This biography tells the story of the part played by John Murray Forbes in the development of the railroad system of the Middle West. He was president of the Michigan Central Railroad from 1846 to 1855; of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad; he was director from 1857 to 1898, and president from 1878 to 1881. In these positions his work was preeminently that of obtaining capital and of maintaining a sound financial policy.
