My Brother Husband And Father Research Paper
Beloved Brother, Husband, And Father
John Diedrich Spreckels was born on August 16th, 1853 in Charleston, South Carolina to Claus Spreckels and Anna Christina Mangels. He was the oldest of five children. The family moved to New York and then to San Francisco where he grew up. He studied at Oakland College and then in Hanover, Germany, where he studied chemistry and mechanical engineering in the Polytechnic College until 1872. In 1876 he went to the Hawaiian Islands, where he worked for his father's sugar business, Spreckels Sugar Company. In October 1877, he married Lillie Siebein in Hoboken, New Jersey, and together they had four children: Grace, Lillie, John, and Claus. They first lived in the Kingdom of Hawaii and then in San Francisco.
In 1880, with $2 million in capital, he organized J. D. Spreckels and
Brothers, a company to establish a trade between the mainland United States and the Hawaiian Islands. The San Diego Electric Railway (SDERy) was a San Diego-based, light rail mass transit system founded by Spreckels in 1892. In 1919, Spreckels completed the San Diego and Arizona Railway, a short line American railroad, dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved. So in short he made the majority of his wealth in the short railroad business. He also acquired control of the Coronado Beach Company, the Hotel del Coronado and Coronado Tent City. Spreckels organized the Southern California Mountain Water Company, which in turn built the Morena and the Upper and Lower Otay Reservoir dams. He also continued his fathers sugar
Company. John created the Spreckels Theater, the first modern commercial playhouse west of the Mississippi. He also gave generously to fund to build the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Spreckels died in San Diego on June 7, 1926. His biographer, Austin Adams, called him "one of America's few great Empire Builders who invested millions to turn a struggling, bankrupt village into the beautiful and cosmopolitan city San Diego is today. John D. Spreckels was considered a Robber Baron because of his domination of the railroad business in the southwest and short rail in San Diego. As well as his huge involvement in water transportation.
Written by Head Reporter Karl Lannen
John Diedrich Spreckels was born on August 16th, 1853 in Charleston, South Carolina to Claus Spreckels and Anna Christina Mangels. He was the oldest of five children. The family moved to New York and then to San Francisco where he grew up. He studied at Oakland College and then in Hanover, Germany, where he studied chemistry and mechanical engineering in the Polytechnic College until 1872. In 1876 he went to the Hawaiian Islands, where he worked for his father's sugar business, Spreckels Sugar Company. In October 1877, he married Lillie Siebein in Hoboken, New Jersey, and together they had four children: Grace, Lillie, John, and Claus. They first lived in the Kingdom of Hawaii and then in San Francisco.
In 1880, with $2 million in capital, he organized J. D. Spreckels and
Brothers, a company to establish a trade between the mainland United States and the Hawaiian Islands. The San Diego Electric Railway (SDERy) was a San Diego-based, light rail mass transit system founded by Spreckels in 1892. In 1919, Spreckels completed the San Diego and Arizona Railway, a short line American railroad, dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved. So in short he made the majority of his wealth in the short railroad business. He also acquired control of the Coronado Beach Company, the Hotel del Coronado and Coronado Tent City. Spreckels organized the Southern California Mountain Water Company, which in turn built the Morena and the Upper and Lower Otay Reservoir dams. He also continued his fathers sugar
Company. John created the Spreckels Theater, the first modern commercial playhouse west of the Mississippi. He also gave generously to fund to build the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Spreckels died in San Diego on June 7, 1926. His biographer, Austin Adams, called him "one of America's few great Empire Builders who invested millions to turn a struggling, bankrupt village into the beautiful and cosmopolitan city San Diego is today. John D. Spreckels was considered a Robber Baron because of his domination of the railroad business in the southwest and short rail in San Diego. As well as his huge involvement in water transportation.
Written by Head Reporter Karl Lannen