James Archbald

Archbald was born March 3, 1793, on Little Cumbrae island, off the Ayrshire coast of Scotland, to a family of shepherds.

Succeeding John B. Jervis, Archbald served as the general superintendent of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company (D&H) from 1829 to 1854.

He helped plan the construction of the Pennsylvania Coal Company's railroad from Pittston to Hawley in 1847.

He left D&H to become the vice president of Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad in 1854.

Two years later in 1856, he became the general manager and chief engineer of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and relocated to Scranton, where it had its headquarters.