You're on Allen's Time
Carte de visite by J. Good of Trenton, N.J. When the Civil War began, the young man pictured here, 14-year-old William Frederick Allen, watched his father become colonel of the 9th New Jersey Infantry. Col. Joseph W. Allen, a peacetime militia officer and civil engineer, accompanied his men on Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside's expedition to North Carolina. On Jan. 13, 1862, only days into the operation, Allen drowned off the coast while attempting to secure drinking water for his men.
His death deprived William and two older siblings of a father, and his mother, Sarah, a husband.
William did not follow his late father into the war. But he did have a military connection through the Anderson Cadets, a Bordentown, N.J., militia company. His father once served as its commander. Young William, according to a period pencil inscription on a corresponding album page, is pictured here as captain of the Anderson Cadets.
The same inscription notes that he was not a member. This statement is verified through New Jersey records, which list only his father's name. One of these records, a quartermaster's report dated June 24, 1861, is an inventory of arms and equipment for the Anderson Cadets. It lists 40 rifles on hand, likely one for each member. It also includes two references to Zouaves, which may explain William's leggings.
Taking avaialable evidence into consideration, one explanation for this portrait is that William's father granted him an honorary and unofficial rank in the Anderson Cadets in 1861. His youthful look supports an 1861 date.
An alternative explanation appears in the finding aid for a collection of William's papers in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania: "Aged just 14 when the war began, Allen nonetheless enlisted in the military around 1861 and was given command of 'Anderson’s Cadets.'" But searches of military service records does not support this statement.
A sketch of William's life in the Memorial Cyclopedia of New Jersey also supports the 1861 date of this portrait. It states "In 1862, after his father's death, he became a rodman on the Camden & Amboy railroad, and in 1863 was promoted to be assistant engineer. He engaged in several roads then in course of construction in New Jersey, and in 1868 was appointed resident engineer of the West Jersey railroad, and founded the town of Wenonah, New Jersey."
Thus began William's railroad career, which grew from state and regional interests to national scope in 1872 when he became assistant editor of the influential monthly Travelers’ Official Guide.
Three years later, in 1875, he was elected to the position of permanent secretary of the General Time Convention. This group, which included representatives of the nation's major railroads, took on a major industry challenge: how to make rail transportation and travel more efficient in a large country that observed more than 144 time zones. These zones benefited local jurisdictions, but proved a hindrance as demand for more punctual interstate commerce and passenger travel times increased.
Fearing intervention by the federal government and under pressure to develop a coordinated approach to time, Convention membership discussed and debated options. They ultimately adopted a detailed plan proposed by William: Four standard time zones based upon the Greenwich meridian, or prime meridian.
We still follow William's plan today: Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific.
William's efforts were recognized by the membership: "By unanimous resolutions of the conventions, he was accorded their thanks for the accomplishment of the practical part of the work which was principally done between August 15 and November 18, 1883."
Some number of local jurisdictions condemned the move as taking away their rights.
The following year, President Chester A. Arthur appointed William as one of five delegates to represent the U.S. at the International Meridian Conference held in Washington. William's address, "Standard Time as Adopted in the United States" was entered into the official printed proceedings and translated into many languages. A number of countries in Europe and Asia soon adopted standardization of time, and William provided them with information to assist in the transition.
This accomplishment led to his appointment to numerous associations, councils, and societies, in which he remained active until, his death in 1915 at age 69. His wife, Caroline, who he married in 1871, and four sons survived him.
I encourage you to use this image for educational purposes only. However, please ask for permission.
You're on Allen's Time
Carte de visite by J. Good of Trenton, N.J. When the Civil War began, the young man pictured here, 14-year-old William Frederick Allen, watched his father become colonel of the 9th New Jersey Infantry. Col. Joseph W. Allen, a peacetime militia officer and civil engineer, accompanied his men on Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside's expedition to North Carolina. On Jan. 13, 1862, only days into the operation, Allen drowned off the coast while attempting to secure drinking water for his men.
His death deprived William and two older siblings of a father, and his mother, Sarah, a husband.
William did not follow his late father into the war. But he did have a military connection through the Anderson Cadets, a Bordentown, N.J., militia company. His father once served as its commander. Young William, according to a period pencil inscription on a corresponding album page, is pictured here as captain of the Anderson Cadets.
The same inscription notes that he was not a member. This statement is verified through New Jersey records, which list only his father's name. One of these records, a quartermaster's report dated June 24, 1861, is an inventory of arms and equipment for the Anderson Cadets. It lists 40 rifles on hand, likely one for each member. It also includes two references to Zouaves, which may explain William's leggings.
Taking avaialable evidence into consideration, one explanation for this portrait is that William's father granted him an honorary and unofficial rank in the Anderson Cadets in 1861. His youthful look supports an 1861 date.
An alternative explanation appears in the finding aid for a collection of William's papers in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania: "Aged just 14 when the war began, Allen nonetheless enlisted in the military around 1861 and was given command of 'Anderson’s Cadets.'" But searches of military service records does not support this statement.
A sketch of William's life in the Memorial Cyclopedia of New Jersey also supports the 1861 date of this portrait. It states "In 1862, after his father's death, he became a rodman on the Camden & Amboy railroad, and in 1863 was promoted to be assistant engineer. He engaged in several roads then in course of construction in New Jersey, and in 1868 was appointed resident engineer of the West Jersey railroad, and founded the town of Wenonah, New Jersey."
Thus began William's railroad career, which grew from state and regional interests to national scope in 1872 when he became assistant editor of the influential monthly Travelers’ Official Guide.
Three years later, in 1875, he was elected to the position of permanent secretary of the General Time Convention. This group, which included representatives of the nation's major railroads, took on a major industry challenge: how to make rail transportation and travel more efficient in a large country that observed more than 144 time zones. These zones benefited local jurisdictions, but proved a hindrance as demand for more punctual interstate commerce and passenger travel times increased.
Fearing intervention by the federal government and under pressure to develop a coordinated approach to time, Convention membership discussed and debated options. They ultimately adopted a detailed plan proposed by William: Four standard time zones based upon the Greenwich meridian, or prime meridian.
We still follow William's plan today: Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific.
William's efforts were recognized by the membership: "By unanimous resolutions of the conventions, he was accorded their thanks for the accomplishment of the practical part of the work which was principally done between August 15 and November 18, 1883."
Some number of local jurisdictions condemned the move as taking away their rights.
The following year, President Chester A. Arthur appointed William as one of five delegates to represent the U.S. at the International Meridian Conference held in Washington. William's address, "Standard Time as Adopted in the United States" was entered into the official printed proceedings and translated into many languages. A number of countries in Europe and Asia soon adopted standardization of time, and William provided them with information to assist in the transition.
This accomplishment led to his appointment to numerous associations, councils, and societies, in which he remained active until, his death in 1915 at age 69. His wife, Caroline, who he married in 1871, and four sons survived him.
I encourage you to use this image for educational purposes only. However, please ask for permission.