Alfred W. McCune
Encyclopedia
Alfred William McCune was an American
railroad builder, mine operator, and politician from the state
of Utah
. Owner of several retail and construction businesses, he helped build the Montana Central Railway
in Montana
and a portion of the Utah Southern Railroad
in Utah, founded the Utah and Pacific Railroad, and built railways in Peru
, among other projects. He also owned many profitable mine
s in Canada
, Montana, Peru, and Utah, including the Payne Mine—which paid the most dividends in the history of British Columbia
. Late in life, he co-founded the Cerro de Pasco Investment Company, which became the largest copper investor in South America and the largest American investor in Peru until it was nationalized in 1974. He was one of Utah's first millionaires.
He nearly became a U.S. Senator
in 1899. But after being unable to receive a majority after numerous ballots and accusations of bribery, the state legislature adjourned without electing anyone to the seat. The Senate seat remained vacant for two years, and in 1901 another man was elected to the position.
As of the early 21st century, his Salt Lake City mansion, the Alfred McCune Home
, was still considered one of the grandest homes ever built in the American West. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974.
, the son of Robert McCune and Agnes Jelly. Raised from infancy in Scotland
, Matthew McCune traveled to London
in 1835, joined the British Army
, and married Sarah Elizabeth Caroline Scott. (He rose to the rank of captain in the artillery.) Alfred's mother, Sarah, had been born in London
, where her family had resided for generations. Matthew McCune was assigned to Ft. William and the couple moved there the same year they were married. The McCunes had seven sons and one daughter, Alfred William McCune being the second-to-last to be born. All the children were born at Fort William, and three of the boys and the daughter all died there. The McCunes were members of the Plymouth Brethren
Christian church. In 1851, after a church meeting in the McCune home, two sailors who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "LDS Church," or Mormonism) converted the McCunes to Mormonism.
In 1854, Matthew McCune was sent Rangoon, Burma, in 1854, where he became a Mormon missionary in his spare time. Young Alfred was educated at home by Mormon missionaries for the next two years. Matthew McCune resigned from the British Army in late 1856, and on either December 6 or December 10 (sources differ) they set sail from Calcutta for New York City
, arriving on March 3, 1857. Alfred had never seen snow before; he thought it was salt falling from the sky. After three months in New York City, the family traveled by rail to Chicago
, where they proceeded by wagon to Salt Lake City, arriving on September 21, 1857. The family stayed with one family and then another in Farmington, Utah
, for a few months before moving to Nephi, Utah
in 1858.
Matthew McCune married Ann Midgley in 1859, and Isabella Chalmers in 1965. His second and third wives bore him another 15 children. Sarah McCune died in 1877. Matthew McCune died in Nephi in October 1889.
(then pushing through Echo Canyon in Summit County, Utah
), and then ranched cattle for a time with his brother Edward.
In 1871, the Utah Southern Railroad began construction across the lower portion of the state of Utah. With business partner Joel Grover, he began supplying the railroad workers with hay, grain, and provisions. In 1878, McCune added a third business partner, Walter P. Read, and they built the Utah Southern Railroad Extension
from Milford
to Frisco
in 1880-1881. The three opened a general store
in Milford, which proved highly profitable. In 1881, McCune joined Thomas Scofield in opening a 6000 acres (2,428.1 ha) cattle and horse ranch in southern Utah.
McCune married Elizabeth Ann Claridge at Endowment House in Salt Lake City on July 1, 1872. Elizabeth, born February 19, 1852, in Hemel Hempstead
, England, was the daughter of Samuel Claridge
, a convert to the Latter-day Saints movement who had emigrated to the United States in 1853 and became prominent local leader in the church. The couple made their home in Nephi, had nine children (Alfred Jr., Harry, Earl, Raymond, Fay, Frank, Jacketta, Marcus, and Elizabeth).
McCune participated in a number of railroad, mining, and other business ventures in the late 19th century. Beginning in 1879, McCune's joint business venture—Grover, McCune & Read—helped grade portions of the Rio Grande Railroad, Denver and South Park Railroad
, Denver and New Orleans Railroad, and Oregon Short Line Railroad
. It also supplied wood fuel to Lexington Mines in the state of Montana. But in the winter of 1882, Grover and Read, concerned about economic conditions and worried the firm was over-extended, pulled out of the business. McCune formed his own company, which bought out a general store near Butte, Montana
, and supplied wood fuel to mines in that city. In 1883, he formed a joint partnership with John W. Caplis (also known as John Caplice) to provide capital for his fuel and retail businesses, but within a year Caplis withdrew from the company. In 1885, his old business partners John Caplis and Walter Read joined McCune and Helena, Montana
, businessman Hugh Kirkendall in forming a construction company to build 200 miles (321.9 km) of the Montana Central Railway
from Butte to Great Falls, Montana
. The new firm also extended the Union Pacific Railroad
's Oregon Short Line to Anaconda, Montana
and Butte. Shortly thereafter, mine owner Marcus Daly
solicited contracts from firms to provide wood fuel for his mines in Butte as well as wood to help build the town. Daly asked for the huge amount of 300,000 cords. McCune formed a new company with Caplis and another man (John Branagan) to supply the wood. Eighty teams of horses and mules worked alongside 650 men to haul logs out of the forest, and the company built a massive wooden flume
to float the logs out of Mill Creek Canyon (where they could be picked up and hauled by wagon into Butte). When McCune was done extending the Oregon Short Line to Anaconda, he extended his flume another 25 miles (40.2 km) to allow logs to make to that booming mining town. Because of these business interests, the McCunes relocated to Montana in 1885. Three years later, with McCune having fulfilled most of his wood supply contracts, the couple moved to Salt Lake City. They purchased a home at 2nd West and South Temple streets, near the Union Pacific railroad depot.
McCune's business interests turned to mining in the 1890s. Beginning around 1891, McCune purchased interests in a number of highly productive and famous mines in British Columbia, including the Freddie Lee, Krao, Libbie, Maid of Erin, Mountain Chief, Nickel Plate, Skyline, Payne, Two Jacks, and War Eagle.
McCune's interest in railroads and other businesses had not abated, however. In April 1889, he purchased a one-third interest in Salt Lake City's streetcar
system, and converted it from mule-drawn wagons to electric. He also formed a company which in May 1891 took over the Salt Lake Herald (at the time, the Salt Lake Tribune's biggest competitor). In 1895, he co-founded and became part-owner of the Utah Power Company. In February 1897, the McCunes undertook a lengthy tour of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and the Far East. They rented a large home in the English seaside town of Eastbourne
. They returned to Utah in March 1898. In August 1898, McCune and other investors formed the Utah and Pacific Railroad (U&P), with the purpose of building 75 miles (120.7 km) of track from Milford to Uvada, Utah. The Oregon Short Line supplied the rails and ties
for the U&P, and on February 2, 1899, the Oregon Short Line announced it would build a railroad that would connect the U&P at Uvada with the California
state line.
McCune's business interests in the last three decades of his life focused on Peru. In 1887, he formed a mining syndicate with mine investor James Ben Ali Haggin
to investigate mine properties in the Pasco Region
of Peru
. McCune visited Peru for several months in the spring of 1901 to assess these properties. In 1902, the two men set up the Cerro de Pasco Investment Company and added new shareholders, which included businessman Henry Clay Frick
, Michael P. Grace
, Phoebe Hearst
, Darius Ogden Mills
, J. P. Morgan
, and Hamilton McKowan Twombly (an heir to the Vanderbilt
fortune). The same year, the government of Peru
awarded McCune a contract to survey a railroad route from Huacho
to Cerro de Pasco
. McCune and his family traveled in Peru in 1902 to visit his various business ventures there. Six years later, the government gave him a contract to build both the Cerro de Pasco Railroad which he had previously survey as well as the Ucayali Railroad along the Ucayali River in the Ancón District
. In 1912, McCune incorporated the Amazon and Pacific Railway Company, with the intent of building 190 miles (305.8 km) of railroad from Cerro de Pasco to the Pacific Ocean. The Peruvian government gave McCune 5000000 acres (2,023,430 ha) of land if he completed the route, and operated it for 25 years. Cerro de Pasco Investment subsequently purchased a controlling interest most of the mines in the Pasco Region as well as the Cerro de Pasco Railroad. It soon owned the Oroya Railroad, a very large copper mine in the Morococha District
, and the giant productive Casapalca mine. By 1916, the company had more than $30 million invested in copper mining in Peru. This was the largest copper investment anywhere in South America, and probably the largest in the world outside the United States. Cerro de Pasco Investment Company remained the largest American investor in Peru throughout the 20th century, until it was nationalized in 1974. (In 1957, the "McCune Pit"—named for Alfred W. McCune—opened in Cerro de Pasco. Roughly 80 percent of all copper mined in the Pasco Region came from the McCune Pit in 1960.)
for politics and culture. In mid-August 1898, McCune decided to seek office as a Democrat
for the United States Senate
. State legislators had already indicated they would not support the incumbent, Frank J. Cannon for reelection. Cannon, a Republican
, had voted against the Dingley Act
, which would have raised tariff
s on sugar and helped the Utah sugar industry. The Dingley bill was strongly supported by the LDS Church hierarchy, who now opposed his reelection. Other factors were his support for Free Silver
; rumors about immoral acts he may have committed while living in Washington, D.C.; and that the Utah legislature was controlled by Democrats. The McCunes were close friends with Heber J. Grant
, seventh president of LDS Church and an ordained LDS apostle. Although the LDS church had (just weeks before) made a decision to stay out of state politics, McCune asked Grant for the church's assistance in winning office. Grant consulted with Joseph F. Smith
(Apostle and sixth LDS president) and John Henry Smith
(a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency
of the LDS Church), both of whom supported McCune's senatorial bid. But McCune was not along in seeking the office. Former Representative
William H. King
was also running (and backed by two Apostles), as was James Moyle
(a prominent attorney and founder of the Utah Democratic Party
who was backed by state legislators) and George Q. Cannon
(an Apostle and member of the First Presidency).
At the time, members of the Senate were still elected by their respective state legislatures. The Utah state legislature convened in January 1889. There were 13 Republicans
and 50 Democrats in the state legislature. From the beginning, McCune was considered the leading candidate. But the legislature quickly deadlocked over the election. One-hundred and twenty-one ballots were cast, and no winner emerged. McCune was one or two votes shy of winning on several ballots. on February 18, before the 122nd ballot, state representative Albert A. Law (a Republican from Cache County and a Cannon supporter) claimed McCune offered him $1,500 for his vote. McCune strenuously denied the charge, and a seven-member legislative established to investigate the allegation. The committee voted 7-to-2 to absolve McCune of the charge, and this outcome was announced to the legislature on March 6. Balloting resumed, and on March 8, on the 149th ballot, McCune still lacked enough votes to win office (he had only 25 votes). The legislature adjourned without having chosen a senator, and McCune traveled in Europe for several weeks to regain his health (returning in June 1899).
Utah's U.S. Senate seat remained vacant until January 1901. The Republicans regained their majority in the state legislature in the election of 1900, and elected Thomas Kearns
to fill the seat. The election was still hotly disputed. Kearns received only 8 votes on the first ballot, and balloting continued for four more days. On January 22, Kearns won the election by a vote of 37-to-25 (with a unanimous block of Democrats voting for McCune).
McCune ran for governor of Utah in 1916. His Democratic primary
opponent was 70-year-old Simon Bamberger
, a millionaire (he owned mines and railroads), state senator, and a Jew. Neither man won a majority of the vote on the first ballot at the Democratic State Convention. Then B. H. Roberts, LDS Church historian and member of the First Council of the Seventy, delivered what historians have characterized as a "brilliant" speech declaring that voters should not select candidates on the basis of their religion. Bamberger was elected on the second ballot, and went on to easily defeat his opponent in the general election.
, said in 1906 that he understood that McCune was not a Mormon. Frank J. Cannon, too, claimed McCune was not a Mormon. And no less an authority than B. H. Roberts, LDS Church historian and member of the First Council of the Seventy, said in 1930 that McCune was not a church member. Historian Orvin Malmquist, however, says that church records show he was baptized into the LDS Church at the age of eight in 1957, and that his marriage to Elizabeth Claridge in a Mormon temple in 1872 could not have occurred without his being a church member. It is not in dispute that he was baptized by proxy
in 1969.
In June 1897, Alfred McCune rented Gardo House
from the LDS Church. At this time, the couple decided to build their own home. Alfred gave his wife, Elizabeth, carte blanche in designing and furnishing the home. The McCunes hired Salt Lake City architect S. C. Dallas to build their home, and then sent him to Europe for two years to study architectural styles. The home Dallas designed was built in a combination of the Shingle
and the Stick
architectural styles. The McCunes vacated Gardo House (probably in 1900), and moved into the home of McCune's business partner and friend, Thomas R. Ellerbeck (at 140 B Street). A few months after Alfred's return from Peru in June 1901, the McCune family moved into their new mansion. The cost of the home was unclear; the McCunes stopped counting the costs after they reached $500,000. It was for many years considered the costliest home in Salt Lake City. The home has been described as a showpiece and one of the grandest homes in the Western United States. (It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.)
In 1920, the McCunes moved to Los Angeles, California
. Alfred was 71 years old, and the move was apparently prompted by California's mild climate. On October 7, 1920, the McCunes donated their Salt Lake City mansion to the LDS Church. The couple stayed at the Hotel Van Nuys for an extended period upon their arrival in Los Angeles. In January 1921, they purchased the home of W.W. Mines at 626 South Kingsley Drive for $30,000. When the Los Angeles Stake was formed in January 1923, McCune's nephew, George W. McCune, was elected president of the Stake.
Elizabeth McCune's health began to deteriorate over the next several years. In 1923, the couple sold their California home, returned to Salt Lake City, and began construction of a new home in the northeast part of the city. With this home still unfinished, the couple took a long vacation in Bermuda
in the spring of 1924. But Elizabeth fell ill during the trip, and they returned to Salt Lake City and took up residence in the Hotel Utah
. Her health worsened, and McCune's extensive family rushed to Salt Lake to be at her side. She died on August 1, 1924. A public funeral was held for her at Temple Square
and she was buried in Nephi.
In November 1926, McCune traveled to Europe with some family members. He never returned to the United States. McCune died on March 28, 1927, in Cannes
, France
. He was buried next to his wife in Nephi.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
railroad builder, mine operator, and politician from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Owner of several retail and construction businesses, he helped build the Montana Central Railway
Montana Central Railway
The Montana Central Railway was a railway company which operated in the American state of Montana from 1886 to 1907. It was constructed by James Jerome Hill's St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway, and became part of the Great Northern Railway in 1889....
in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and a portion of the Utah Southern Railroad
Utah Southern Railroad (1871–1881)
The Utah Southern Railroad was built by the Mormons between Salt Lake City and York , and acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1875.-External links:* , Utah History Encyclopedia, University of Utah...
in Utah, founded the Utah and Pacific Railroad, and built railways in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, among other projects. He also owned many profitable mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
s in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Montana, Peru, and Utah, including the Payne Mine—which paid the most dividends in the history of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Late in life, he co-founded the Cerro de Pasco Investment Company, which became the largest copper investor in South America and the largest American investor in Peru until it was nationalized in 1974. He was one of Utah's first millionaires.
He nearly became a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1899. But after being unable to receive a majority after numerous ballots and accusations of bribery, the state legislature adjourned without electing anyone to the seat. The Senate seat remained vacant for two years, and in 1901 another man was elected to the position.
As of the early 21st century, his Salt Lake City mansion, the Alfred McCune Home
Alfred McCune Home
The Alfred McCune Home is one of the mansions on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City, Utah, from around the turn of the 20th century. Built for Alfred W. McCune on the inclined south side of Capitol Hill at the northeast corner of 200 North and Main Street, the mansion has 21 rooms and is on the...
, was still considered one of the grandest homes ever built in the American West. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1974.
Early life
McCune was born at Fort William in Calcutta, India, on June 11, 1849, to Matthew and Sarah (Scott) McCune. His father was born in 1811 on the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, the son of Robert McCune and Agnes Jelly. Raised from infancy in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Matthew McCune traveled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1835, joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and married Sarah Elizabeth Caroline Scott. (He rose to the rank of captain in the artillery.) Alfred's mother, Sarah, had been born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where her family had resided for generations. Matthew McCune was assigned to Ft. William and the couple moved there the same year they were married. The McCunes had seven sons and one daughter, Alfred William McCune being the second-to-last to be born. All the children were born at Fort William, and three of the boys and the daughter all died there. The McCunes were members of the Plymouth Brethren
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
Christian church. In 1851, after a church meeting in the McCune home, two sailors who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "LDS Church," or Mormonism) converted the McCunes to Mormonism.
In 1854, Matthew McCune was sent Rangoon, Burma, in 1854, where he became a Mormon missionary in his spare time. Young Alfred was educated at home by Mormon missionaries for the next two years. Matthew McCune resigned from the British Army in late 1856, and on either December 6 or December 10 (sources differ) they set sail from Calcutta for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, arriving on March 3, 1857. Alfred had never seen snow before; he thought it was salt falling from the sky. After three months in New York City, the family traveled by rail to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where they proceeded by wagon to Salt Lake City, arriving on September 21, 1857. The family stayed with one family and then another in Farmington, Utah
Farmington, Utah
Farmington is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,255 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Davis County...
, for a few months before moving to Nephi, Utah
Nephi, Utah
Nephi is a city in Juab County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Juab County. It was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1851, and is the principal city in Juab Valley, an...
in 1858.
Matthew McCune married Ann Midgley in 1859, and Isabella Chalmers in 1965. His second and third wives bore him another 15 children. Sarah McCune died in 1877. Matthew McCune died in Nephi in October 1889.
Business career
In his middle and late teens, Alfred McCune worked as a farmer and stock herder. When he was 19, he worked as a laborer on the Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
(then pushing through Echo Canyon in Summit County, Utah
Summit County, Utah
Summit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a rugged and mountainous area. In 2010 its population was 36,324. It is part of the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Salt Lake City–Ogden–Clearfield Combined Statistical Area. The county is...
), and then ranched cattle for a time with his brother Edward.
In 1871, the Utah Southern Railroad began construction across the lower portion of the state of Utah. With business partner Joel Grover, he began supplying the railroad workers with hay, grain, and provisions. In 1878, McCune added a third business partner, Walter P. Read, and they built the Utah Southern Railroad Extension
Lynndyl Subdivision
The Lynndyl Subdivision is a rail line owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in the U.S. state of Utah, running from Salt Lake City southwest to Milford, where the Caliente Subdivision continues towards Los Angeles...
from Milford
Milford, Utah
Milford is a city in Beaver County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,420 at the 2010 census.-History:Although there were ranches in the area in the 1870s, Milford did not come into being until the arrival of the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad in 1880.-Milford Flat...
to Frisco
Frisco, Utah
Frisco is a ghost town in Beaver County, Utah, USA. It was an active mining camp from 1879 to 1929.-History:Frisco developed as the post office and commercial center for the San Francisco Mining District, and was the terminus of the Utah Southern Railroad extension from Milford. The Horn Silver...
in 1880-1881. The three opened a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
in Milford, which proved highly profitable. In 1881, McCune joined Thomas Scofield in opening a 6000 acres (2,428.1 ha) cattle and horse ranch in southern Utah.
McCune married Elizabeth Ann Claridge at Endowment House in Salt Lake City on July 1, 1872. Elizabeth, born February 19, 1852, in Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
, England, was the daughter of Samuel Claridge
Samuel Claridge
Samuel Claridge was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was a prominent early settler of the Muddy River Valley in Nevada and also Thatcher, Arizona....
, a convert to the Latter-day Saints movement who had emigrated to the United States in 1853 and became prominent local leader in the church. The couple made their home in Nephi, had nine children (Alfred Jr., Harry, Earl, Raymond, Fay, Frank, Jacketta, Marcus, and Elizabeth).
McCune participated in a number of railroad, mining, and other business ventures in the late 19th century. Beginning in 1879, McCune's joint business venture—Grover, McCune & Read—helped grade portions of the Rio Grande Railroad, Denver and South Park Railroad
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad
The Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad was a historic narrow gauge railway that operated in Colorado in the western United States in the late 19th century. The railroad opened up the first rail routes to a large section of the central Colorado mining district in the decades of the mineral boom...
, Denver and New Orleans Railroad, and Oregon Short Line Railroad
Oregon Short Line Railroad
The Oregon Short Line Railroad was a railroad in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon. The line was as organized the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railway. Union Pacific intended the line to be the shortest route from Wyoming to Oregon...
. It also supplied wood fuel to Lexington Mines in the state of Montana. But in the winter of 1882, Grover and Read, concerned about economic conditions and worried the firm was over-extended, pulled out of the business. McCune formed his own company, which bought out a general store near Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, and supplied wood fuel to mines in that city. In 1883, he formed a joint partnership with John W. Caplis (also known as John Caplice) to provide capital for his fuel and retail businesses, but within a year Caplis withdrew from the company. In 1885, his old business partners John Caplis and Walter Read joined McCune and Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, businessman Hugh Kirkendall in forming a construction company to build 200 miles (321.9 km) of the Montana Central Railway
Montana Central Railway
The Montana Central Railway was a railway company which operated in the American state of Montana from 1886 to 1907. It was constructed by James Jerome Hill's St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway, and became part of the Great Northern Railway in 1889....
from Butte to Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
. The new firm also extended the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
's Oregon Short Line to Anaconda, Montana
Anaconda, Montana
Anaconda, county seat of Anaconda City/Deer Lodge County, is located in mountainous southwestern Montana. The Continental Divide passes within 8 miles of the community with the local Pintler Mountain range reaching 10,379 feet...
and Butte. Shortly thereafter, mine owner Marcus Daly
Marcus Daly
Marcus Daly redirects here, see also Marcus Daly Marcus Daly was an Irish-born American businessman known as one of the three "Copper Kings" of Butte, Montana, United States.- Early life:...
solicited contracts from firms to provide wood fuel for his mines in Butte as well as wood to help build the town. Daly asked for the huge amount of 300,000 cords. McCune formed a new company with Caplis and another man (John Branagan) to supply the wood. Eighty teams of horses and mules worked alongside 650 men to haul logs out of the forest, and the company built a massive wooden flume
Flume
A flume is an open artificial water channel, in the form of a gravity chute, that leads water from a diversion dam or weir completely aside a natural flow. Often, the flume is an elevated box structure that follows the natural contours of the land. These have been extensively used in hydraulic...
to float the logs out of Mill Creek Canyon (where they could be picked up and hauled by wagon into Butte). When McCune was done extending the Oregon Short Line to Anaconda, he extended his flume another 25 miles (40.2 km) to allow logs to make to that booming mining town. Because of these business interests, the McCunes relocated to Montana in 1885. Three years later, with McCune having fulfilled most of his wood supply contracts, the couple moved to Salt Lake City. They purchased a home at 2nd West and South Temple streets, near the Union Pacific railroad depot.
McCune's business interests turned to mining in the 1890s. Beginning around 1891, McCune purchased interests in a number of highly productive and famous mines in British Columbia, including the Freddie Lee, Krao, Libbie, Maid of Erin, Mountain Chief, Nickel Plate, Skyline, Payne, Two Jacks, and War Eagle.
McCune's interest in railroads and other businesses had not abated, however. In April 1889, he purchased a one-third interest in Salt Lake City's streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system, and converted it from mule-drawn wagons to electric. He also formed a company which in May 1891 took over the Salt Lake Herald (at the time, the Salt Lake Tribune's biggest competitor). In 1895, he co-founded and became part-owner of the Utah Power Company. In February 1897, the McCunes undertook a lengthy tour of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and the Far East. They rented a large home in the English seaside town of Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. They returned to Utah in March 1898. In August 1898, McCune and other investors formed the Utah and Pacific Railroad (U&P), with the purpose of building 75 miles (120.7 km) of track from Milford to Uvada, Utah. The Oregon Short Line supplied the rails and ties
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
for the U&P, and on February 2, 1899, the Oregon Short Line announced it would build a railroad that would connect the U&P at Uvada with the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
state line.
McCune's business interests in the last three decades of his life focused on Peru. In 1887, he formed a mining syndicate with mine investor James Ben Ali Haggin
James Ben Ali Haggin
James Ben Ali Haggin was an Turkish Americanattorney, rancher, investor and a major owner/breeder in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing...
to investigate mine properties in the Pasco Region
Pasco Region
Pasco is a region in central Peru. Its capital is Cerro de Pasco.-Political division:The region is divided into 3 provinces , which are composed of 28 districts .-Provinces:...
of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. McCune visited Peru for several months in the spring of 1901 to assess these properties. In 1902, the two men set up the Cerro de Pasco Investment Company and added new shareholders, which included businessman Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick was an American industrialist, financier, and art patron. He founded the H. C. Frick & Company coke manufacturing company, was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, and played a major role in the formation of the giant U.S. Steel steel manufacturing concern...
, Michael P. Grace
Michael P. Grace
Michael Paul Grace was an international businessman who was a shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of W. R. Grace and Company of New York City and of Grace Brothers & Co. Ltd...
, Phoebe Hearst
Phoebe Hearst
Phoebe Apperson Hearst was an American philanthropist, feminist and suffragist. She was also the mother of William Randolph Hearst.-Biography:...
, Darius Ogden Mills
Darius Ogden Mills
Darius Ogden Mills was a prominent American banker, philanthropist and, for a time, California's wealthiest citizen.-Biography:...
, J. P. Morgan
J. P. Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan was an American financier, banker and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. In 1892 Morgan arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric...
, and Hamilton McKowan Twombly (an heir to the Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...
fortune). The same year, the government of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
awarded McCune a contract to survey a railroad route from Huacho
Huacho
Huacho is a city in Peru, capital of the Huaura Province and capital of the Lima Region. It is located 223 feet above sea level and 148 km north of the city of Lima...
to Cerro de Pasco
Cerro de Pasco
Cerro de Pasco is a city in central Peru. It is the capital of the Pasco region, and an important mining center. It is connected by road and by rail to the city of Lima.- Overview :...
. McCune and his family traveled in Peru in 1902 to visit his various business ventures there. Six years later, the government gave him a contract to build both the Cerro de Pasco Railroad which he had previously survey as well as the Ucayali Railroad along the Ucayali River in the Ancón District
Ancón District
Ancón is a district of northern Lima Province in Peru. It is a popular beach resort, visited every summer by hundreds of people from Lima.Officially established as a district on October 29, 1874, the current mayor of Ancón is Jaime Jesús Pajuelo Torres. The district's postal code is...
. In 1912, McCune incorporated the Amazon and Pacific Railway Company, with the intent of building 190 miles (305.8 km) of railroad from Cerro de Pasco to the Pacific Ocean. The Peruvian government gave McCune 5000000 acres (2,023,430 ha) of land if he completed the route, and operated it for 25 years. Cerro de Pasco Investment subsequently purchased a controlling interest most of the mines in the Pasco Region as well as the Cerro de Pasco Railroad. It soon owned the Oroya Railroad, a very large copper mine in the Morococha District
Morococha District
Morococha District is one of ten districts of the province Yauli in Peru.-References:...
, and the giant productive Casapalca mine. By 1916, the company had more than $30 million invested in copper mining in Peru. This was the largest copper investment anywhere in South America, and probably the largest in the world outside the United States. Cerro de Pasco Investment Company remained the largest American investor in Peru throughout the 20th century, until it was nationalized in 1974. (In 1957, the "McCune Pit"—named for Alfred W. McCune—opened in Cerro de Pasco. Roughly 80 percent of all copper mined in the Pasco Region came from the McCune Pit in 1960.)
Political career
McCune was actively involved in politics in Utah in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The McCunes were Salt Lake City's most prominent citizens, and their home was a salonSalon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
for politics and culture. In mid-August 1898, McCune decided to seek office as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. State legislators had already indicated they would not support the incumbent, Frank J. Cannon for reelection. Cannon, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, had voted against the Dingley Act
Dingley Act
The Dingley Act of 1897 , introduced by U.S. Representative Nelson Dingley, Jr. of Maine, raised tariffs in United States to counteract the Wilson–Gorman Tariff Act of 1894, which had lowered rates....
, which would have raised tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s on sugar and helped the Utah sugar industry. The Dingley bill was strongly supported by the LDS Church hierarchy, who now opposed his reelection. Other factors were his support for Free Silver
Free Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
; rumors about immoral acts he may have committed while living in Washington, D.C.; and that the Utah legislature was controlled by Democrats. The McCunes were close friends with Heber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained an apostle on October 16, 1882, on the same day as George Teasdale...
, seventh president of LDS Church and an ordained LDS apostle. Although the LDS church had (just weeks before) made a decision to stay out of state politics, McCune asked Grant for the church's assistance in winning office. Grant consulted with Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(Apostle and sixth LDS president) and John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
of the LDS Church), both of whom supported McCune's senatorial bid. But McCune was not along in seeking the office. Former Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
William H. King
William H. King
William Henry King was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist from Salt Lake City, Utah. A Democrat, he represented Utah in the United States Senate from 1917 until 1941.-Life:...
was also running (and backed by two Apostles), as was James Moyle
James Moyle
James Henry Moyle was a prominent politician in Utah.-Biography:Moyle was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory to a Cornish American family. From about 1879-1881 Moyle served as a missionary in North Carolina for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(a prominent attorney and founder of the Utah Democratic Party
Utah Democratic Party
The Utah State Democratic Party works to elect Democrats to office in the state of Utah. The Utah Democratic Party, like other national, state, and county parties, maintains a party platform that lists general principles or issues of importance to members of the Utah Democratic Party and maintains...
who was backed by state legislators) and George Q. Cannon
George Q. Cannon
George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
(an Apostle and member of the First Presidency).
At the time, members of the Senate were still elected by their respective state legislatures. The Utah state legislature convened in January 1889. There were 13 Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and 50 Democrats in the state legislature. From the beginning, McCune was considered the leading candidate. But the legislature quickly deadlocked over the election. One-hundred and twenty-one ballots were cast, and no winner emerged. McCune was one or two votes shy of winning on several ballots. on February 18, before the 122nd ballot, state representative Albert A. Law (a Republican from Cache County and a Cannon supporter) claimed McCune offered him $1,500 for his vote. McCune strenuously denied the charge, and a seven-member legislative established to investigate the allegation. The committee voted 7-to-2 to absolve McCune of the charge, and this outcome was announced to the legislature on March 6. Balloting resumed, and on March 8, on the 149th ballot, McCune still lacked enough votes to win office (he had only 25 votes). The legislature adjourned without having chosen a senator, and McCune traveled in Europe for several weeks to regain his health (returning in June 1899).
Utah's U.S. Senate seat remained vacant until January 1901. The Republicans regained their majority in the state legislature in the election of 1900, and elected Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns was a mining, banking, railroad and newspaper magnate. He was elected United States Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905.- Immigration and mining :...
to fill the seat. The election was still hotly disputed. Kearns received only 8 votes on the first ballot, and balloting continued for four more days. On January 22, Kearns won the election by a vote of 37-to-25 (with a unanimous block of Democrats voting for McCune).
McCune ran for governor of Utah in 1916. His Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
opponent was 70-year-old Simon Bamberger
Simon Bamberger
Simon Bamberger was the fourth Governor of Utah after it achieved statehood from territorial status in 1896. Bamberger bears the distinction of being the first non-Mormon, the first Democrat, and the first and to date only Jew to be elected Governor of the State of Utah...
, a millionaire (he owned mines and railroads), state senator, and a Jew. Neither man won a majority of the vote on the first ballot at the Democratic State Convention. Then B. H. Roberts, LDS Church historian and member of the First Council of the Seventy, delivered what historians have characterized as a "brilliant" speech declaring that voters should not select candidates on the basis of their religion. Bamberger was elected on the second ballot, and went on to easily defeat his opponent in the general election.
Religious beliefs, home, and death
The status of McCune's religious beliefs is open to dispute. Mormon missionary Stuart Martin wrote in 1920 that McCune was not a Mormon, but had many Mormon friends and had given much money to the church. Judge Orlando Powers, Associate Justice of the Utah Supreme CourtUtah Supreme Court
The Utah Supreme Court is the supreme court of the state of Utah, USA. It has final authority of interpretation of the Utah Constitution. The Utah Supreme Court is composed of five members: a chief justice, an associate chief justice, and three justices. All justices are appointed by the governor...
, said in 1906 that he understood that McCune was not a Mormon. Frank J. Cannon, too, claimed McCune was not a Mormon. And no less an authority than B. H. Roberts, LDS Church historian and member of the First Council of the Seventy, said in 1930 that McCune was not a church member. Historian Orvin Malmquist, however, says that church records show he was baptized into the LDS Church at the age of eight in 1957, and that his marriage to Elizabeth Claridge in a Mormon temple in 1872 could not have occurred without his being a church member. It is not in dispute that he was baptized by proxy
Baptism for the dead
Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism is the religious practice of baptizing a living person on behalf of one who is dead, with the living person acting as the deceased person's proxy...
in 1969.
In June 1897, Alfred McCune rented Gardo House
Gardo House
The Gardo House was the official residence of the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the tenures of John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff.-Construction:...
from the LDS Church. At this time, the couple decided to build their own home. Alfred gave his wife, Elizabeth, carte blanche in designing and furnishing the home. The McCunes hired Salt Lake City architect S. C. Dallas to build their home, and then sent him to Europe for two years to study architectural styles. The home Dallas designed was built in a combination of the Shingle
Shingle Style architecture
The Shingle style is an American architectural style made popular by the rise of the New England school of architecture, which eschewed the highly ornamented patterns of the Eastlake style in Queen Anne architecture....
and the Stick
Stick-Eastlake
The Stick style was a late-19th-century American architectural style. According to McAlester, it served as the transition between the Carpenter Gothic style of the mid-19th century, and the Queen Anne style that it evolved into and superseded it by the 1890s....
architectural styles. The McCunes vacated Gardo House (probably in 1900), and moved into the home of McCune's business partner and friend, Thomas R. Ellerbeck (at 140 B Street). A few months after Alfred's return from Peru in June 1901, the McCune family moved into their new mansion. The cost of the home was unclear; the McCunes stopped counting the costs after they reached $500,000. It was for many years considered the costliest home in Salt Lake City. The home has been described as a showpiece and one of the grandest homes in the Western United States. (It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.)
Final years and death
Alfred McCune continued to be heavily involved in business in his 50s and 60s. But according to McCune's long-time friend Heber Grant, by 1908 McCune's desire to earn money had overwhelmed his Mormon faith. Grant believed McCune's children had lost their faith as well due to their father's avarice. McCune's extensive business interests also took him away from his wife for long periods of time.In 1920, the McCunes moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Alfred was 71 years old, and the move was apparently prompted by California's mild climate. On October 7, 1920, the McCunes donated their Salt Lake City mansion to the LDS Church. The couple stayed at the Hotel Van Nuys for an extended period upon their arrival in Los Angeles. In January 1921, they purchased the home of W.W. Mines at 626 South Kingsley Drive for $30,000. When the Los Angeles Stake was formed in January 1923, McCune's nephew, George W. McCune, was elected president of the Stake.
Elizabeth McCune's health began to deteriorate over the next several years. In 1923, the couple sold their California home, returned to Salt Lake City, and began construction of a new home in the northeast part of the city. With this home still unfinished, the couple took a long vacation in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
in the spring of 1924. But Elizabeth fell ill during the trip, and they returned to Salt Lake City and took up residence in the Hotel Utah
Joseph Smith Memorial Building
The Joseph Smith Memorial Building is named in honor of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. It is located on the corner of Main Street and South Temple in Salt Lake City. Previously the Hotel Utah, it is now an administrative building...
. Her health worsened, and McCune's extensive family rushed to Salt Lake to be at her side. She died on August 1, 1924. A public funeral was held for her at Temple Square
Temple Square
Temple Square is a ten acre complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square...
and she was buried in Nephi.
In November 1926, McCune traveled to Europe with some family members. He never returned to the United States. McCune died on March 28, 1927, in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was buried next to his wife in Nephi.