Nickerson was born in
Brewster, Massachusetts, on September 19, 1810. His family was well known for the number of sailors it had produced, and Thomas himself also sailed for nearly 30 years before he turned to land transportation. Nickerson invested in the ATSF around 1870, becoming the railroad's vice president in May 1873. The next year, he was promoted to president of the ATSF, succeeding
Henry Strong, where he served until 1880. Thomas Nickerson's brother Joseph also served as a railroad executive, and Joseph's son
Albert W. Nickerson inherited several million dollars upon his father's death and was made a director of the ATSF and the
Mexican Central Railway. Nickerson didn't limit himself to just the ATSF. He was also a prominent figure in the
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad,
Sonora Railway,
California Southern Railroad and Mexican Central Railway, all subsidiary companies of the ATSF. Nickerson died in
Newton Center, Massachusetts, on July 24, 1892. The town of
Nickerson, Kansas, founded in 1872, is named in his honor. == Sources ==