E. S. Babcock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
E. S. Babcock
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| Born |
Elisha Spurr Babcock Jr.
May 1, 1848 |
| Died | September 1, 1922 (aged 74) |
| Resting place | Mount Hope Cemetery, San Diego, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Evansville High School |
| Occupation | Real estate mogul |
| Known for | Co-founding the Hotel del Coronado |
| Board member of | Coronado Beach Company, San Diego Electric Railway Company, |
| Spouse(s) | Isabella Graham Babcock |
Elisha Spurr Babcock (born May 1, 1848 – died September 1, 1922) was a clever businessman and entrepreneur. He is best known for helping to create the famous Hotel del Coronado in California.
About Elisha Spurr Babcock
Elisha Spurr Babcock Jr. was born on May 1, 1848, in Evansville, Indiana. He grew up there and graduated from Evansville High School. From a young age, he was very active in business. He started many different companies and projects.
Babcock's first job was with the Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad. He began as a freight clerk, which meant he helped manage goods being shipped. He worked his way up to become the main freight agent for the whole railway.
Later, Babcock left the railroad to work with the Bell Telephone Company. He helped develop telephone services in a large area, from Evansville all the way to New Orleans. At the same time, he owned the Eugene Ice Company and was a partner in another business. He was married to Isabella Graham Babcock, who passed away in 1932. Elisha Spurr Babcock himself died on September 1, 1922.
Building the Hotel del Coronado
Elisha Babcock first came to southern California to improve his health. But he quickly saw a big chance to start new projects. He created the Coronado Beach Company. His plan was to make huge investments in land and buildings.
Using his skills as a civil engineer, he planned to build dams to provide water. He also planned the construction of the amazing Hotel del Coronado. Babcock and his partners bought the land for $110,000 in 1885.
However, the economy started to have problems. Babcock asked his good friend Charles T. Hinde to come and help him save his investments. Luckily, a wealthy man named John D. Spreckels decided to invest. He put money into the Santa Fe wharf in San Diego, the Hotel del Coronado, and even bought the dams. Later, Babcock, Hinde, and Spreckels worked together to start the Spreckels Brothers Commercial Company.
Babcock also supported science. He let the "Marine Biological Association of San Diego" use the Hotel Del's boathouse. This group later became the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, a famous ocean research center. They used the boathouse as a summer laboratory from 1903 to 1903.
