Stuart R. Knott

Stuart R. Knott (April 11, 1859 – February 11, 1943) was the fourth president of Kansas City Southern Railway.

Stuart R. Knott
Born	April 11, 1859 Louisville, Kentucky
Died	February 11, 1943 (aged 83)
Occupation	American railroad executive
Known for	president of Kansas City Southern Railway

Birth and family

Stuart R. Knott was born on April 11, 1859, in Louisville, Kentucky,[1] to Richard Wallace and Ann Mary (Roberts) Knott.[2][3] He was the fifth child among 3 daughters and 6 sons.[4]

Career

Louisville and Nashville Railway

On January 1, 1888,[5] Knott was promoted to traffic manager for Louisville and Nashville Railway (L&N),[6][7] a position he held until October 7, 1891.[5] He was then promoted to first vice president.[8][5]

Knott was a key representative in defending the L&N's haulage and drayage rates through the 1890s. In 1895, the L&N was brought to court over its rates for hauling coal in Kentucky. Knott was one of the L&N representatives present for the railroad's defense.[9] Similarly, drayage rates in New Orleans were also disputed at a meeting where Knott represented the L&N.[10] Also in 1895, several grocers' associations began a boycott of the L&N due to its freight rates for their members, to which Knott again defended the L&N's practices in refusing to offer a differential rate between carload and less-than-carload shipments.[11] With all of the rate disputes, rumors began to circulate that the Southern States Passenger Association, which related to passenger train operations in the region, including those of the L&N, may dissolve.[12]

Plant System

In October 1899, Knott was elected as vice president of the Plant System, under R. G. Erwin as president.[note 1][13][15][16] But his time with the Plant System lasted less than a year as he resigned in July 1900 to take the vice president and general manager position at Chicago and Alton Railroad.[14][17][18] Knott was succeeded as vice president of the Plant System by Morton F. Plant, the son of Henry B. Plant who had founded the Plant System.[19][20]

Kansas City Southern Railway

Concurrent with his appointment at the Alton,[21] Knott was selected to succeed Samuel W. Fordyce as president of Kansas City Southern Railway on July 11, 1900,[22][23] beginning his term on August 1.[24][25] At this time, Knott was also appointed as traffic manager for Union Pacific Railroad, further connecting these three Harriman-controlled railroad companies.[21] Rumors began to circulate that Knott would soon be named president of the C&A.[26] Following an inspection trip over the entire KCS system in the first week of August 1900, Knott affirmed to reporters that the KCS will remain an independently operated railroad.[27]

Soon after taking office at KCS, Knott sought to expand the railroad. He and Edward F. Swinney, then president of First National Bank of Kansas City, were appointed as receivers for the Kansas City Suburban Belt Railway, Union Terminal Railway and the Kansas City and Independence Air Line so that they could be more easily integrated and merged into the KCS system.[28]

In late October 1900, reports circulated that John W. Gates took control of a majority of shares of KCS stock, which led to rumors that W. G. Brimson would succeed Knott as president.[29] It was soon revealed that Gates hadn't gained full control, rather that Harriman had purchased KCS stock from Gates and Knott would continue as president.[30][31] A few days later, on November 3, 1900, a new board of directors for the KCS was announced, which included Harriman, Gates, Knott and former president Fordyce as well as George J. and Edwin Gould; the new board confirmed Knott's continuing term as president.[32]

On January 3, 1901, Knott served as chairman for a conference in New York City discussing standard freight rates for western and northwestern railroads. The conference closed with no significant changes to the rates and no new resolutions adopted, with Knott reported as "being entirely satisfied with the present situation."[33]

In June 1901, rumors were published that Knott was to succeed Samuel Felton as president of the Alton.[34][35] Felton denied the rumors.[36]

At the 1902 annual meeting of the Kansas City, Shreveport and Gulf Railway and the Kansas City, Shreveport and Gulf Terminal Company, Knott was elected president of both companies, the latter company being the owner of Shreveport Union Station.[37]

A year after the previous rumors of his resignation, new rumors emerged in July 1902, some citing J.P. Morgan Company, that Knott would leave the KCS to return to the L&N as president.[5][38] As with the previous rumors, Knott denied these claims as well.[39][40]

Notes

1. Some newspaper accounts of the time described Knott as president of the Plant System.[13][14]

References

1. ""United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images". FamilySearch. January 30, 2015. (M1490) Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925 > Roll 260, 1915 Aug, certificate no 4701-5100 > image 562 of 680; citing NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)
2. "Stuart R. Knott". Find-a-grave. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
3. "Personals". The Frankfort Roundabout. Frankfort, Kentucky. February 16, 1901. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
4. ""United States Census, 1880," database with images". FamilySearch. August 12, 2017. Stuart R Knott in household of Richard Knott, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district ED 125, sheet 424C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0423; FHL microfilm 1,254,423.
5. "May Change - President Knott May Leave the K.C.S." The Pittsburg Daily Headlight. Pittsburg, Kansas. July 9, 1902. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Railroad Men". The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. January 12, 1890. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "The Land Sale". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. April 16, 1890. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Southern Railroads". The Wilmington Messenger. Wilmington, North Carolina. January 16, 1895. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Hauled Up". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. May 10, 1895. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Drayage Charges in New Orleans". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. July 11, 1895. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Countered". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. July 21, 1895. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "The Passenger Association". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. August 14, 1895. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Rumor About Stuart Knott". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. June 28, 1900. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "(untitled)". The Times. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. June 29, 1900. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Mr. Gabbett To Go With The Plant". The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. July 19, 1900. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Who Will Succeed Knott?". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. July 22, 1900. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "With Chicago And Alton". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. June 29, 1900. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
18. "President Felton's Plans". The St. Louis Republic. St. Louis, Missouri. July 7, 1900. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
19. Associated Press (August 1, 1900). "New Vice-President". The Times. Richmond, Virginia. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "Plant Succeeds Stuart Knott". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. August 2, 1900. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
21. "Railway Consolidation - Chicago and Alton and Kansas City Southern Getting Together". Alton Telegraph. Alton, Illinois. July 19, 1900. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
22. "Fordyce Resigns". The Topeka State Journal. Topeka, Kansas. July 11, 1900. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
23. "President for K. C. & S. Road". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. July 11, 1900. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
24. "Knott Is Now President". El Paso Herald. August 1, 1900. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
25. "(untitled)". The Pittsburg Daily Headlight. Pittsburg, Kansas. August 1, 1900. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
26. "May Combine These Roads". The Leavenworth Weekly Times. Leavenworth, Kansas. July 19, 1900. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
27. "Better Than Expected". Fort Smith Times. XIX (14). Fort Smith, Arkansas. August 16, 1900. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
28. "Stuart Knott Appointed a Receiver". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. September 7, 1900. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
29. "Railroad Rumble: A New Head for the Kansas City Southern Road". The Sedalia Democrat. Sedalia, Missouri. October 29, 1900. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
30. "Harriman Not Out". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. October 30, 1900. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
31. "Gates Sells His Stock - Harriman Syndicate Buys Kansas City Southern". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. October 30, 1900. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
32. "Goulds In It - New Board of Directors Selected for the Kansas City Southern Today". Lawrence Daily Journal. XXXII (264). Lawrence, Kansas. November 3, 1900. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
33. "Discuss Western Freights". New York Times. New York, New York. January 4, 1901. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
34. "(untitled)". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. June 5, 1901. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
35. "(untitled)". The Indianapolis Journal. June 12, 1901. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
36. "Alton President Denies Rumor That He Is To Be Succeeded By Stuart Knott". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. June 15, 1901. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
37. "Officers Chosen". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. April 5, 1902. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
38. "S.R. Knott To Go Up Higher". The Leaf-Chronicle. Clarksville, Tennessee. July 11, 1902. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
39. "Kansas City Southern Notes". The Pittsburg Daily Headlight. Pittsburg, Kansas. July 12, 1902. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
40. "S. R. Knott Has Not Resigned". The Inter Ocean. Chicago, Illinois. July 13, 1902. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.

• "The Kansas City Southern Lines". Kansas City Southern Historical Society. Retrieved August 15, 2005.
• Moses, Lionel B. (April 1942). "Stuart R. Knott". Filson Club History Quarterly. 16 (2). Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2011.