James Lick
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James Lick | |
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Born | Stumpstown (Fredericksburg) Pennsylvania, US | August 25, 1796
Died | October 1, 1876 San Francisco, California, US | (aged 80)
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James Lick (August 25, 1796 – October 1, 1876) was an American real estate investor, carpenter, piano builder, land baron, and patron of the sciences. The wealthiest man in California at the time of his death, Lick left the majority of his estate to social and scientific causes.[1]
Early years
James Lick was born in Stumpstown (Fredericksburg) Pennsylvania on August 25, 1796.[2] Lick's paternal grandfather, William Lick, served during the American Revolutionary War under General George Washington; his son, John Henry Lick, served during the American Civil War.
The son of a
South American years
Lick found his time in Buenos Aires to be difficult, because of his ignorance of Spanish and the turbulent political situation in the country. Despite this, his business thrived, and in 1825 Lick left Argentina to tour Europe for a year. On his return trip, his ship was captured by the Portuguese, and the passengers and crew were taken to Montevideo as prisoners of war. Lick escaped captivity and returned to Buenos Aires on foot.
In 1832, Lick returned to Stumpstown. He failed to reunite with Barbara Snavely and their son, and returned to Buenos Aires. He decided the political situation was too unstable and moved to Valparaíso, Chile. After four years, he again moved his business, this time to Lima, Peru.
In 1846, Lick returned to North America. Anticipating the Mexican–American War and the future annexation of California, he decided to settle there. A backlog of orders for his pianos delayed him 18 months, as his Mexican workers returned to their homes to join the Mexican Army. He finished the orders himself.
California years
Lick arrived in
Upon his arrival, Lick began buying
In 1861, Lick began construction of a
Following the construction, Lick returned to his San Jose orchards. In 1874, Lick suffered a massive
In the next three years, Lick spent his time determining how to dispense his fortune. He originally wanted to build giant statues of himself and his parents, and erect a pyramid larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza in his own honor in downtown San Francisco. Through the efforts of George Davidson, president of the California Academy of Sciences, Lick was persuaded to leave the greatest portion of his fortune to the establishment of a mountaintop observatory, with the largest, most powerful telescope yet built.[10]
In 1874, he placed $3,000,000 ($65,200,000 relative value in 2017) at the disposal of seven trustees, by whom the funds were to be applied to specific uses. He replaced the board in 1875 with Faxon Atherton, John Nightingale, Bernard D. Murphy and his son, John H. Lick.[11]
The principal divisions of the funds were:[12]
- $700,000 to the University of California for the construction of an observatory and the installation of a telescope more powerful than any other
- $150,000 for the building and maintenance of free public James Lick Baths in San Francisco
- $540,000 to found and endow an institution of San Francisco to be known as the California School of Mechanic Arts
- $100,000 for the erection of three appropriate groups of bronze statuary to represent three periods in Californian history and to be placed before the city hall of San Francisco
- $60,000 to erect in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, a memorial to Francis Scott Key, author of “The Star-Spangled Banner”
Lick had had an interest in astronomy since at least 1860, when he and
On October 1, 1876, Lick died in his room in Lick House, San Francisco.
Legacy
- Lick's will stipulated that all of his fortune should be used for the public good, including $700,000 for the building of the observatory.
- In 1888, Lick Observatory was completed and given to the University of California as the Lick Astronomical Department. The Observatory was the first permanently staffed mountain top observatory in the world and housed the largest refracting telescope in the world at that time.
- In 1887 Lick's body was buried under the future site of the telescope, with a brass tablet bearing the inscription "Here lies the body of James Lick." His will stipulates that fresh flowers be on his grave – always.
- James Lick Mansion in Santa Clara is a nationally registered historical landmark, and is leased at very low rates to non-profit organizations. As of 2003[update] the mansion was occupied by the S.A.F.E. Place.
- In 1884, the Lick Old Ladies' Home, later renamed the University Mound Ladies Home, was established in San Francisco with a grant from the Lick estate.
- The Conservatory of Flowers and the statue of Francis Scott Key in Golden Gate Park were donated to San Francisco by Lick.
- The Pioneer Monument in front of San Francisco's City Hall was donated to the city by Lick.
- James Lick Freeway, all in San Francisco, are named in his honor.
- The Almaden Valley, which were abandoned in the early 1980s.
- The crater Lick on the Moon and the asteroid 1951 Lick are named after him.
- Lickdale, Pennsylvania, a village approximately 3 miles west of Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania (formerly Stumpstown), was named for James Lick. Lickdale was a prominent 19th century canal port along a branch of the Union Canal and contained a large commercial ice house.
- A large monument to James Lick was erected by the local citizens in the community cemetery in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania.
- Lick is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of lizard, Sceloporus licki, which is endemic to Baja California Sur.[14][15]
References
- ^ "James Lick: Filthy Bum Turns Filthy Rich - FoundSF". www.foundsf.org. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Johnson, Rossiter; Brown, John Howard, eds. (1904). The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. VI. Boston: The Biographical Society. Retrieved May 5, 2022 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "James Lick: Filthy Bum Turns Filthy Rich - FoundSF". www.foundsf.org. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ "The Ghirardelli Story – A Rich Heritage". Ghirardelli Chocolate. Archived from the original on January 20, 2009. Retrieved September 9, 2008.
- ^
- ^ https://archive.org/stream/sanfranciscodire1861lang/sanfranciscodire1861lang_djvu.txt
- ^ https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/23416/
- ^ https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/14122/
- ^ "James Lick's Estate". The New York Times, p. 4, November 28, 1874
- ^ "James Lick: Filthy Bum Turns Filthy Rich - FoundSF". www.foundsf.org. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ISBN 9783849678128.
- ^ Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). Encyclopedia Americana. .
- ^ "James Lick". Chicago Tribune. San Francisco. October 2, 1876. p. 5. Retrieved May 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Lick", pp. 157–58).
- ^ Species Sceloporus licki at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.