He was the son of one wealthy man, Hiram C. Cable, and the nephew of
another, Philander Cable, yet Ransom R. Cable started his working life as a
railroad conductor on what would become the Rock Island and Peoria (RI&P)
Railroad. Although the line went only as far as Coal Valley at the time, it
was far enough - the iron in Ransom Cable's blood was already shaped like
rails. As the railroad prospered hauling the coal from nearby mines, Ransom
advanced in the company, soon becoming its general manager. When the mines
were depleted, Ransom extended the railroad lines to Mercer County and a new
coal town called, appropriately, Cable. He eventually purchased the RI&P.
And he invested in the larger Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific (CRI&P) as
well, ultimately becoming its president. Ransom's involvement extended to
other railroads, as well, notably the Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Northern
and other smaller Iowa roads.
Although his railroad interests required Ransom to travel throughout the
country, he still called Rock Island his home. When he died at age 75 at
his Chicago house during a trip there in 1909, his funeral was held from his
Rock Island home. That wood frame home at 918 Second Avenue is pictured on
today's postcard. It was built during the 1890s, perhaps replacing or
greatly expanding an earlier home at the same location. Our view is from
Second Avenue, looking slightly to the southeast. What appears to be a wide
front porch on the right is actually a side entrance; the main entrance is
from the smaller round porch near the center of the house.
The Cable house is distinguished because of its sheer size. It was nearly
double the volume of nearby homes - and they were not small. Its site was
nearly one quarter of the block with frontage on two streets. After Ransom'
s death, his second wife Jane moved to their Chicago home on North Sheridan
Road. Their son Hiram S., who had lived next door at 914 Second Avenue,
took over his father's house for a short time, then moved to a new Prairie
style home he had built at 19th Avenue and 15th Street in 1912.
By 1920, Ransom's house had been converted to Avalon Apartments, with 18
units - we said this was a big house! The apartment use continued until
1963, when 142 buildings, including this one, were razed for a new
expressway and something called "urban renewal." A very few houses were
saved during this demolition spree, Hiram's among them. It was moved to a
steep lot at 28th Street and 8 1/2 Avenue where it can be seen today.
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