David Hoadley (businessman)

David Hoadley
David Hoadley
Born(1806-02-13)13 February 1806
Waterbury, Connecticut, Connecticut, US
Died20 August 1873(1873-08-20) (aged 67)
Englewood, New Jersey, US
OccupationBusinessperson
Spouse(s)Mary Hotchkiss (d. June 9, 1837)
Elizabeth Tappen
ChildrenFirst marriage: Mary, Sarah, Russell
Second marriage: Alice, Tappen, Elizabeth, Olivia, Adelaide
Parent(s)David Hoadley and Rachel Hull Hoadley

David Hoadley (February 13, 1806 – August 20, 1873) was an American businessman, and an executive in the banking and railroad industries. He is best known for taking over the Panama Railway in November 1851 as the company faced bankruptcy while attempting to build a railroad across the Isthmus of Panama.[1][2] Hoadley was able to stabilize the company as well as complete the railroad a year ahead of schedule.[3]

  1. ^ Otis, Illustrated History of the Panama Railroad, New York: Harper, 1862.
  2. ^ Bennett, History of the Panama Canal: Its Construction and Builders, 1915.
  3. ^ Rigole and Langlois, Panama, 2003.