Item 58: Bookplate, Andrew Smith Hallidie, 1868;1901
Item — Box: 20, Folder: 58
Dates
- Created: 1868;1901
Creator
- University of California (Organization)
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Bookplate
Condition Note:
Good
Measurements:
3 ⅜ in. x 3 ⅝ in.
Title:
University of California Andrew Smith Hallidie: Regent 1868 - 1901
Description:
A bookplate depicting a trolley flanked by two trees. There is a wheel below the text banner. Andrew Smith Hallidie was born on March 16, 1836 in London, England. He got married to Martha Elizabeth Woods. They had no kids. He was an entrepreneur, blacksmith, gold miner, bridge-builder, and surveyor who advertised the Clay Street Hill Railroad in San Francisco. This was the first of its kind and Hallidie is given credit for creating it and is considered the “father of the present day San Francisco cable car system,” but these are up for debate. He also introduced wire rope and constructed bridges of the Californian interior at a young age. He used the name Hallidie in memory of his uncle, Sir Andrew Hallidie. When he was thirteen he was an apprentice to a machine shop and drawing office that was run by his brother, Archibald. In 1852, when he was sixteen he went to California with his father by boat because the father was looking for gold mines in Mariposa County. However, nothing came up and he went back to England the next year. His son ended up staying in California to become a gold miner. He also worked three other jobs, as “a blacksmith, surveyor, and builder of bridges.” In 1856, while a flume at a mine at an American bar was being built, he was warned that the ropes that were being used to transfer cars of rock to the mill were being worn out within the span of two-and-a-half months. Halladie used machinery to make new rope that was based on his father’s build. These were around for two years, and the building of rope wire started in California. He stopped mining in 1857 and went back to San Francisco. With the name, A.S. Halladie & Co. he started working on wire rope with materials from the American Bar. He also played a big role in bridge construction. He built bridges over the Klamath River at Weitchpec and Nevada City, over the the American River at Folsom, and over the Bear, Trinity, Stanislaus, and Tuolmne Rivers. In 1863, he constructed over the Fraser River that was 16 kilometers north of Yale at Alexandria in British Columbia. In 1864, he became a United States citizen, and the next year, he stopped bridge construction and focused completely his on wire-rope making company, the silver miners wanted more of it for the Comstock Lode. in 1867, Hallidie made the Hallidie rope, which helped get ore and other things over mountains. He put these in several locations and copyrighted them. There are different claims on how much Hallidie contributed to the conception of the Clay Street Hill Railway. One claim has him getting the promotion of the line after the first promoter, Benjamin Brooks, couldn’t get enough money for it. Another claim is that Hallidie started it because he wanted to give the horses who carried streetcars up Jackson Street, from Kearny to Stockton Street. It is also debated as to when the cable car first started going. They needed its inaugural run to happen on August 1, 1873, but one source claims that it didn’t happen until August 2, 1873, but the city did not want to cancel the company. Some claims say that Hallide’s gripman looked down the hill and was afraid to get the car going, so Hallidie did it himself with no trouble. William Eppelsheimer was the engineer of the Clay Street line. However, Hallidie’s knowledge of cables and how they worked made it likely that he helped plan the system. The line began running on September 1, 1873 and it made a good amount of money. The patents also benefited him and made him wealthy. Hallidie was also involved with many businesses and activities in San Francisco. He was an associate of the University of California for 32 years, “and a trustee and vice-president of the San Francisco Mechanics institute in 1864” and was president for eleven nonconsecutive years. In 1873, he tried to run for the California State Senate, but lost. Two years later, he tried running for mayor of San Francisco but lost again. He was a trustee and moderator of the First Unitarian Church for a year. He was a part of the American Society of Inventors, American Geographical Society, California Academy of Sciences, and other factions related to science and literature. He was also part of the Old California Historical Society and the Pacific-Union, Olympic, and Sierra clubs. A.S. Hallidie & Co. changed its name to the California Wire Works in 1883 with Hallidie remaining president. Twelve years later, it was bought by Washburn and Moen Co. It was one of the first wire companies in the United States, starting in 1831. On April 24, 1900, Hallidie died of heart disease at his home in San Francisco. He was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Location:
Berkeley, California
Creator
- University of California (Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu