Vanderbilt, Cornelius

Cornelius (1794-1877), the founder of an American family of millionaires. He was born in New York City and died there. When a mere lad he began life by carrying passengers and garden truck between New York and Staten Island. Later he became a steamboat captain and finally the manager and owner of numerous steamship lines between New York and Albany. He also established a line plying to Havre, France. During the gold excitement of California he is said to have made $10,000,000 carrying passengers to the new Eldorado by way of the Isthmus of Nicaragua. Having laid the foundation of his fortune as a steamship owner, "Commodore" Vanderbilt became interested in railroads. He was a heavy stockholder in the New York Central. Under his management the system extended its control as far westward as Chicago, absorbing the Lake Shore and Michigan Central railroads. He is thought to have built up a fortune of not less than $100,000,000. He gave $1,000,000 to Vanderbilt University, a Methodist college situated at Nashville, Tennessee. His oldest son, William Henry, inherited the management of the family property. He extended the Vanderbilt system of railroads, endowed the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, and died in 1885, it was said the richest man in the world. Cornelius Vanderbilt was married twice. The family roll call of the dead and the living January 1, 1906, included twelve children, twenty-nine grandchildren, thirty-four great-grandchildren, and twenty-two great-great-grand-children.