John Calvin STRAHORN

1849 - 1933  (84 years)

• Name	John Calvin STRAHORN
  Birth	14 Mar 1849	Haines Twp, Centre, Pennsylvania
  Gender	Male
  Death	27 Nov 1933	Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
  Burial	Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, Los Angeles, Caliifornia, Great Mausoleum, Dahlia Terrace, Sanctuary of Faith #3407
  Notes	1868 began career as a fireman (who shoveled coal into the locomotive's firebox) for Chicago & North Western Railroad at Escanaba, Delta, Michigan 1871 promoted to engineer at Escanaba, Delta, Michigan 1880 Census in Escanaba, Delta, Michigan 1880 September, moved to Union Pacific RR in North Platte, Lincoln, Nebraska 1881 Running trains from North Platte to Sidney 1882 In charge of UP Roundhouse at Sterling, Logan, Colorado 1885 "At the election on Tuesday, the following ticket was elected without any opposition: mayor, John C. Strahorn, recorder, John Alexander, trustees Jas. M. King, Andrew J. Weir, John E. Wallace, and L. Henderson." Greeley Tribune, 15 Apr 1885, page 1 1886 Foreman at Sterling, Logan, Colorado 1887 UP roundhouse at Sterling, Logan, Colorado 1889 UP Engineer at North Platte, Lincoln, Nrbraska 1900 Census at W. 3rd St. North Platte, Lincoln, Nebraska 1908 City Directory at 109 W. 2nd St. North Platte, Lincoln, Nebraska 1910 Census at 109 W. 2nd St. North Platte, Lincoln, Nebraska 1915 moved to Highland Park (Strahorn 50th newspaper) 1918 retired from Union Pacific (U.P.R.R. letter) 1920 Census at 521 W. 27th Street, Los Angeles, California 1921 City Directory at 109 W. 2nd., North Platte, Nebraska - rental? 1925 50th Wedding Anniversary at 211 N. Ave 51, Los Angeles, California 1933 Death at 211 N. Ave 51, Los Angeles, California Here is an article by Gary Zentmyer about North Platte and John Calvin Strahorn. Here is an image of the 'highball' signal referenced in the article above. Here is a copy of a newspaper article confirming John C. Strahorn's election as mayor of Sterling, Colorado.
  Person ID	I85647	Zentmeyer Main Tree
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2026

  
  

  Father	Thomas Foster STRAHORN,   b. Abt 1824, West Buffalo, Union, Pennsylvania d. 18 May 1886, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (Age ~ 62 years)
  Mother	Rebecca EMMERT,   b. 1826, Bethel, Lebanon, Pennsylvania d. 1863, Harris, Centre, Pennsylvania - Tuberculosis (Age 37 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1848	Centre, Pennsylvania
  Family ID	F23140	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sarah Elizabeth WOOD,   b. 14 Mar 1849, Lyme, Grafton, New Hampshire d. 24 Oct 1940, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (Age 91 years)
  Marriage	10 Jun 1875	Milton, either Rock or Buffalo, Wisconsin   [1]
  Children	1. Sarah E. STRAHORN,   b. Abt 1876, Escanaba, Delta, Michigan d. Jul 1876, Escanaba, Delta, Michigan (Age ~ 0 years)   2. Arthur Thomas STRAHORN,   b. 14 Oct 1876, Escanaba, Delta, Michigan d. 4 Jan 1974, Los Alamitos, Orange, California (Age 97 years)   3. Amy STRAHORN,   b. 6 Sep 1877, Escanaba, Delta, Michigan d. 21 Sep 1877, Escanaba, Delta, Michigan (Age 0 years) + 4. Mary Elizabeth STRAHORN,   b. 22 Dec 1885, Sterling, Weld, Colorado (became Logan County in 1887) d. 12 May 1973, Riverside, Riverside, California (Age 87 years)
  Family ID	F23134	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	11 Apr 2026

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		J.C. Strahorn From the Zentmyer Collection. Photo taken shortly after his marriage to Sarah Elizabeth Wood
  		John Calvin Strahorn From the Zentmyer Collection.
  		1871 Letter from John & Mollie Emmert to their 22-year-old grandson John Calvin Strahorn From the Zentmyer Collection. John Emmert died later that same year, in 1871. Image courtesy Gary Zentmyer
  		Letter of Recommendation for J.C. Strahorn, who resigned for health reasons. From the Zentmyer Collection. John soon obtained a job with the Union Pacific Railroad in North Platte, Nebraska, and lived another fifty-three years.
  		Union Pacific Employees Magazine, Feb 1886 Placing the J.C. Strahorn family in Sterling Colorado, supporting Mary Strahorn's birth there the year before.
  		An early Union Pacific locomotive in Nebraska This Union Pacific Consolidaton 2-8-0 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in the year 1900. (2-8-0 refers to 2 leading wheels, 8 drive wheels, and 0 trailing wheels) It is on display in Grand Island, Nebraska. These workhorses of the early 20th century were the backbone of freight service across the Great Plains. As they were retired, many were donated to museums in towns across Nebraska, including Grand Island, Fairbury, Sidney, Kearney, Lexington, and North Platte. The likelihood that John Calvin Strahorn operated this exact locomotive on multiple occasions during the over two decades he and Sarah lived in North Platte is inescapable, because crews operating locomotives based in North Platte would typically travel west to Sidney or east to Grand Island, where their locomotives would be serviced at a roundhouse and refilled with coal and water. The locomotives would then pull a train back to North Platte, with either the same or a different crew.
  		Locomotive Engineers Journal Jan 1915 Detailing a brief chronology of J.C. Strahorn's employment.
  		The Strahorn house in North Platte, Nebraska The house was at 109 W. Second St., the property is now part of a retail development. From the Zentmyer Collecton. Looks cold.
  		1903 Sanborn Map from North Platte These Sanborn fire insurance maps are invaluable tools for seeing changes to real estate over time.
  		Zentmyers and Strahorns on the porch, 1920 From the Zentmyer Collection. Likely at the Strahorn's house at 521 W. 27th Street, Los Angeles. From left - John Zentmyer, his mother Mary, Sarah and John Calvin Strahorn, George Zentmyer, and John's brother George Jr. This image was colorized from black and white photo using the AI program DeOldify. A pretty good result.
  		Brothers John C. and Robert E. Strahorn, Christmas 1924 From the Zentmyer Collection. The location is the vacant lot in Highland Park where John's daughter Mary and her husband George Zentmyer would build a new house in 1925, verified by the house in the background of the image, which still exists. In fact, they could be sitting on the edge of a foundation excavation.
  		John and Sarah Strahorn's house at 211 N. Ave 51, Highland Park. They lived here at least from 1925 until 1933. It was less than a mile from the home of their daughter Mary and her husband George Zentmyer.
  		Death Notice In the Los Angeles Times, dated 29 Nov 1933
  		Grand Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale California Image courtesy Gary Zentmyer
  		Sarah and J.C. Strahorn's Crypt Located in the Dahlia Terrace, Sanctuary of Faith, Forest Lawn, Glendale, California Image courtesy Gary Zentmyer
  		Close-up of crypt for John Calvin Strahorn Great Mausoleum, Dahlia Terrace, Sanctuary of Faith #3407 Image courtesy Gary Zentmyer

  
  

• Sources

  [S21030] Newspaper article re: golden wedding anniversary.