William Haney

     William Haney was born in 1827 at Somerset County, Pennsylvania.¹ He was the son of Moses B. Haney and Nancy VanBibber.¹
     WILLIAM J. HANEY, Meadville, Pennsylvania.

William J. Haney was a member of Company K, 85th New York Volunteer Infantry, having enlisted September 7, 1861, and served until June 21, 1865. He was under Generals Keyes, Peck and Wessels at various periods, and took part in some of the hardest battles of the war. He also partook of the hospitality (?) of the Confederacy for nearly a year, having been made a prisoner at Plymouth, North Carolina, in April, 1864, and kept with his fellow unfortunates in a southern prison until March, 1865.

Mr. Haney's father was Moses Haney, a prominent farmer of Leroy, New York, at which place Mr. Haney was born September 13, 1842. He attended school and worked on the farm up to the time of his enlistment, and on his return from the war he entered the employ of the Erie as a switchman in the winter of 1866, and remained at that branch of the service until the spring of that year, when he began firing. He continued firing until 1868, when he went to Bloomington, Illinois, where he was given a place as engineer on the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis Railroad. He ran an engine on this road until 1871, when he returned to Meadville, accepting a position as fireman on the Erie. He fired from April, 1871, to September, 1871, when he was given a freight run on the Meadville Division, east. With distinguished ability he held this run for twenty years, being advanced to passenger in 1891. For eight years he ran trains No. 13 and 14, the Wells-Fargo Express, on the Meadville Division, east, changing to Nos. 12 and 5 just recently, and his handling of these important runs show him to be one of the very best engineers in the Erie's employ, and the officials do right to consider him as such.

He has never been injured, though he has picked himself out of several bad accidents. On March 31, 1897, his engine turned over at Falkner Junction by reason of hitting a "D" rail, and he landed underneath the engine and heap of wreckage. He was also in a head-end collision at Bear Lake, but escaped injury.

On November 15, 1866, he was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Miller, daughter of Sebastian Miller, a musician of Meadville. Mr. Haney is a member of Division 43, B. of L. E., and Crawford Lodge No. 734, I. 0. 0. F. He owns some fine property in Meadville and is widely respected.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sponholz/biowjhaney.html

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From the February, 1908 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Meadville news):

On Monday, January 13 (1908), while running his train from Meadville east, engineer W.J. Haney became faint and felt that he was losing command of his facilities. With his remaining strength he shut off the steam, applied the air, and fell to the deck of his cab unconscious just before the train reached a standstill near Bear Lake. His fireman , H.J. Kebert, found Haney unconscious and ran the engine to Bear Lake, where he waited orders to run the train through to Salamanca, the end of the division. Haney was taken to his home at Meadville as soon as possible, where he has been ever since, suffering from heart disease.

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From the October, 1909 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Meadville news):

William Hainey, a Civil War veteran and veteran engineer, having reached the (70 year) age limit, was retired from the service on September 8 (1909).

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From the December, 1909 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Meadville news):

William Haney, the engineer who recently reached the age limit and was retired from the service, has gone to California with his wife, where they intend to spend the winter.

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From the February, 1910 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Meadville news):

William Haney, a veteran engineer, who was recently retired from the service has returned from a visit to California. He and Conductor Sylvester LeBarron, who is now on a visit in the West, contemplate making St. Cloud, Florida, their future homes.

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From the December, 1910 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Meadville news):

William Haney and Benjamin Miller, retired enginemen, have departed for St. Cloud, FL and will take up residences in the "Old Soldier Colony." Both are veterans of the Civil War.