[1] He emigrated to Canada in 1857 with his family when his father, Thomas Evans Blackwell, began employment as vice president of the Grand Trunk Railroad.
He worked for the Intercolonial Railway between 1869 and 1876, supervising the company's repair shops in Moncton, New Brunswick.
Blackwell next followed in his father and grandfather's footsteps by taking a role involving canals.
[2] Blackwell later moved to Roanoke, Virginia to superintend on the Norfolk and Western and Shenandoah Valley Railroads.
[2] Blackwell's final role began in 1903, when he was employed as special assistant to the chief engineer at the Wabash Railroad.