Michael Cudahy (industrialist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Cudahy
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| Born | December 7, 1841 Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland
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| Died | November 27, 1910 (aged 68) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Illinois |
| Nationality | Irish-American |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Spouse(s) |
Catharine Sullivan
(m. 1866–1910) |
| Children | 7 |
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Michael Cudahy (born December 7, 1841 – died November 27, 1910) was an important American businessman. He was known as an industrialist, which means he owned and managed large businesses. With his two brothers, he started a big company called the Cudahy Packing Company in 1890.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Michael Cudahy was born in 1841 in a place called Callan, County Kilkenny in Ireland. His parents were Patrick and Elizabeth Cudahy. In 1849, when Michael was about eight years old, his family moved from Ireland to the United States. They eventually made their home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Building a Career
Michael Cudahy started working very young. He left school at age 14 to get a job at a meat packing plant in Milwaukee called Layton and Plankinton. A meat packing plant is where meat is processed and prepared for sale.
He worked hard and learned a lot. He moved up in his job, eventually becoming a private meat inspector. By 1869, Michael was a manager at another large meat packing company, Plankinton, Armour and Company. This company had been around since 1852. By 1873, his hard work paid off, and he became a partner in the famous Armour and Company.
Later, Michael Cudahy decided to start his own business. With the help of his brothers, Edward and Patrick, he founded the Cudahy Packing Company. This new company began in South Omaha, Nebraska, in 1890.
Real Estate Ventures
As Michael Cudahy became very successful, he also became quite wealthy. He enjoyed a comfortable life. He became interested in Mackinac Island, Michigan, as a place for a summer home. He even owned a house there in the late 1800s, which he later sold to his brother Edward.
In 1897, he traveled to California. There, he invested in real estate, buying and selling land to increase his fortune. He returned to Mackinac Island in 1904. He bought a large piece of land, about 150 acres (0.61 km²), making him one of the biggest landowners on the island.
In 1908, Michael Cudahy sold his share of the Cudahy Meatpacking Company. He then bought a huge ranch in California, about 2,800 acres (11 km²), called Rancho San Antonio. This ranch was located east of Los Angeles, California. He divided the ranch into smaller one-acre (4,000 m²) lots and sold them. This area later became a city in 1960, named Cudahy, after him.
Michael Cudahy also had a grand vision for a mansion on Mackinac Island. He chose a famous architect, Frederick Wainwright Perkins, to design it. Perkins also designed the Governor's Mansion on the island. In 1904, Michael's mansion was finished. He named it Stonecliffe, and it was the largest private home on Mackinac Island. After Michael's death in 1910, Stonecliffe had several owners. In 1970, a businessman named George Staffan bought it. He turned the mansion into a resort hotel called The Inn at Stonecliffe, which it still is today.
Family Life
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In 1866, Michael Cudahy married Catharine Sullivan. They had a large family together, with seven children. They had four boys and three girls.
Later Years and Legacy
On November 27, 1910, Michael Cudahy passed away in a Chicago hospital. He died from a serious lung illness called double pneumonia. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, Illinois. Michael Cudahy left behind a legacy as a successful industrialist and a founder of a major meatpacking company.
See also
