|
History
Contents
- James Lick
- Barbara Desh nee Snavely
- Thomas Fraser
- Richard Floyd
- Edward Holden
- Edward Crossley
- Mount Hamilton Road
James Lick (1796-08-25 -- 1876-10-01)
Pennsylvania Dutch farmboy.
Master craftsman and piano maker.
South American business entrepreneur.
California pioneer.
Real estate investor.
Santa Clara valley agricultural developer.
Builder of Lick House, San Francisco's first great luxury hotel.
Early California philanthropist.
San Francisco public benefactor.
Patron of education, art, public welfare and the sciences.
Founder of the Lick Observatory.
Lick lead a fascinating life, laced with heartbreak, vengence, war, foreign
adventures and immense wealth.
James prospered from the gold rush property buisiness following his arrival
in California in 1848. Despite a social and gregarious youth, in later life
Mr Lick developed a reputation as a "miser"
and "eccentric".
These descriptions largely amused and sheilded California's richest man from
unwanted attention and appeals.
In addition to his globally famous Observatory, James Lick left his mark via
other institutions that continue to be enjoyed by the people of the Bay Area,
including the California Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of Flowers and
Ghirardhelli chocolate. Surely, the "absolutely honest" James Lick
left a great legacy to California and the world.
Images
-
Black and white photograph of James Lick by Thomas Houseworth and Company (Courtesy: L. Hatch).
-
Black and white portrait of James Lick by Hartwig Bornemann (Courtesy: L. Hatch).
-
Colourized portrait of James Lick by Hartwig Bornemann (Courtesy: L. Hatch).
-
James Lick, Seated in Parlor (Courtesy: L. Hatch).
Documents
-
Society of California Pioneers biography of James Lick by W. B. Farwell (1924, Courtesy P. L. Keats):
1924_QJSCP_1_14--WBFarwell.pdf.
-
James Lick as a Piano Maker (1874-06-30 Alta California):
1874-06-30_Alta_California--James_Lick.pdf.
-
The Generous Miser by Rosemary Lick:
Front Matter;
Text_pp3-85;
Appendix;
Figures.
Barbara Desh nee Snavely (1795-08-24--1852-02-02)
Images
-
Photograph of John Desh and Barbara Snavely.
-
Grave of Barbara Snavely Desh (Credit: P. Lynam).
Thomas Edward Fraser (1844 -- 1891-10-06)
Images
-
Black and white photograph of Thomas Edward Fraser.
Richard Samuel Floyd (1843-09-08--1890-10-17)
Images
-
Black and white photograph of Richard Samuel Floyd.
Edward Singleton Holden (1846-11-05--1914-03-16)
Images
-
Black and white photograph of Edward Singleton Holden.
Edward Crossley (1841-XX-XX--1905-01-21)
Images
-
Black and white photograph of Edward Crossley.
Mount Hamilton Road
Video
- Contains some factual inaccuracies, but the following (05:30) video, entitled Stairway to Heaven - The History of the Lick Observatory, may be useful.
-
https://vimeo.com/330921227.
|
