Title supplied by cataloger. Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin (1828-1909) was a prominent businessman, real estate maven, and investor who generated most of his wealth through savvy and lucky mining investments. In 1853 he made his way from Ohio to California, and upon arriving proceeded to buy 8,000 acres in the San Gabriel Valley with money from transactions he had made during his journey. In 1876 he built San Francisco's luxurious "Baldwin Hotel", a gathering place for the city's elite. On May 20, 1884 Baldwin married his fourth wife, 16-year-old Lillie Bennett, but the May-December marriage ended a short year later. During these years, he continued accumulating land, and eventually amassed 63,000 acres - which are now the communities of Arcadia, Monrovia, Sierra Madre and Temple City. On December 1907, Baldwin founded the "original" Santa Anita Park racetrack on his estate and his racing stables were among the finest in the country. He was a legendary horse breeder and racer whose steeds captured just about every major racing title in existence during the late 1800s. But Lucky Baldwin was also known as a notorious gambler and womanizer, and he continued to attract scandal during the remainder of his life. On March 1, 1909 Baldwin died of pneumonia at his Santa Anita Ranch at the age of eighty-one and was buried in a San Francisco cemetery next to his first wife. Baldwin's legacy continues today with several locations and events named after him, such as: the Baldwin Hills district of Los Angeles, City of Baldwin Park, Baldwin Avenue in the San Gabriel Valley, and the Baldwin Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Photograph shows Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin and a young woman, most likely Lillie Bennett, his 16-year-old bride. Mr. Baldwin can be seen wearing a dark three-piece suit, white shirt, dark tie, and dark hat; his wife sits and also wears a dark suit and hat. Their dog poses next to them.
Type
Image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;18 x 12 cm. Photographic prints
Baldwin, Elias Jackson,--1828-1909 Couples--California--Arcadia Real estate developers--United States Businessmen--United States Portrait photographs Group portraits
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