William Cornelius Van Horne

William Cornelius Van Horne (* February 3, 1843 in Frankfort, Illinois, † September 11, 1915 in Montreal) was an American and later Canadian, railway pioneer and entrepreneur.

When Van Horne was eight years old, his family moved to nearby Joliet. He began in 1857 to work for railroad companies, first in various capacities for the Michigan Central Railway, then for the Chicago and Alton Railway, whose general manager, he was from 1878 to 1879. In 1882 he was appointed top manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR ) in 1884 and was awarded the post of Vice President. He was known for his organizational skills in the construction of the transcontinental railroad across Canada. From 1888 to 1899 he was president of the CPR.

The self-taught artist was known for his intellectual curiosity and dynamism. He was also familiar with many technical aspects of railway operations; this included driving a steam locomotive. After he had become a wealthy man, he participated as a shareholder in various rail companies such as the Cuba Railroad Company.

Van Horne considered the railway as part of a complex communication and transport system and convinced the directors and shareholders of the CPR, a telegraph service and to set up an express freight delivery service, which should complement the railway. He was responsible for the creation of cargo department of the CPR, and led in 1891 a regular service between Vancouver and Hong Kong. Finally he was responsible for the expansion of the CPR in the tourism sector and participated in the design of two luxury hotels in the group Canadian Pacific Hotels, namely the Château Frontenac in Quebec City and the Chateau Lake Louise on the shores of Lake Louise in Alberta.

From 1895 to 1915 he was director of the McGill University in Montreal. Van Horne was one of the first Canadian who collected art works of French Impressionism. On Minister's Iceland at St. Andrews in New Brunswick, he had built a large summer residence. The property on the Bay of Fundy is only accessible during low tide on the road.

After his death, a funeral transferred his remains to Joliet (Illinois ), where he is buried in the Oakwood Cemetery.