On This Day: August 20, 1897, Ralph Budd, the railroad executive who helped spark the diesel-electric revolution, was born on a farm near Washburn, Iowa, in Black Hawk County.
Raised in a rural Presbyterian household centered on hard work and faith, Budd’s family moved to Des Moines when he was thirteen. After graduating from North High School and attending Highland Park College, he began his career with the Chicago Great Western Railroad as an assistant engineer. His natural talent and drive propelled him forward, earning him a role on major projects, including the railroad system of the Panama Canal.
Returning to the U.S., Budd joined the Great Northern Railroad, where he became an assistant to legendary railway builder James J. Hill. Following Hill’s death, Budd advanced to the presidency of the Great Northern, overseeing landmark achievements such as the completion of the Cascade Tunnel. He also guided the company into the bus business with the creation of Northland Transportation Company, a forerunner of Greyhound Lines…