Jesse Adams Cannon

GEDCOM Note

When his brother Elmer and sister Ethel were sent to live with their paternal grandmother, following their mother's death, Jesse was sent to live with his aunt Sarah Ellen Cannon Beck in Wentzville, Missouri. Jesse became a Master Mechanic on the Northern Pacific Railway. Jesse moved to Jamestown, North Dakota at some point, and appears to have been living there when he wrote his "Cannon Book."

Like his father, Jesse became a locomtive engineer. His first job was on the Wabash Railway during summer vacation, working from 6:00am to 6pm, 7 days per week for 14 cents per hour, supplying locomotives and filling lubricators. After graduating from the Moberly Public Schools, he worked as an engine watchman, keeping the fire in proper condition and the water in the boiler on the outgoing track at the roundhouse until outgoing engine crews reported for duty. For this, he was paid at the same rate as before, and worked the same hours. In June 1916, he made arequest for a pass from Moberly to Seattle and return via Minneapolis on the Wabash, M&St. L, Great Northern, and Northern Pacific Railways. He left Moberly, Missourion July 3, 1916, believing greater opportunities existed in the west than in Missouri. On July 4, 1916, he left Minneapolis on the Great Northern Railway and stopped over in Belton, Montana, at the western entrance to Glacier National Park. From there, he took a motor boat out onto Lake McDonald to the camp in the park, to spend a few days. The nexzt stop overs were in Spokane and Seattle on the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern. Heither were in need of an engine service man at the time, so he left Seattle on the Northern Pacific, headed for Missoula, Montana. He found no job there, either, so he went to Billings where the Inland Empire Fair was in progress. He was with friendly people of Montana, so he went to the Fair and saw his first western parade and rodeo. Jesse's next stop was Glendive, Montana. He walked into the depot lunch room and took the only seat available, beside an Englishman named Harry Stubbs, who said he was the night roundhouse foreman. Stubbs advised him to come around in the morning and see Mr. Warren D. Gochenour, the Master Mechanic, about employment as a fireman. Jesse mentioned his previous experience on the Wabash and the man asked no further questions, sending Jesse to the Superintendent's Office for the train rules examination, then to the hospital for physical exam. Due to his previous experience, Jesse was hired right away. His first assignment was on the train he had come into Glendive on three nights before. He was fireman on a run to Dickinson, North Dakota, through the Badlands. On July 19, 1916, he arrived in Dickinson at 5:40am and was paid $3.23. After the return trip, Jesse was paid again, for a total of $10.23 for his first day of work.

On June 27, 1918, Jesse enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He left the Navy in September 1919 with an Honorable Discharge, and the following month returned to work with the Northern Pacific Railway. September 1928, Jesse was promoted to Locomotive Engineer. In September of 1933 he was assigned to Locomotive No. 5008, the largest steam locomotive in the world (125 ft. in length, 16 ft. 4 in. in height, 1,118,000 lbs. in weight), on a trip to the Chicago World's Fair to display the locomotive for three weeks at the Century of Progress show. In September 1934, Jesse was assigned to take a new roller bearing passenger locomotive to the World's Fair fro display for two weeks, and then deliver it to St. Paul, Minnesota under it's own power, via the Burlington Railway. September 1, 1937, Jesse was promoted to Road Foreman of Engines on the Fargo, North Dakota Division. May 1, 1940 he was appointed Road Foreman of Egines on the St. Paul Division at Minneapolis.March 1, 1941, Jesse was appointed Master Mechanic on the Fargo Division at Jamestown, North Dakota. September 1, 1944, we was appointed Master Mechanic on the Idaho Division at Spokane, Washington. March 1, 1946, he was appointed Assistant to the General Mechanical Superintendent on the System at St. Paul, Minnesota. March 1, 1950, Jesse was appointed General Superintendent of Motive Power on the SP&S Railway at Portland, Oregon. September 1, 1953, he was appointed Superintendent of Motive Power on the Western District of the Northern Pacific Railway at Seattle, Washington. April 1, 1956 he was appointed General Mechanical Superintendent on the Northern Pacific System at St. Paul, Minnesota. March 1, 1965 Jesse was appointed Chief Mechanical Officer on the System at St. Paul. March 31, 1967, after more than fifty years of service, Jesse retired from the Nothern Pacific Railway as Chief Mechanical Officer at St. Paul, Minnesota.