Behind every story, there’s another story. Behind the stories of Who Built That, there are even more stories of providence, patriotism, entrepreneurship, friendship, and family.
In April 2010, Glenn Beck and his staff asked if I could offer a “unique experience” item for their celebrity charity auction to benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. I proposed to take the top bidders on a train up the Cog Railway in Colorado Springs. It’s a historic ride to the top of Pikes Peak, more than fourteen thousand feet above sea level. The breathtaking views there inspired schoolteacher Katharine Lee Bates to pen the words to “America, the Beautiful” in 1893.
The winning bid for the train ride was placed by an energetic, freedom-loving couple from Oklahoma, Scott and Debbie McEachin. Scott is also a railroad history buff; his enthusiasm was infectious. After our trip, my curiosity was sparked: Who built that? The ground-breaking Cog Railway, I discovered, was the result of one man’s private initiative. Wisconsin inventor and entrepreneur Zalman Simmons, who made a fortune from the coil-spring mattress company that still bears his name today, spearheaded the project against all odds. In the late 1880s, Simmons had traveled by mule to check on insulators for telegraph wires that he had installed at the top of Pikes Peak for the army signal station. The irrepressible businessman vowed to build a better transportation alternative up the steep mountainside. Simmons incorporated the Manitou & Pike’s Peak Railway Company, invested his own capital, recruited engineers, and spent two years overseeing construction. In 1891, the railway’s first passenger car—carrying a church choir from Denver—ascended the nine-mile track and reached the summit. Nearly 125 years later, the privately funded railway that Simmons built is still in business today.
In 2013, I shared that story with Glenn and we talked about our mutual love of American tinkerers. Our discussion of my book idea—a “fateful meeting of geek minds,” I called it—evolved into one of the most satisfying research endeavors of my writing career. My thanks to Glenn, Kevin Balfe, and the staff at Mercury Ink for their belief in this project. Thanks to Scott and Debbie for their stimulating company and continued camaraderie. And thanks to Zalman Simmons for his mountain-traversing inspiration!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster’s Threshold Editions editorial director Mitchell Ivers and assistant editor Natasha Simons for their keen insights and masterful guidance on shaping the manuscript.
Thanks to the staff members at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, National Park Service, Lower Merion (Pennsylvania) Historical Society, the University of Toledo’s Ward M. Canady Center, Heinz History Center, and Westinghouse Electric Company for their assistance.
I can’t thank Tony Maglica enough for sharing his invaluable time and insights with me. Thanks also to Mag Instrument, Inc., in-house general counsel Jerry Reilly and all of Tony’s employees who took a few moments out of their busy day to explain their work.
Thanks to Greg Gruman of the Winkley Company, Katherine Bomkamp of Katherine Bomkamp International, and Bert Harries of Bally Ribbon Company for sharing information about their remarkable businesses.
Big thank-you bouquets to Cindy McNew for her sharp eyes and editing feedback; to my Colorado Springs friends Tina Cox and Mark Connell for their techno-engineer-y expertise and review of several chapters of the book; and to Jacob Bunn for his assistance in manuscript prep.
Deepest thanks to my dear in-laws, Carole and Dick, for their constant encouragement and trenchant editing suggestions every step of the way. It was a special privilege and blessing to receive support from Carole, an accomplished novelist and superlative storyteller who gave her time so generously as she bravely battled cancer. Her spirit lives on in my heart and these pages.
And as always, the best for last: Unending thanks and praise for my husband and rock, Jesse, and my children, Veronica and Julian, for their love and support. Kids, one of the most important themes of this book is my life lesson for you: Nihil boni sine labore.