Fred B. Pelham pictured on top of completed arch bridge over Huron River at Dexter, Michigan: #MCR🚂

Parkside Please Join Us At Riverside Park On (Friday) September 20th From 11am To 1pm To Help Pay Tribute And Homage To (Engineer) Cornelius “Langston” Henderson And To Discover The History Connection Between “Parkside” Zachariah Chandler, The Underground Railroad, Our War Cannon, Mercy-Samaritan Center And The Historical Dunbar-Parkside Hospital.

ZACHARIAH CHANDLER (1813 - 1879)
CANADA-MICHIGAN CENTRAL RAILROADS & STRUCTURES “BLACK”ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS HISTORY:

ІМНОТЕР 2700 BC - 2601

ELIJAH J. McCOY (1843- 1929)

FREDERICK “BLACKBURN” PELHAM (1861 - 1895)

CORNELIUS “LANGSTON” HENDERSON (1887 - 1976)

Related To:
(By: Randy Milgrom), The Michigan Engineering News Center

 #HeyMichiganDidYouKnow🤔
Frederick “Blackburn” Pelham was the first African-American to receive an engineering degree from the University of Michigan. An excellent student who would become president of his graduating class, Pelham earned a bachelors of science degree in civil engineering in 1887 and immediately began a career in bridge design and construction with the Michigan Central Railroad.

In his brief but highly productive career as a civil engineer, Pelham became known for designing bridges that were built to last – though this was less true, unfortunately, of Pelham, who died at home in 1895, reportedly of acute pneumonia, at the tender age of 30 years old.

Fred B. Pelham was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 7, 1864 – the year the Civil War ended. His parents, Robert and Frances Butcher Pelham, were free persons and landowners in Virginia, but in the 1850s they fled the state – where they still were subject to widespread discrimination and onerous legal restrictions, including a prohibition against obtaining an education. The family made several stops before settling in Detroit.

Fred was the youngest of the seven Pelham children (three girls and four boys). His father was a mechanic as well as an accomplished building contractor and mason, and he passed those skills on to Fred.

But the Pelham family stressed strongly the value of a good education, and Fred would become the fifth member of his family to graduate high school at a time when few Americans of any race did so. Fred followed the high standards set by his older siblings, several of whom became professionals playing significant roles in public life as newspapermen and government officials.

Fred B. Pelham pictured on top of completed arch over Huron River at Dexter, Michigan. (Image from literature of Michigan Central Railroad.)

Pelham, the Michigan Engineer:
Fred was said to be a “quick learner and a diligent student,” and he graduated from Detroit High School with highest honors. At Michigan, Pelham “mastered the difficult mathematics needed to excel in civil engineering,” received “superior” grades, and graduated “at the head of his class.” He was said to be “quiet and gentlemanly,” and earned the admiration and respect of his classmates.

As graduation approached, the Michigan Central Railroad was in the market for civil engineers. Railroad officials approached the Michigan engineering faculty for recommendations, and Pelham was one of two students Professor Ezra Greene offered up as prime candidates for employment.

Pelham’s employment with the Michigan Central Railroad – though brief – was prolific. His craftsmanship did not go unnoticed, and he was promoted more than once, rising to become “acting 1st Assistant Engineer” before the age of 30. He is credited with designing and building approximately 18 to 20 bridges throughout Michigan that are known for their architectural form and strength. Pelham’s structures have held up well for more than a century, spanning roads and rivers along the Michigan Central Line between Detroit and Chicago and providing safe passage for hundreds of thousands of trains – including the Amtrak passenger cars that continue to pass through Ann Arbor at least twice every day.

Pelham was hired in 1887 and he remained at the railroad until his untimely death in 1895.

Related To:
HOW THE PULLMAN PORTERS BUILT A BLACK MIDDLE CLASS DURING SEGREGATION: (By MICHAEL SCOTT)