Ben Holladay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Holladay
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| Born |
Benjamin Holladay
October 14, 1819 |
| Died | July 8, 1887 (aged 67) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
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| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Spouse(s) |
Notley Ann Calvert
(m. 1839; Lydia Esther Campbell
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Benjamin Holladay (born October 14, 1819 – died July 8, 1887) was a famous American businessman. He built a huge transportation network across the United States. He was known as the "Stagecoach King" because of his large stagecoach empire.
Holladay was born in Kentucky. He also worked as a private messenger for General Alexander William Doniphan of Missouri. Later, his transportation businesses included steamships and railroads in Oregon.
Early Life and First Businesses
Benjamin Holladay was born on October 14, 1819, in Nicholas County, Kentucky. His family had lived in America for several generations. His father, William Holladay, was a guide for wagon trains.
Benjamin learned about the freight business when he was young. In his late teens, he traveled to Santa Fe, which was then part of Mexico.
He later settled in Weston, Missouri. There, he worked as a store clerk. He also served as a messenger for the state militia during the 1838 Mormon War. In 1840, he opened a tavern and hotel. He also started what is now the McCormick Distilling Company. This company claims to be the oldest distillery still working in the same place. His businesses grew a lot by supplying General Stephen Watts Kearney during the Mexican–American War.
Building a Transportation Empire
Holladay moved to California in 1852. There, he managed stagecoach lines that covered over 2,670 miles (4,300 km). In 1862, he bought the Pony Express. This famous mail service had struggled to get a postal contract.
In 1861, Holladay won a contract to deliver mail to Salt Lake City, Utah. He then created the Overland Stage Route. This route followed the Overland Trail. It helped avoid conflicts with Native American tribes on other trails. He added many important stops along the trail, like Rattlesnake Station.
In July 1862, Holladay was traveling from San Francisco to New York. He almost died when his ship, the SS Golden Gate, sank off the coast of Mexico.
Over four years, Holladay received almost $6 million from the government. This money was for the Overland Trail and six other routes. In 1866, he sold all his stagecoach routes to Wells Fargo Express for $1.5 million.
In August 1868, Holladay moved to Oregon. He began building a railroad along the Willamette River. He bought the Oregon Central Railroad and renamed it the Oregon and California Railroad Company. In April 1868, construction started on tracks on both sides of the river.
Holladay's team worked quickly. They built 20 miles (32 km) of track before their rivals. He used clever tactics, including persuading the Oregon Legislature in October 1868. His competition eventually sold their lines to him in 1870. Holladay got money for this from German bankers. They bought $6.4 million in bonds.
He also won a federal grant. He built the Oregon and California Railroad as far south as Roseburg. He also controlled river trade through companies like the Portland Dock and Warehouse Company and the Oregon Steamship Company.
The Panic of 1873, a big financial crisis, stopped his efforts. Holladay lost much of his money in the stock market crash on September 18, 1873. In 1874, his German investors sent Henry Villard to check on him. Holladay was behind on his payments. In 1876, Villard took over the railroad.
Family Life
Ben Holladay married Notley Ann Calvert in 1839. They had two daughters who married into European noble families:
- Jenny Lind Holladay (1851–1873) married Arthur de Pourtalès, a Count.
- Pauline Cassandra Holladay (1853–1877) married Baron de Bussière.
After his first wife died in 1873, he married Lydia Esther Campbell. They had one daughter:
- Linda Holladay (1879–1944) married Ben Holladay Dorcy in 1899. He was a commanding officer in the 7th Cavalry Regiment.
Holladay passed away in Portland, Oregon, on July 8, 1887. He is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Portland.
Legacy
On June 1, 1866, a street in Denver, Colorado was renamed Holladay Street to honor him. However, some of his relatives later asked the city to change the name.
On June 1, 1889, Holladay Street was renamed Market Street. This caused some concern for people living on Market Street in other areas. So, in September 1899, the part of Market Street north of 23rd was renamed Walnut.
In 1870, Benjamin Holladay planned a new area in East Portland, Oregon. This area was called 'Holladay's Addition'. It covered 242 acres along the Willamette River. Holladay wanted this area to become a new business center. He built Holladay Street with planks and bridged Sullivan's Gulch. By 1872, he built the Clarendon Hotel. The plan also included a park. This 4.5-acre park is known today as Holladay Park.
