TWHP


Mark Hopkins, 1813-1878   

The man was a cypher, and Mark Hopkins distinguished himself among the Big Four with an unassuming nature and a willingness to work in the long shadows cast by his partners. Born in New York, he grew up in Michigan before returning to his home state to open a store; he prospered, considered studying law, but ultimately remained a merchant. He journeyed to San Francisco in 1849, soon set up shop in Hangtown/Placerville to supply the gold fields, and then removed to Sacramento, where he entered a partnership in a hardware store with Collis Huntington in 1854. With the latter and Charles Crocker and Leland Stanford, Hopkins launched the Central Pacific Railroad endeavor. Serving as treasurer to the company, Hopkins kept the freewheeling firm on steady financial ground, at the same time soothing egos and conciliating disagreements among his younger partners. A frugal vegetarian, Hopkins continued to live modestly even after reaping his riches until his wife insisted they start enjoying their wealth; accordingly, he commenced building the first great house on Nob Hill, soon to be followed by his cohorts. He died before its completion, and can be said to have been almost entirely untouched by the vast wealth he accumulated.


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