William T. Glidden
William Taylor Glidden was a ship captain, packet line co-owner and investor in railroads, including the U.S. transcontinental railroad. Life and career. Glidden was born in Newcastle, Maine. At the age of 14, he went to sea and by the time he was 21 was a captain. His trade routes were to China and Europe. He was a partner in the clipper ship firm Glidden & Williams along with John M. S. Williams. Glidden was an investor in the Union Pacific Railroad, as well as the associated construction company Crédit Mobilier. He eventually became a director of  the former and a trustee of the latter. He also was a director of the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad and the Wisconsin Central Railroad. In 1851, Glidden became a life member of the Boston Marine Society. The Society's purpose was to provide aid to other members, mostly ship captains, and their families in times of need.