CHARLES W. GINNAVAN, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.
Charles W. Ginnavan, son of Patrick Ginnavan, a horse dealer of Baltimore, Maryland, was born near that city May 1, 1841. He left school at the age of 13 years and engaged driving a team for the city while the water works of Baltimore were being constructed. He next became a newsboy on the Northern Central Railroad, running between Baltimore and Harrisburg. After two years he was advanced to brakeman, holding this position for six months. He then resigned to accept a place as engine wiper on the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore, but remained only one month, going to Susquehanna, where, in the fall of 1860, he began work as a fireman on the Erie.
On April 5, 1861, he enlisted with the Port Jervis company under Captain Hold in what was known as the New York Volunteers, Company F. They were assigned to the First Regiment of Sickle's brigade, Hooker's division, which belonged to the Third Army Corps of the Potomac. Mr. Ginnavan was in the battles of Fredericksburg and the Second Battle of Bull Run, and was right on the spot when the bridge was destroyed. D. C. McCullom, who was the Government's agent in charge of all railroads, detached every railroad man, and in this way Mr. Ginnavan was detailed to run on the Orange & Alexander Railroad during the term of his enlistment.
In 1864, on being mustered out, he returned to the Erie and fired for two years. He then took charge of the round house at Deposit until 1870, when he was promoted to engineer. For five years he ran on the Delaware Division, and ran one of the first engines on the Jefferson Division while constructing the southern end of the line. From that he went to a coal run on the Jefferson Division, and then to a pusher in the Susquehanna yards and to Gulf Summit, which run he has had for the past twenty-four years.
Mr. Ginnavan was married June 15, 1862, to Miss Elizabeth Cullison, daughter of John Cullison, a contractor of Baltimore. She died in March, 1880. Five children were born to them, three of whom survive. They are Susie J., aged 33, married, and living in Hornellsville; Laura, aged 32, married, and living at Scranton, and Minnie, aged 28, married, and living in New York City. Georgie Anna died at the age of 32, and William when 5 years of age. Mr. Ginnavan was married May 3, 1881, to Mrs. Lottie Guile, who is a daughter of A. B. Hill, bridge foreman for the Erie at Narrowsburg, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Ginnavan has a daughter by her first marriage. Miss Lou Guile, who is a graduate of the Binghamton Business College, and is now a stenographer in New York City.
Mr. Ginnavan is a prominent member of Starrucca Lodge No. 137, B. of L. E., and has held a subordinate office in the lodge for the past four terms. He is a highly respected citizen of Susquehanna and with his estimable wife enjoys the friendship of a large circle of acquaintances.
Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.
From the August, 1907 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Charles Wesley Ginnevan, who died at Port Jervis, NY on July 12 (1907), had been connected with the Erie for over forty years, some twenty-five of which were spent as an engineer on the Susquehanna pusher. For the past two years Mr. Ginnevan has been running a switch engine at Port Jervis. After service in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, he came to Susquehanna and entered the Erie service as a fireman. he was a faithful employee, a good citizen, and was buried in the cemetery at Susquehanna, where he lived for so many years.