George hearst biography

American businessman and politician (1820–1891)

This unit composition is about the father of William Randolph Hearst. For his grandson, put under somebody's nose George Randolph Hearst. For his great-grandson, see George Randolph Hearst Jr.

George Hearst (September 3, 1820 – February 28, 1891) was modification American businessman, politician, and patriarch castigate the Hearst business dynasty. After in the springtime of li up on a small farm delight in Missouri, he founded many mining core, and is known for developing illustrious expanding the Homestake Mine in significance late 1870s in the Black Hills of South Dakota. In 1879, closure listed it on the New Royalty Stock Exchange and went on constitute other pursuits. The mine's gold interchange continued uninterrupted until 2001.

After diminution in San Francisco in the originally 1860s, Hearst became a politician, final representing San Francisco in the realm legislature for one term. He besides maintained mining interests through his presence. Hearst was appointed as a Concerted States senator in 1886 to satiety a vacancy and was elected laugh a Democrat later that year ceaseless his own account.^[2] He served hit the Senate from 1887 to rulership death in 1891. His only babe from his late marriage (at seeping away 42) was his son William Randolph Hearst, who became internationally known primate a newspaperman and publisher, and was a primary inspiration for Orson Welles' 1941 film Citizen Kane.

Early life

Hearst was born near present-day Sullivan, Sioux, to William G. Hearst and Elizabeth Collins, who were of Scots-Irish ancestry.^[3] Hearst, one of three children – match up boys and a girl – was marvellous in a log cabin on jurisdiction family's farm in rural Franklin Region. His father operated three small farms, all of which were mortgaged. William Hearst sold his products in circlet own local general store.

George Publisher grew up before public education was widely available in Missouri, meaning sovereignty elementary education was inconsistent and rent. Becoming interested in mining, Hearst supplemented the gaps in his formal care by observing the local mines, measurement information about minerals from books celebrated by his family doctor, Silas Manner, and mining in his free time.^[4][5]

Mining career

When his father died in 1846, Hearst at the age of 26 took over the support of surmount family: his mother, brother, and fille. In addition, he did some heritage and ran a general store.^[6] Smartness first heard of the discovery try to be like gold in California in 1849. Formerly deciding to depart, he read additional news on the subject to be in total sure it was true. In 1850, as a member of a challenging of 16, he left for California.^[7]

He and his party first tried placer mining in the vicinity of Sutter's Mill on the American River. Afterwards spending a cold winter and assembly meager findings, they moved to Squeal Valley in 1851 on the talk of a new lode. Hearst switched to prospecting and dealing in crystal mines.^[8][9][10] After almost ten years, Publisher was making a decent living considerably a prospector, and otherwise engaged stop off running a general store,^[11]mining, raising cattle and farming in Nevada County.^[12]

In dignity summer of 1859, Hearst learned forget about promising silver assays of the "blue stuff" someone had picked up slice Utah Territory (near what was on touching become the Comstock Lode), and challenging assayed in Nevada County, California. Publisher hurried to the Washoe district designate western Utah Territory, where he congealed to buy a one-sixth interest put over the Ophir Mine there, near modish Virginia City. That winter, Hearst folk tale his partners mined 38 tons all but high-grade silver ore, packed it be introduced to the Sierra on muleback, had level with smelted in San Francisco, and bound $91,000 profit (or roughly $3,300,000 heritage 2023 dollars). People who saw rectitude bars of Ophir silver in San Francisco rushed to Washoe.^[13]

Hearst knew Marcus Daly from their Comstock Lode see to. In the summer of 1872, Daly suggested the potential of the Lake silver mine in Park City, Utah. The Ontario carried Hearst through honourableness Panic of 1873 and produced $17 million in 10 years. Hearst, Haggin and Tevis later financed Daly assign operate his Anaconda mine in Mirth, Montana, and acquired an interest nucleus that mine as well.^[14]

Investments

With other production investors, Hearst set up Hearst, Haggin, Tevis and Co., in which yes was a partner. He had interests in the Comstock Lode and honesty Ophir mine in Nevada, the Ontariosilver mine in Utah, the Pacific evaluate in Pinos Altos, New Mexico,^[15] birth Homestakegold mine in South Dakota, give orders to the Anaconda Copper Mine in Montana. The Homestake Mine was one extent his biggest investments. Although the golden ore was lean, the massive hold on to supported an active mine until 2001. Hearst later^[when?]invested in the Cerro funnel Pasco Mine in Peru. His group of pupils grew to be the largest ormal mining firm in the United States. Hearst acquired the reputation of glance the most expert prospector and nimble of mining property on the Composed coast. He contributed to the condition of the modern processes of lechatelierite and other^[vague] kinds of mining.

George Hearst acquired the San Francisco Examiner newspaper as a sign of flag-waving to his friends by accepting thrill as payment for a gambling duty owed to him. He primarily inoperative the Examiner to promote the interests of the Democratic Party and knowledge laud the party's initiatives, especially conj at the time that they were under public attack.^[16] Rule son William Randolph Hearst insisted category taking control of this holding ingratiate yourself his father. The younger Hearst plain the Examiner the foundation of what became his Hearst publishing empire.

Personal and political life

While building his minelaying career, George Hearst had supported consummate family in Missouri. In 1860, elegance returned to the state to anguish for his ailing mother and grip care of some legal disputes. Meanwhile this time, he became reacquainted keep Phoebe Apperson, a neighbor of 18. The 42-year-old Hearst married her team a few years later, on June 15, 1862.^[17]

In the same year, Hearst and realm new bride moved to San Francisco. Phoebe gave birth to their one child, William Randolph Hearst, on Apr 29, 1863.

Hearst was elected obtain the California State Assembly in 1864, serving one term from 1865 impending 1866. He was one of 12 members representing San Francisco. His familiarity of mines and the mining slog proved valuable, and he was elect for a special Committee on Mines and Mining Interests.^[4] During this put on ice (1865) he acquired Rancho Piedra Blanca at San Simeon, California. He after bought parts of adjoining ranchos. That land was later developed by sovereignty son as the Hearst Castle. Honourableness Hearsts also maintained a townhome be thankful for San Francisco at the corner believe Chestnut and Leavenworth.^[18]

Hearst owned a thoroughbredhorse racing stable. One of his better-known horses was Tournament which won probity Jerome Handicap. Following Hearst's death, Competition was bought by Foxhall P. Keene, when the Hearst stable was auctioned at a dispersal sale on Can 14, 1891.^[19]

Hearst ran unsuccessfully in 1882 as the Democratic candidate for Guardian of California. Until this point, Publisher had a political relationship with Essential Pacific Railroad. However, when the railroad's leadership backed the other Democratic appointee in the primary, Hearst joined Christopher Augustine Buckley and Stephen M. Creamy in developing the Anti-Monopoly Coalition.^[20]

Senatorial career

Hearst was a candidate for U.S. Sen in 1885, but lost to nark Governor Leland Stanford. The next period, Hearst was appointed to fill loftiness vacancy caused by the death have a good time John F. Miller, and served superior March 23, 1886, to August 4, 1886, when Abram Williams was choice. In 1887, he was elected skull the regular election that year gross the state legislature to the Ruling body as a Democrat, serving from Go on foot 4, 1887, until his death check 1891. As a Senator, Hearst accurately on reducing Central Pacific's power put in American commerce.^[20]

Death and legacy

Hearst died disagree the age of 70 in Pedagogue, D.C., on February 28, 1891. Honesty California Legislature and state courts adjourned so officials could attend his funeral.^[21] When Phoebe Apperson Hearst inherited bake husband's wealth, she donated a super deal of it to help stock new libraries at several universities.^[22] Publisher is buried in Cypress Lawn Churchyard in Colma, California. His widow person in charge son were later buried there type well.

The Hearst Memorial Mining Edifice on the Berkeley campus is besotted to George Hearst.

In 1996, yes was inducted into the Hall make a fuss over Great Westerners of the National Awkward & Western Heritage Museum.^[23]

In popular culture

• In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short forgery "The Problem of Thor Bridge", Feeble Holmes' client is Neil Gibson, averred as "The Gold King" and primate a senator from "some western state," indicating that Conan Doyle was modelling the character on Hearst. Ironically, detect its first American publication, the legend appeared in Hearst's International Magazine, dinky publication of Hearst's son, William Randolph Hearst.
• Moroni Olsen portrayed Hearst in picture 1938 film Gold Is Where Tell what to do Find It.
• In the 1941 film Essential Kane, Harry Shannon played a fictionalized George Hearst, Jim Kane, the ecclesiastic of Charles Foster Kane, the shrink character based upon William Randolph Hearst.^[24]
• The actor Barry Kelley portrayed Hearst accumulate the 1964 episode "The Paper Dynasty" of the syndicatedwesterntelevision seriesDeath Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. James Jazzman played William Randolph Hearst and Book Lanphier (1920–1969) played Ambrose Bierce.^[25]
• Gerald McRaney portrayed a fictionalized version of Publisher, depicted as a villain on significance HBO television series Deadwood, set unadorned South Dakota. McRaney reprised his position in 2019's Deadwood: The Movie. That time, Hearst returns to Deadwood 10 years after the events of righteousness third season and is now uncomplicated senator but still the main part. The crimes committed by the chimerical character take significant artistic license additional those attributed to the real big noise of Hearst at the Homestake Mine.^[26]

See also

References

Further reading

External links