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Mark HopkinAmerican entrepreneur
Date of Birth: 01.09.1813
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Biography of Mark Hopkins
- Gold Rush and Central Pacific Railroad
- Abolitionist and Later Life
- Mark Hopkins' body was buried in the Sacramento Cemetery, California.
Biography of Mark Hopkins
Early Life and CareerMark Hopkins was an American entrepreneur and one of the four main investors of the Central Pacific Railroad. He was born in Henderson, Jefferson County, New York, and lost his father at a young age. After his father's death, Hopkins left school and took up work as a clerk. In 1837, he began studying law with his brother Henry, but eventually became more interested in entrepreneurial activities. Hopkins was a partner in the company "Hopkins and Hughes" and worked as an accountant and manager at "James Rowland and Company".
Gold Rush and Central Pacific Railroad
During the Gold Rush, Hopkins organized the "New England Mining and Trading Company" and led a group of 26 people to California. Unfortunately, his attempt at running a store in Placerville, California was not successful. In 1850, Hopkins opened a store in Sacramento, where he worked with his friend Edward Miller, who would later become the secretary of the Central Pacific Railroad. Hopkins married his cousin Mary Frances Sherwood in September 1854.
In 1855, Hopkins and Collis P. Huntington founded the company "Huntington Hopkins and Company", which supplied steel and various machinery. In 1861, Hopkins, Huntington, Charles Crocker, and Leland Stanford established the Central Pacific Railroad. Among the four founders, Hopkins was the oldest and the most frugal, earning him the position of the company's chief treasurer. Legends circulated about Hopkins' frugality, claiming he could "squeeze 106 cents out of a dollar". In the company, Hopkins played an extremely important role, and as Huntington later admitted, no decision could be made without Hopkins' approval. His expertise and business acumen greatly benefited the company, and he rarely made mistakes.
Abolitionist and Later Life
Hopkins was known as a prominent figure, a staunch abolitionist, and one of the founders of the Republican Party in California. Despite his reputation for frugality, Hopkins built a substantial mansion in San Francisco, thanks to the persuasion of his wife. Other founders of the Central Pacific Railroad also had estates nearby. Construction of Hopkins' mansion began in 1875 under the renowned architect William Wallace Barbour Sheldon.
Unfortunately, Hopkins did not have the opportunity to fully enjoy his new estate as his health deteriorated by 1875. In 1878, while traveling on a business train near Yuma, Arizona, Mark Hopkins passed away at the age of 64. At the time of his death, the construction of his mansion had not yet been completed. Later, the architects managed to finish the project, but in 1906, an earthquake destroyed their work. In 1926, an hotel named after Mark Hopkins was built on the site where his mansion once stood.
