Mayor John Hislop

1856 - 1901  (45 years)

• Name	John Hislop
  Prefix	Mayor
  Born	10 Feb 1856	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1861	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Presbyterian
  Residence	1871	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	C. Presbyterian
  Elected Office	1898	Skagway, Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon (CA), Alaska, United States
  	Mayor of Skagway, Alaska
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140179198
  Interesting	politics, business, death
  Residence	1898	Skagway, Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon (CA), Alaska, United States
  Misfortune	1901	Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
  	killed by train
  Occupation	Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	school teacher
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-139910
  Died	22 Feb 1901	Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States   [3]
  Buried	Pine Glen Cemetery, Prescott, Pierce, Wisconsin, United States   [3]
  Person ID	I139910	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	George Hislop,   b. 26 Jun 1827, Ettrick, Selkirkshire, Scotland ,   d. 8 Nov 1901, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 74 years)
  Mother	Christina Little,   b. 1829, Yarrow Fews, , Selkirk, Scotland ,   d. 13 Dec 1895, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Colombia, United States  (Age 66 years)
  Family ID	F34813	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  John Hislop -1856-1901 Ancestry Public Member Tree

  
  

• Notes

  MAYOR HISLOP Sketch of the Career of a Former Waterloo County Boy now Mayor of Skagway. Daily Alaskan Mr John Hislop in our present mayor, and is a progressive and energetic official. He received his early education in schools of his native county, Waterloo, Ontario, and after a three years' experience as school teacher he took a fall course in the science department of McGill University, Montreal, graduating with high honors in the year 1884, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Applied Sciences, or Civil Engineer. After leaving college he was employed by the Canadian Pacific railroad, and the following year went to Denver and became engaged in the surveys of the Burlington route, and afterwards taking position on the construction of the Burlington and the Northern in Wisconsin. He then went to the construction department of the Santa Fe extension to Chicago, in Missouri, and has since been connected in surveys and construction of the Union Pacific and other trans-continental railways. In the year 1889, 1890 and 1891 he was engaged in three different expeditions on the Colorado river of the west, in one of which he succeeded in navigating the whole length of the river from the junction of the Green and Grand rivers to the Gulf of California, running in open boats no less than five hundreds rapids, Since then he has been with prominent irrigation and mining enterprises in Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California and Colorado. From the very inception of the White Pass and Yukon railway Mr. Hislop has held the high position of assistant chief engineer. He arrived in Skagway on Easter Sunday of 1898, and has given the most constant and watchful care to all the details of the building of this magnificent road, each item passed under his scrutiny, and he giving directions as step by step the great work went forward, mountains of stone falling under his direction; deep canyons crossed and a continuous iron belt reaching from the tide water of Skagway bay to the snow-capped summit of the boundary line between the United States and Canadian possessions. No detail has been too email or trifling to escape his notice, and no condition too great for him to meet and successfully overcome. He is a member of several engineering societies, and ranks very high in professional circles, where his skill is recognized, and he is gradually becoming an authority in the scientific world in solving engineering problems. Early in life he developed a fondness for all kinds of athletic sports, and as a youth became well known as an expert athlete; his training has proved to be of great benefit in after years in fitting him to meet the severe demands of his profession when climbing rough mountains or following the steep, precipitous trails of deep ravines, where the trained muscular development of youth well fit the man to endure the hardships of life as found in unexplored regions. While not a politician in the ordinary sense of the word, at the last election the citizens of Skagway chose him as the Mayor of the city, and they have every reason to feel proud of the selection, his wisdom and influence being of great benefit to this community. [The subject of the above sketch is the son of Mr. George Hislop of Strasburg. - Ed] Waterloo County Chronicle 30 Mar 1899, p. 2 ___________ JOHN L. HISLOP KILLED. Attempted to Board a Moving Train in Chicago-Crushed Beneath the Wheels and Skull and Leg Fractured. A postal card from Dr. Moyer, Galt, brings the sad intelligence that John L. Hislop was killed by a train at Chicago on his way home to Seattle, Washington, from his wedding trip. He was married a few weeks ago to daughter of Dr. Young, of Minneapolis, and the happy couple after spending a few weeks with friends in the vicinity of Galt started for their western home a few days ago. Mr. Hislop was an engineer and had been connected with various railways and mines in the western States. Last year he had charge of the construction of a railway from Skagway north towards Dawson City. He also filled the position of Mayor of Skagway. His many friends will learn with regret of his sudden and unexpected death in the prime of manhood and with a bright and promising career open before him. We extend our sincerest sympathy to the bereaved family. Truly "in the midst of life we are in death." Since the above was written particulars of the terrible accident have come to hand. The account given in Saturday's Chicago Tribune is as follows: Death brought to a sudden end the wedding tour of Mr. and Mrs. John Hislop, of Skagway, Alaska, yesterday, and made a widow of a bride. Mr. Hislop, who was chief engineer of the White Pass and Yukon railroad, slipped and fell beneath the wheels of a Rock Island suburban train at the Eggleston station receiving injuries from which he died a few minutes later. He died at the Englewood Union Hospital just as Mrs. Hislop entered the door of the institution. Mr. Hislop, who was about forty years old, arrived in Chicago Thursday afternoon with his bride of three weeks and stopped at the Auditorium Annex. They had come direct from Detroit, after having previously visited Toronto, Minneapolis, St. Paul and other cities. Yesterday morning they went to Eggleston to take dinner with Mrs. Hislop's brother, F. M. Young of 7000 Prince ton avenue. As Mr. Hislop had a business appointment in the city he left the house in time to catch a 3.30 train, leaving word that he would be back in time for the evening meal. He bade his wife an affectionate goodbye and left the house. As Mr. Hislop reached the depot he saw the train just pulling out. In his effort to board one of the coaches while he train was in motion he slipped on the ice and fell beneath the wheels. His right leg was severed above the knee and his skull crushed. The train was brought to a stop, the injured man taken aboard, and carried to the Englewood station, from where he was conveyed to the hospital. The Chronicle Telegraph 28 Feb 1901, p. 5 _______________________ OFF FOR THE KLONDIKE - Mr. John Hislop, C.E., son of Mr. Geo. Hislop, of Strasburg, writes us from Portland that he is on his way to Skagway, Alaska, to look up the feasibility of a railway from there over White Pass and thence to Dawson City, and if practical to take charge of the construction of the same. He writes that they are backed by London capitalists, and here is every reason to believe that the enterprise will not fail for want of funds He has promised to write The CHRONICLE a description of the condition of things in the gold country in the near future. Mr. Hislop formerly taught school in Woolwich, and after completing his course as Civil Engineer in McGill University, Montreal, went to the Pacific Coast to seek his fortune, where he has done well. He is one of the leading engineers on the Pacific Coast. An occasional letter from his pen will be much appreciated by readers of The CHRONICLE. Waterloo County Chronicle, 7 Apr 1898, p. 5

  
  

• Sources

  [S604] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo South - 1871, Div. 3, Pg. 5. [S894] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1861, Sect. 12 Page 82. [S3231] Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140179198.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 10 Feb 1856 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1861 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - C. Presbyterian - 1871 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Mayor of Skagway, Alaska - 1898 - Skagway, Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon (CA), Alaska, United States Residence - 1898 - Skagway, Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon (CA), Alaska, United States Misfortune - killed by train - 1901 - Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States Occupation - school teacher - - Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 22 Feb 1901 - Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States Buried - - Pine Glen Cemetery, Prescott, Pierce, Wisconsin, United States  = Link to Google Earth