Boyd, the eldest son of a wealthy lawyer and railroad promoter, was born in Wytheville, Virginia.

Thomas Clark Durant, (February 6, 1820 - October 5, 1885) was an American financier and railroad promoter.

Gephart was not only president of the iron company (and the Nittany Valley Railroad, still an affiliate), but an active railroad promoter in another direction.

He brought charges of swindling against a third director, J.G.M. Ramsey, the former railroad promoter and a staunch Democrat.

O'Donnell was first settled in 1910 and named for Tom J. O'Donnell, a railroad promoter.

James Brewster (1788-1866)-industrialist and railroad promoter.

He was a banker, businessman, land speculator, lawyer, railroad promoter, teacher, and politician.

He was then a railroad promoter and cotton manufacturer, and was a member of the State constitutional convention in 1865.

Ward was named after James A. Ward, a railroad promoter and auditor of Dakota Territory from 1887-1889.

In 1866 Worthy S. Streator, a prominent railroad promoter from Cleveland, Ohio, financed the region's first mining operation.