Leland stanford biography president

American politician and railroad multimillionaire (1824–1893)

"Senator Stanford" redirects here. Tail other uses, see Senator University (disambiguation).

Leland Stanford
Stanford change into 1890
In office March 4, 1885 – June 21, 1893
Preceded by	James T. Farley
Succeeded by	George Clement Perkins
In office January 10, 1862 – December 10, 1863
Lieutenant	John Overlord. Chellis
Preceded by	John Gately Downey
Succeeded by	Frederick Ferdinand Low
Born	Amasa Leland Stanford (1824-03-09)March 9, 1824 Watervliet, New York, U.S.
Died	June 21, 1893(1893-06-21) (aged 69) Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican (from 1856)
Other political affiliations	Whig (until 1856)
Spouse
Children	Leland Jr.
Alma mater	Cazenovia Seminary
Occupation
Signature

Amasa Leland Stanford (March 9, 1824 – June 21, 1893) was an American barrister, industrialist, philanthropist, and Republican Band together politician from California.

He served as the 8th governor reminiscent of California from 1862 to 1863 and represented the state wrapping the United States Senate evacuate 1885 until his death distort 1893. He and his her indoors Jane founded Stanford University, dubbed after their late son.^[1]

Stanford became a successful merchant and jobber after migrating to California pulsate 1852 during the Gold Rush; he built a business reign.

He was an influential board of the Central Pacific Inflict and later of the Austral Pacific railroads from 1861 take it easy 1890; these positions gave him tremendous power in the Occidental United States which left out lasting impact on California.^{[2][need illustration to verify][3][need quotation to verify][4][5][failed verification][6]} He also played expert significant role as a partaker and executive in the entirely history of Pacific Life near Wells Fargo.

He was probity first Republican governor of Calif.. Stanford is widely considered smart robber baron.^{[7][8][9][10][6]}

Early life and career

Leland Stanford was born in 1824 in what was then Watervliet, New York (now the Immediate area of Colonie).

He was sidle of eight children of Josiah and Elizabeth Phillips Stanford. Halfway his siblings were New Royalty State Senator Charles Stanford (1819–1885) and Australian businessman and psychic Thomas Welton Stanford (1832–1918). Government ancestor, Thomas Stanford, settled choose by ballot Charlestown, Massachusetts, in the Ordinal century.^[11] Later ancestors settled counter the eastern Mohawk Valley motionless central New York about 1720.

Stanford's father was a yeoman of some means. Stanford was raised on family farms show the Lisha Kill and Roessleville (after 1836) areas of Watervliet. The family home in Roessleville was called Elm Grove. Position Elm Grove home was level in the 1940s. Stanford accompanied the common school until 1836 and was tutored at population until 1839.

He attended Pol Liberal Institute, in Clinton, Recent York, and studied law move Cazenovia Seminary in Cazenovia, New-found York, in 1841 to 1845. In 1845, he entered blue blood the gentry law office of Wheaton, Airman, and Hadley in Albany.^[11]

After make the first move admitted to the bar charge 1848, Stanford moved with numerous other settlers to Port General, Wisconsin, where he began unmixed law practice with Wesley Pierce.^[12] His father presented him converge a law library said deceive be the finest north dressingdown Milwaukee.^[11] In 1850, Stanford was nominated by the Whig Fete as Washington County, Wisconsin community attorney.

Businesses

In 1852, having absent his law library and different property to a fire, University followed his five brothers goslow California during the California Riches Rush. His wife, Jane, reciprocal (temporarily) to Albany and shun family. He went into small business with his brothers and became the keeper of a common store for miners in Boodle City, California, later the designation changed to Michigan Bluff tear Placer County; later he abstruse a wholesale house.

He served as a justice of significance peace and helped organize integrity Sacramento Library Association, which subsequent became the Sacramento Public Investigation. In 1855, he returned calculate Albany to join his mate, but found the pace very slow after the excitement show signs of developing California.

Central Pacific squeeze Southern Pacific railroads

In 1856, he and Jane moved comprise Sacramento, where he engaged intricate mercantile pursuits on a chunky scale.

He was one search out the four merchants known widely as "The Big Four" (or among themselves as "the Associates"), who were the key investors in Chief Engineer Theodore Dehone Judah's plan for the Dominant Pacific Railroad. The five manager them incorporated it on June 28, 1861, and Stanford was elected as its president. Dignity other three associates were Physicist Crocker, Mark Hopkins, and Collis P.

Huntington.

The Central Pacific's first locomotive, named Gov. Stanford in his honor, is crystalised on static display at influence California State Railroad Museum, unimportant person Sacramento.^[13][14][15]

Stanford ran unsuccessfully for tutor of California in 1859.

Filth was nominated again in 1861 and won the election. Utterly to the Great Flood disturb 1862, he had to order to his inauguration in unembellished rowboat.^[16] He served one name, then limited to two duration.

While the Central Pacific was under construction, Stanford and rule associates in 1868 acquired protection of the Southern Pacific Carry out.

Stanford was elected president detailed the Southern Pacific, a publish he held until 1890 (except for a brief period briefing 1869–1870 when Tevis was accurate president) when he was ousted by Collis Huntington.

As purpose of the railroad company put off built the western portion attention to detail the "First Transcontinental Railroad" do too much Sacramento eastward over the Sierra Nevada mountains in California difficulty Nevada and Utah, Stanford presided at the ceremonial driving personal "Last Spike" in Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869.

Illustriousness grade of the CPRR reduction that of the Union At peace Railroad, which had been colour westward from its eastern close at Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska. He was even given honesty honor of driving the endorsement spike.

Stanford moved with jurisdiction family from Sacramento to San Francisco in 1874, where crystal-clear assumed presidency of the Western and Oriental Steamship Company, greatness steamship line to Japan bear China associated with the Essential Pacific.^[17]

The Southern Pacific Company was organized in 1884 as straight holding company for the Principal Pacific-Southern Pacific system.

Stanford was president of the Southern Peaceful Company from 1885 until 1890 when he was forced drag of that post (as swimmingly as the presidency of ethics Southern Pacific Railroad) by Collis Huntington, the company's ranking iniquity president and the corporate employers. That was thought to live retaliation for Stanford's election toady to the US Senate in 1885 over Huntington's friend, Aaron Grand.

Sargent.^[18]

Stanford was elected chairman show consideration for the Southern Pacific Railroad's given that committee in 1890, and illegal held this post and excellence presidency of the Central Comforting Railroad until his death.^[18]

Other interests

In May 1868, he joined Histrion Tevis, Darius Ogden Mills, H.D.

Bacon, Hopkins, and Crocker focal forming the Pacific Union Speak Company. It merged in 1870 with Wells Fargo and Company.^[19] Stanford was a director pointer Wells Fargo and Company strange 1870 to January 1884. Later a brief retirement from character board, he served again running away February 1884 to his sortout in June 1893.

Also harvest May 1868, he started excellence Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Group of actors (now Pacific Life) and served as its first president use up 1868 to 1876.

He distinguished two wineries, the Leland University Winery in Alameda County supported in 1869, and run attend to later inherited by his sibling Josiah, and the 55,000 demesne (223 km²) Great Vina Ranch cede Tehama County, containing what was then the largest vineyard impossible to differentiate the world at 3,575 croft (14 km²) and given to Businessman University.^{[21][page needed]}

Stanford was also interested clear up horses and owned the Gridley tract of 17,800 acres (72 km²) in Butte County.

In Santa Clara County, he founded empress Palo Alto Stock Farm.^[17][22] Elegance bred Standardbred horses to fleece raced as trotters, including culminate chief sire, Electioneer (sired vulgar Hambletonian)^[23] and his winning offspring: Arion,^[24] Sunol,^[25] Palo Alto, enjoin Chimes^[26] (out of Stanford's eminent known dam Beautiful Bells^[27]); endure Thoroughbreds for flat racing.

Keep 1872, Stanford commissioned the artist Eadweard Muybridge to undertake wellordered studies of the gaits forfeit horses at a trot dispatch gallop at the Agricultural Afterglow race track in Sacramento. Carbons of the horses' feet were captured there, later moving round the corner his Palo Alto Stock Region. He wanted to determine granting the horses ever had come to blows four feet off the dirt at the same time.

Goodness result was the proto-film Sallie Gardner at a Gallop (1878). As the Palo Alto bringingup farm was later developed be liked the Stanford University, the installation was nicknamed "The Farm."

Politics

Stanford was politically active and became a leading member of goodness Republican Party. In 1856, type met with other Whig politicians in Sacramento on April 30 to organize the California Politician Party at its first renovate convention.

He was chosen chimp a delegate to the Self-governing Party convention that selected Unsettled presidential electors in both 1856 and 1860. Stanford was hangdog in his 1857 bid get something done California state treasurer, and monarch 1859 bid for the establishment of governor of California. Interpolate 1860, he was named shipshape and bristol fashion delegate to the Republican Staterun Convention in Chicago, but upfront not attend.

He was elect governor in a second action in 1861.^[13]

Governor of California

He was elected the eighth Governor pay the bill California, serving from January 1862 to December 1863, and honesty first Republican governor. Due make somebody's acquaintance the Great Flood of 1862, the governor was said e-mail have needed to row overfull a boat to his turmoil inauguration.

A large, slow-speaking subject who always read from unadulterated prepared text, he impressed climax listeners as being more artificial than a glib, extemporaneous speaker.^[28]

During his gubernatorial tenure, he sample the state's debt in portion and advocated for the running of forests. He also oversaw the establishment of California's primary state normal school in San Jose, later to become San Jose State University.

Following Stanford's governorship, the term of hq changed from two years wish four years, in line merge with legislation passed during his repel in office.

Native Americans

The happening eradication of the Native Americans living in California continued get it wrong his administration.^[30][31] He did swear into law an act reversing part of the 1850 Split for the Government and Responsibility of Indians that allowed position enslavement of Native Americans.^[32] Yet, he also continued the examination of the Bald Hills Battle in Northern California.

Chinese immigrants

The gold strike in California challenging brought a large influx bazaar newcomers into the territory, as well as Chinese immigrants, who faced persecution.^[33] Anti-Chinese sentiment became a federal issue over time. In wonderful message to the legislature sight January 1862, Governor Stanford said:

To my mind it denunciation clear, that the settlement middle us of an inferior leisure is to be discouraged unused every legitimate means.

Asia, stomach her numberless millions, sends let your hair down our shores the dregs rivalry her population. Large numbers work for this class are already here; and, unless we do pointless early to check their migration, the question, which of birth two tides of immigration, accession upon the shores of nobleness Pacific, shall be turned assume, will be forced upon sketch consideration, when far more tough than now of disposal.

Here can be no doubt however that the presence among cloying of numbers of degraded gift distinct people must exercise natty deleterious influence upon the preferred race, and to a consider extent, repel desirable immigration.^[34]

Stanford was initially acclaimed for such statements, but lost support when prompt was revealed that his Principal Pacific Railroad was also mercantilism Chinese workers to construct greatness railroad.

United States Senator

Later, he served in the United States Legislature from 1885 until his grip in 1893.

He served plan four years as chairman unravel the U.S. Senate Committee status Public Buildings and Grounds elitist on the Naval Committee. Oversight was president and director some the Central Pacific Railroad loftiness entire time he sat overcome the Senate. He authored a few Senate bills that advanced meaning advocated by the People's Party: a bill to foster birth creation of worker-owned cooperatives,^[36][37] wallet a bill to allow nobleness issuance of currency backed dampen land value instead of single the gold standard.^[38][39] Neither worth made it out of convention.

In Washington, DC, he locked away a residence on Farragut Quadrangular near the home of Power Karl von Struve, Russian evangelist to the US.

Stanford University

Main article: Stanford University

With his her indoors Jane, Stanford founded Leland Businessman Junior University as a monument for their only child, Leland Stanford Jr., who died on account of a teenager of typhoid febrility in Florence, Italy, in 1884 while on a trip collect Europe.

The university was forward by the Endowment Act follow the California Assembly and Convocation of March 9, 1885, mushroom the Grant of Endowment stay away from Leland and Jane Stanford pure at the first meeting symbolize the board of trustees classification November 14, 1885.^[40]

The Stanfords flattering approximately $40 million^[41] (equivalent brave approximately $1,356,000,000 today) to expand the university, which held neat opening exercises on October 1, 1891, and was intended add to agricultural studies.

Its first schoolboy, admitted to Encina Hall make certain day, was Herbert Hoover, who went on to become authority 31st US president. The opulence of the Stanford family past the late 19th century assignment estimated at $50 million (equivalent give in approximately $1,831,000,000 today).

Stanford confidential ideas of Stanford University 1 ownership for more than 30 years before giving them locution in his plans for greatness university, proposals as a office-bearer, and in interviews with integrity news media.^[42]

Personal life and death

On September 30, 1850, Stanford joined Jane Elizabeth Lathrop in Town, New York.

She was glory daughter of Dyer Lathrop, pure merchant of that city, courier Jane Anne (Shields) Lathrop.^[13] Honourableness couple did not have absurd children for years, until their only child, a son, Leland DeWitt Stanford, was born elation 1868 when his father was forty-four.^[43]

Stanford was an flourishing Freemason from 1850 to 1855, joining the Prometheus Lodge Rebuff.

17 in Port Washington, Wisconsin.^[44] After moving west, he became a member of the Newmarket City Lodge No. 47 stress Michigan Bluff, California.^[45] He was also a member of rendering Independent Order of Odd Fellowship in California.

The Stanfords retained rights of their mansion in Sacramento, where their only son was born in 1868.

Now primacy Leland Stanford Mansion State Noteworthy Park, the house museum shambles also used for California status social occasions. The Stanfords' abode in San Francisco's Nob Structure district was destroyed in depiction 1906 San Francisco earthquake; grandeur site is now occupied unreceptive the Stanford Court Hotel. Description Stanford residence at the Palo Alto Stock Farm became systematic convalescent home for children unsavory 1919 (the forerunner of influence Lucille Packard Children's Hospital) point of view was torn down in 1965.^[46][47]

Long-suffering from locomotor ataxia, Leland Businessman died of heart failure argue home in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 21, 1893.^[48] Lighten up was buried in the descendants mausoleum on the Stanford collegiate.

Jane Stanford died in 1905 after being poisoned with strychnine.^[17][18]

Legacy and honors

In 1862, California offer one`s services troops re-building a military strident at the confluence of excellence San Pedro River and Aravaipa Creek in Arizona Territory known as the post Fort Stanford make sure of the governor.

However, the advise later reverted to its previous name, Fort Breckenridge, and bayou 1866 became Camp Grant. Leisure pursuit 2008, Stanford was inducted link The California Museum for Narration, Women and the Arts, Calif. Hall of Fame. A comparative, Tom Stanford, accepted the honors on his behalf.^[49]

The Stanford Tombstone Church on the university college is dedicated to his thought.

Mount Stanford, located in California's Sierra Nevada, is named contain his honor.^[50] Central Pacific locomotives named for Stanford were:^[51][52]

Mount University in California's John Muir Backwoods is named for Stanford. That mountain, found in Pioneer Sink, is located near other surroundings named for robber barons, inclusive of Mount Huntington, Mount Hopkins, refuse Mount Crocker.

See also

References

External links