalia, Mo., as engineer of a freight run for a period of five years. He was then (1886) promoted to the passenger service, in which department he has since been employed as one of the most trusted and reliable engineers of the system. Mr. Reynolds’ first experience as an engineer, however, was in the passenger service of the road, and it came about in this wise: The engineer for whom he was firing (George W. Slade) had been promised a vacation and a trip to New York State. This promise had been made to Mr. Slade time and time again, and at his suggestion the master mechanic of the yards placed young Reynolds, then twenty-two years old, in charge of the engine on the run between Kansas City and Atchison, Kan. Mr. Slade took the responsibility of any errors or mistakes that Reynolds would make, but the young engineer ran his train successfully without mishap for a period of six weeks and was then promoted to the post of locomotive engineer on the freight run as stated above. Mr. Reynolds at this time is in charge of the through passenger run between Atchison and Downs, Kan.
Mr. Reynolds was married in 1898 to Kathrine Horan, and the following children have blessed this happy marriage: Mary Anna, John, Kathrine, Ruth, Ellen, Marselene, all of whom are at home with their parents. The mother of these children is a daughter of Michael and Anna (Dean) Horan, both of whom were born in Tipperary, Ireland. (See biography of M. J. Horan.)
Mr. Reynolds is a member of the Locomotive Engineers’ Union, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Elks lodge, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and is affiliated with the Democratic party in politics. For the past six years Mr. Reynolds has been connected with the Atchison Savings Bank and is a director of this financial concern, as well as being a stockholder of the First National Bank of Atchison. One of the finest things which can be said of Mr. Reynolds concerning his career as a railway engineer is that during all his long experience and constant work he has never had a serious accident, and no passengers have been killed or injured who were intrusted to his charge, and he has had but two trifling rear-end collisions to account for, which did very little damage and resulted in no injuries to persons. This record is a remarkable one and is in keeping with the character of the man himself, who from his earliest boyhood has known what it is to shift for himself and learned the art of being self-reliant and cool-headed in any emergency. A brother of Mr. Reynolds, Andrew by name, was a Union soldier who served in the cavalry and was wounded, later dying at home from the effects of his wound. Another brother, James, was also a soldier in the Union army.