Nevada pioneer, engineer, and surveyor John Thomas (J.T.) McWilliams was born in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, on December 10, 1863. In 1879, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, before settling in Chicago, Illinois in 1883. While in Chicago, McWilliams studied civil engineering at the University of Chicago, and in 1884 he began surveying for the Northern Pacific Railroad.
Hal G. Curtis was born July 09, 1926 in Galt City, California. He moved to Las Vegas, Nevada when he was four years old. He graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1942 and went into the United States military until 1950. Curtis worked on the Union Pacific Railroad in iron work for more than 25 years.