Alonzo Horton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alonzo Horton
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Horton in 1867
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| Born |
Alonzo Eratus Horton
October 24, 1813 |
| Died | 7 January 1909 (aged 95) |
| Nationality | American |
Alonzo Eratus Horton (born October 24, 1813 – died January 7, 1909) was an American businessman. He developed real estate in the 1800s. The Horton Plaza shopping mall in downtown San Diego is named after him.
Contents
Early Life and Business Ideas
Horton was born in 1813 in Union, Connecticut. He came from an old family in New England. He grew up in Onondaga County, New York.
When he was in his 20s, he showed a strong talent for business. In 1834, at age 21, he started moving grain by boat. He took it from Oswego, New York, on Lake Ontario, to Canada. He also worked as a teacher there. In 1834, he ran for a local job called constable as a member of the Whig political party.
Horton developed a cough, and his family worried he might get sick. They told him to move west. At that time, the American West was Wisconsin. So, in 1836, he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
A Story of Honesty
A story is told about Alonzo when he was eight years old. He was still living in New York. He sold a pig for $1. By mistake, the buyer gave him $2. The next day, Horton returned the extra $1.
Years later, they met again in Wisconsin. The buyer remembered the story. He told a group of people, "I would trust Horton with everything I have in the world."
Moving West and Founding Hortonville
In 1847, after the Mexican–American War, Horton traveled to St. Louis, Missouri. This city was a gateway to the Western frontier. He bought special papers from war veterans. These papers let him claim 1,500 acres (about 6 square kilometers) of land. This land was in the wild northern part of Wisconsin.
In 1848, he claimed the first land for what would become Hortonville, Wisconsin. This village is in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, near Appleton, Wisconsin. Today, Hortonville is a village with over 2,700 people.
Horton had to walk about 40 miles to inspect the land. It was dense woods with no trails. He then walked back to Green Bay to file his claim. After this, he became successful at trading land, starting businesses, and raising cattle.
California Gold Rush and Return East
In 1851, Hortonville was doing well. Horton decided to join many others looking for gold in California. He sold his businesses for $7,000. He traveled to El Dorado County, California, where much of the gold was found.
He became successful again, not from gold, but by selling ice. He sold ice to the mining towns. In 1857, he returned to Wisconsin by way of Panama. During an attack by Native Americans, he lost a bag of gold dust. It was worth $10,000. But he kept the money he made from selling ice.
In the late 1850s and early 1860s, Horton spent time in the East. He married his second wife, a woman from New Jersey. Horton's first wife, whom he met in Wisconsin, had passed away. Horton married at least three times.
Building New San Diego
In 1862, Horton returned to California. This time, he went to San Francisco. He opened a store selling furniture and household goods. While there, he heard about a small town called San Diego. It was in southern California, near the Mexican border. People praised its dry, warm, and healthy climate. Many people from the colder East liked this idea.
After hearing a talk about California's ports, he felt very excited. He later said, "I could not sleep at night thinking about San Diego." He looked at a map to find San Diego. He then told his wife, "I am going to sell my goods and go to San Diego and build a city."
He visited San Diego and noticed something important. The small town was built around an old Spanish fort (presidio) inland. But no big towns were built along the large San Diego Bay nearby. Yet, all ships coming to the town docked in the bay.
Horton's Addition
In 1867, Horton sold his goods in San Francisco. He traveled to San Diego. There, he bought 960 acres (about 3.9 square kilometers) of land. It was on San Diego Bay. He paid only 27½ cents an acre. This area became known as "Horton's Addition."
Another pioneer, William Heath Davis, had started San Diego's "New Town" about 12 years earlier. But it didn't grow much because there wasn't enough fresh water. Horton's land was next to Davis's "New Town."
New businesses quickly came to "Horton's Addition." They hoped for a train connection from the harbor to the east. Soon, Horton's new area became more important than the old town. It became the heart of the growing city. Land prices went up very quickly in the 1880s. This made Horton successful once more.
Horton helped start San Diego's Chamber of Commerce. This group worked to help the city grow even more. In 1867, Horton was the first person to ask for a public city park. This park later became Balboa Park.
Challenges and Recovery
The U.S. Congress decided not to help bring the Texas Pacific Railroad to San Diego. This stopped the city's progress. Many workers had paid Horton a large down payment for their land. They offered to give up the money and the land if Horton would let them out of their contracts. Horton canceled their contracts and gave back all the money they had paid. This was a big loss for him.
Eventually, the California Southern Railroad (now part of BNSF Railway) connected San Diego to the rest of America's train network in 1885. But land values crashed in the late 1880s. This greatly reduced Horton's wealth. By the time he passed away in 1909, he had lost much of his money.
Personal Life and Beliefs
Horton was known as a very energetic supporter of any place he lived. After moving to Wisconsin and helping found Hortonville in 1848, he said, "My goal is to be as happy as I can every day. I try to make everyone else as happy as I can, and I try to make no one unhappy." Today, Hortonville, Wisconsin, has "Alonzo Park" to honor its founder.
Horton also influenced San Diego's politics. When he moved there in the late 1860s, many locals had supported the South during the Civil War. They were called "Copperheads," meaning they were Democratic supporters of the Confederacy. This was even though California was a Union state.
When someone told Horton that San Diego was a "Copperhead hole," he replied, "Then I shall make it a Republican hole." He encouraged strong Republican ideas in the city's newspapers.
Horton was one of San Diego's first Unitarians. He helped start the first Unitarian church in San Diego.
Alonzo Horton passed away at age 96 in a sanitarium in San Diego. He is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery.
