born Oct. 22, 1821, Harwinton, Conn., U.S.
died Aug. 13, 1900, Raquette Lake, N.Y.
U.S. railroad magnate.
He worked as a peddler before becoming a prosperous merchant in Oneonta, N.Y. In the gold rush year of 1849, he moved to Sacramento, Calif., and joined Leland Stanford , and Charles Crocker (1822–1888)
a group later known as the "Big Four"
to form the Central Pacific Railroad . During its construction (1863–69), Huntington lobbied for the company in the east, securing financing and favourable legislation from the federal government. In 1865 the Big Four formed the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1869 Huntington bought the {{link=Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Co.">Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , which he later extended to link with the Southern Pacific, forming the first transcontinental railroad. He became president of the Southern Pacific–Central Pacific system in 1890.