(Source: Houston Chronicle, May 5, 2017)
HOUSTON — When Englishman James Robert Cade and his wife, Annie, moved to Harrisburg in 1873, the Houston area was becoming a major center for shipping through its port and rail connections to inland areas. Working for the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway Company and the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company, both soon acquired by Southern Pacific, Cade was instrumental in leading the conversion of rail cars made of oak or hickory to metal. In turn this extended the life of railcars and allowed them to transport heavier loads.
Full story: Houston Chronicle