Hero of the Rails: A story of courage along the A-B-C line of the Union Pacific Railroad

Softcover, 88 pages, 8.5 x 11 in, 30 B&W illustrations.

In June 1905, two-year-old Paul Ussary was playing on the railroad tracks of the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railway near Powell, Nebraska. Tragedy seemed certain when a freight train suddenly rounded the curve. However, the locomotive's fireman, George Poell, suddenly leaps into action. Little Paul is saved, but George is maimed for life. Hailed a national hero, George becomes the first recipient of a new Congressional medal for railroad valor. It's a long-forgotten story of hero worship, political scandal and bonds of eternal gratitude between two men. It's also a historic account of what is now the A-B-C line of the Union Pacific Railroad in Nebraska.

Contents:
Preface, Introduction, pp. 5-10,
Grand Island and Hanover, pp. 11-14,
The St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad, 15-20,
The A-B-C Railroad, pp. 21-23,
A Town Called Powell, pp. 24-26,
Just Another Day at Work, pp. 27-31,
To Save a Child, pp. 32-36,
Healing, pp. 37-40,
Accolades and Medals, pp. 41-46,
City Clerk and Disgrace, pp. 47-54,
The Latter Years of a Hero, pp. 55-57,
A Family Moves On, pp. 58-66,
Saving Tots from Trains, pp. 67-74,
Aftermath, pp. 75-79,
The Origin of the A-B-C Town Names, pg. 80,
Acknowledgments, pg. 81,
Bibliography, pp. 82-87,
A Hero of the Rail, pp. 88.

• New
• Softcover
• James J. Reisdorff
• South Platte Press
• 2022