This past Sunday was the 174th anniversary (February 20, 1848) of the birth of Edward Henry Harriman.
Early career and start in railroading
Born on Long Island, New York, Harriman was the son of a minister. Although he was a very good student, he left school in 1861 at the age of 13 to work on Wall Street. Harriman began as an office boy, but worked his way up to be the managing clerk of an investment firm. Thanks to a loan from his uncle, Harriman purchased a seat on the New York Stock...