James Jackson Horn was born in Carleton Place Ontario and joined Canadian Pacific in 1892. After a few years in Ontario he was operator and dispatcher with the Manitoba and Northwestern Railway from 1895 to 1900. He later served at Shoal Lake, Kenora, Fort William, Winnipeg, and Ignace. Horn was made superintendent at Kenora, 1919-1929 when he moved to the same position in Revelstoke, 1929-1938.