William Henry Vanderbilt, ( ) . ( ) You can always change this later in your Account settings. William received bad publicity and clarified his response with a subsequent interview by the Chicago Times. In 1869, he was made vice-president of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, becoming its president in 1877. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Little by little, he purchased land until he had 125,000 acres. The public be damned! Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Death came very peacefully. William was a frail youth and did not appear to be the ambitious entrepreneur his father had been at the age of 19. Try again later. ). She spent millions of her husband's inheritance building a huge mansion on Fifth Avenue's millionaire row, one of the largest homes there at the time. Constructed by Stanford White, the chateau had been built to help safeguard the area from commercial invasion. William H. Vanderbilt DeadThe son of Cornelius Vanderbilt succumbs to typhoid fever. Sorry! But while their legacy is still recognizable today, with their names plastered on universities and cultural landmarks, for many, their fortune has been gone for some time now. Having gambled away most of his inheritance, Reginald was broke and in debt, leaving behind a widow and baby daughter who would have to live off of the interest payments of the young girl's $5 million trust fund until she was 21. Cornelius Vanderbilt, byname Commodore Vanderbilt, (born May 27, 1794, Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York, U.S.died January 4, 1877, New York, New York), American shipping and railroad magnate who acquired a personal fortune of more than $100 million. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. William Henry Vanderbilt III (November 24, 1901 - April 14, 1981) was was Governor of Rhode Island and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. ", "F. W. Vanderbilt Dies in Hyde Park Grandson of Founder of the Family Fortune 61 Years on New York Central Board Owner of Famous Yachts Gifts to Hospitals, Colleges and Other Institutions Totaled Millions", Vanderbilt rehab a study in family memories, "DR. W. SEWARD WEBB DEAD IN VERMONT; Retired New York Capitalist Succumbs at Shelburne in His 76th Year. He also left bequests to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the YMCA, and to several churches and hospitals. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Young Vanderbilt was stricken with typhoid fever, which it is thought he contracted while on a Easter tour through the Western States. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. In 1857 he convinced his father to make him receiver of the bankrupt Staten Island Railroad and a few years later startled his father by putting the line back on a sound financial footing. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. But. [citation needed]. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Please reset your password. He then went to St. Paul's school, Concord, N. H., where he took a great interest in rowing, being stroke of the school crew. The year was 1810, and the $100 (equivalent to a little over $2,100 today, per theOfficial Data Foundation)was spent on a boat that he used to start his own transport and freight business. However, various owners and mergers couldn't save it. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. 59th Governor of Rhode Island. Following William H's death in 1885, number 640 passed to various members of the family and was later rented by industrialist Henry Clay Frick. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. He was able to grow the business even bigger than it already was, and according to Real Estates in NY, William was able to double the Vanderbilt fortune from $100 million to $200 million before he retired in 1883. Search instead in Creative? Oops, we were unable to send the email. William Henry Vanderbilt was Governor of Rhode Island. George and William were educated abroad in Switzerland and England, but always returned home to Biltmore for holidays and summer vacations. The Vanderbilts, owners of a railroad empire brought to the top by ruthless patriarch Cornelius "the Commodore" Vanderbilt, were once the richest family on the planet. Permission to reproduce images (if available) must be obtained from the portrait owner. What they loved splurging on were assortments of grand mansions, townhouses, and estates. Resend Activation Email. 23 May 1892 (aged 21) Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA. McLane and Draper were almost beginning to hope, but it was soon evident that it was only a flicker of the candle, and all hope died with the last hemorrhage. According to ThoughtCo, the Vanderbilts, particularly the Commodore, grew their wealth during an era where business regulation was practically nonexistent. With expenses like that, it's no wonder the Vanderbilts would soon find their fortune dwindling. Farther up the avenue, William's eldest son, Cornelius II with his wife and family occupied a 153 room mansion occupying the entire block between 57th and 58th Streets where Bergdorf Goodman and Van Cleef and Arpels are located today.These Vanderbilts were the new social stars. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Cornelius at the end of his life knew that by turning the organization over to William, it would be managed the same way he would have managed it. "It was really fascinating to start to think of them as human beings and not just historical characters or people I'd read about," he said (via Town & Country Magazine). William H's daughter, Emily Vanderbilt Sloane, sold . Cornelius learned his business acumen from his mother, who taught him how to save and invest. Gloria made a name for herself and became a theater actress. His occupations were occupation, occupation, occupation, occupation and occupation. ANDERBILT, Cornelius VANDERBILT, Gertrude RYKER, Reginald Claypoole VANDERBILT, William Henry VANDERBILT, Alfred Gwynne VANDERBILT, Glady "of Uuruguay. By supporting NNI you help increase awareness of the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland and its legacy in America. William Henry Vanderbilt was the oldest son of Cornelius Vanderbilt [1794-1877], the American entrepreneur of both shipping and rail transportation during the 19th century. Weve updated the security on the site. By the time of his death, only two of the Commodore's sons were alive, and only the elder, William "Billy" Vanderbilt, had the skills to handle the family business and fortune. From St. Paul's he went to Yale in 1889, becoming a member of the class of 93. They do not pay. Connect to 890 Vanderbilt profiles on Geni, Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91806842/william-henry-vanderbilt, Cornelius VANDERBILT II, Alice Claypoole VANDERBILT. This is a carousel with slides. New York Times May 24, 1892* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jun 21 2020, 1:25:50 UTC. As a child, he spent time with his father, who worked as a farmer and cargo boat operator in New York. William Henry Vanderbilt (1821 - 1885) Net Worth: $239 billion How He Made His Money: Inheritance, railroads. Billy shared his portion with his children and, on his death in 1885, proved ol' Commodore right when he split the bulk of the inheritance between his two oldest sonsCornelius II and William. However, before his death William had nearly doubled the Vanderbilt family fortune. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. A collector's 16th-, 17th- & 18th-century maps of northeast America. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91806842/william-henry-vanderbilt. [citation needed], This article is about the railroad magnate. The New York and Harlem Railroad and the Hudson River Railroad were merged with the Long Island Railroad and the Central Railroad and formed the beginning of the New York Central System. When he died, he was the richest man in the world. He inherited nearly $100 million from his father. His oldest brother had died young, and his second eldest, CorneliusVanderbilt III, had been disinherited after getting married without his parents' approval. In that interview he was quoted saying: "Railroads are not run for the public benefit, but to pay. Finally, the youngest, George W. Vanderbilt, who contributed very little to the Vanderbilts' investments and enterprises, would make large donations to Columbia University, the American Fine Arts Society, and the New York Public Library. By the late 20th century, barely 100 years after the Commodore had become the richest man in America and his son the richest man in the world, the Vanderbilt family fortune had dwindled into insignificance. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. William Henry Vanderbilt was the fourth child and first son of Cornelius Vanderbilt's 13 children. As written by Arthur T. Vanderbilt II inFortune's Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt, despite the Commodore's great success as a businessman and investor, the man was notoriously harsh and rarely trusted his family with his business and money. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In September 2021, Cooper released a book he co-authored with Katherine Howe titled "Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty," where he revealed intimate stories and his thoughts on his ancestors. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. To use this feature, use a newer browser. To pay Vanderbilt back, Grant mortgaged his Civil War memorabilia, including his sword. Florida, in 1904, breaking the one-mile record previously held by Henry Ford. He greatly expanded the New York Central network and acquired the Chicago and North Western; the Nickel Plate (New York, Chicago, & St. Louis); Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis; and other railroads. He was the son of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt and Ellen Elsi William Kissam Vanderbilt took over but retired soon after to concentrate on his yachts and thoroughbred horses, while brother George Vanderbilt's 146,000 acre Biltmore estate ate into his. George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil was born in Biltmore House in 1925. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. William Henry 'Billy' Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 - December 8, 1885) was an American businessman and philanthropist. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. "The Vanderbilts, when I was a kid, seemed kind of like lay-abouts. Add to your scrapbook. Ownership of New York Central came with publicity and conflicts that Billy hated.