Sanford Keeler
1837 - 1924
In railroad and engineering circles, as well as in business and social life, no man is better known or more highly respected than Sanford Keeler, giving the best years of his life to the service of the old Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad, which accomplished more toward the upbuilding of Saginaw than any other corporation or group of individuals.
Sanford Keeler came to Saginaw with his two brothers, Dexter and Frank, on October 11th, 1855 at the age of 17. Prior to that, he began his education in Broome County, New York, eventually attending Fay’s Academy in Poughkeepsie, NY for a two-year term. After relocating to East Saginaw, he entered an apprenticeship to become a machinist with Warner & Eastman for four years.
Keeler’s genius was quickly discovered during his first assignment to set up a dipper dredge for the river. He was hired to operate the dredge that, until his skillful operation, was never reliable. When Stephen R. Kirby witnessed this and noted the smooth operation of the machinery, he asked the youthful engineer how he kept the dredge running when they had never before been able to run it even half a day without a breakdown, Keeler replied, “It is only putting things together correctly and in keeping everything adjusted and well oiled.”
Keeler was then recruited by the East Saginaw Salt Manufacturing Company to build and operate their salt brine drilling rig. In 1859 at the age of 21, he was successful at drilling the first salt brine well in Michigan, which sparked a new industry in Saginaw to offset the downturn in lumber.
His abilities in “making things work” by this time were well known. Henry Potter and Samuel Farwell, the builders of the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad, enlisted his services. In August 1859, a well-used secondhand locomotive named “Pollywog” was unloaded from the schooner Quickstep, and in no time was up and running with Keeler designated as its engineer. Soon after, he was promoted to mechanical engineer for the railroad. During the following three years, he supervised the repairs of all railroad equipment and in 1865, he oversaw the building of a new machine shop that repaired all of the expanding railroad’s equipment. After the resignation of Superintendent Kimball, Keeler was given the role of acting Superintendent, and in 1873 he was officially appointed to the position, which he held until 1891. He then accepted a position with the Saginaw, Tuscola and Huron Railroad as Superintendent. During the expansion of the railroads in Saginaw and throughout Central Michigan, including the expansion of the road to Ludington and the building of ferry boats to cross Lake Michigan to Milwaukee, Keeler was one of the most influential men directly involved in the building of Saginaw.
On a more personal note, Sanford Keeler was known for being extremely approachable, and he was thought to be one of the most companionable of men. He demonstrated this socially and in an official capacity for business. His keen sense of humor allowed him to appreciate a good joke, and nothing gave him more pleasure than to spring a new one on his friends. Keeler was well-known and well-liked and played a large part in making Saginaw what it is today.