[3] Between the years 1876 and 1885, Epes Randolph worked for several railroads performing location, construction, and maintenance.
He resigned, moved west and for a year worked as a consulting engineer to several railroads while recuperating.
He first lived in Indio, California, before moving to Tucson, Arizona, in August 1895 when he became the superintendent for the Southern Pacific Railroad lines from El Paso to Los Angeles.
In 1905 Harriman, president of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, asked Randolph to lead the task of closing a breach in the Colorado River.
[2] In 1911 Randolph became president of the Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico and Arizona Eastern Railway.
[4] Epes Randolph was a life member of the Elks lodge, an honorary 33d degree Mason, and president of the Old Pueblo Club at the time of his death.
Randolph spent February 1921 recuperating in Empalme, Sonora, returning to Tucson in early March.
[4] On Monday, August 22, 1921, Epes Randolph worked a full day at the executive offices of the Arizona Eastern Railroad.
Instead of turning to bed early as he normally did, he was reading a newspaper when he suffered a pulmonary hemorrhage seizure shortly after 10 pm.
Randolph's wife called a doctor to attend him, and though he partially recovered for a few minutes, he was unable to speak and died shortly thereafter.
[8] That afternoon the Tucson City Council passed a resolution in honor of Epes Randolph in special session.
[11][12] On Wednesday, August 24, the flag was lowered to half mast on the Arizona State Capitol for the day upon news of his death.
Reported as "extremely brilliant and beautiful" and "performed only upon rarest occasions," Randolph was the first person to be honored with a Kadosh ceremony in Arizona.
[14] On Thursday, August 25, every business, store, and county office in Tucson closed at 4 pm.
[2] A bust, accompanied by four plaques detailing his life's work, is located near the park's center, at Camino Campestre and Randolph Way.