The man arrived in America with seven flutes in his possession, his total material wealth. When he died, here in America, he was the richest man in the country. What was his name? OK, I'll add some dates. He arrived in March of 1784, and he died on 29 March 1848. Need some more help? He was born in Franconia (northern Bavaria). His first name was Johannes, but that may not help very much.
His first job in America was as a delivery boy for a bakery. (When he told his life story later, he usually failed to mention this job.) Though his plans had been to open a musical instrument shop, he found a good job in a furrier's shop. The owner, Robert Bowe, sent him northward with a backpack loaded with trade goods with which he bought furs from the Indians. He then married Sarah Todd who brought along a $300 dowry. Our man went into business for himself, dealing in pianos and furs. Very soon he concentrated on the furs and developed markets for them in London and in China. By 1810, he had made his first million dollars. People such as John Adams, our second President, deplored the idea that our "aristocracy" consisted of moneyed individuals. Our man became an outstanding example of this group.
As is typical of the many people in this class, he sometimes considered himself above the law. Against the wishes of President Jefferson he sent a ship, the Beaver, to China, making $200,000 on the voyage. But he won Jefferson's praise for establishing a trading center in the Pacific Northwest and in the process named a town for himself. But this was not a profitable venture. In the region he was considered a power greater than the government.
In 1834, he sold his fur interests and devoted himself exclusively to real estate speculation and was equally successful in this endeavor as he had been in the fur trading business. He was soon known as the "Landlord of New York".
He did find time for some enterprises of a charitable nature. From 1837 to 1840, he was an active President of the Deutsche Gesellschaft (German Society), which aided poor immigrants. He gave a handsome endowment to the Society. In his will he left a large sum of money for the establishment of a library on Lafayette Street. This was the start of the New York Public Library (in another location). In his hometown he founded an orphanage. The man is seldom omitted from the history books. Considered ruthless by some, he exhibited traits which were typical of the era. In his private life he practiced thrift and was a faithful family man. He did love music and the theater. He and the old line politicians in New York found little in common but our man was welcomed in the courts of Europe. His friend, Washington Irving, wrote the story of his life in "Astoria".
(05 May 03)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.