Clarence Dayton Hillman
Encyclopedia
Clarence Dayton Hillman was a prominent businessman and real estate developer in Seattle, Washington
at the beginning of the 20th century.
Born in Birmingham, Michigan
, his parents both died before he was ten years old. Quitting school after the second grade, he and his brother sold newspapers in Chicago, Illinois before heading west in 1891 to seek their fortunes in California.
Hillman headed north to Seattle in the late 1890s as the city was recovering from the Panic of 1893
. Soon after his arrival the Klondike Gold Rush
brought a surge of visitors and commerce to the area. By purchasing large tracks of land that had been recently logged around the city, and then sub-dividing that land and selling it to individuals, Hillman soon became one of the most successful businessmen in Seattle.
In 1910 a Seattle newspaper began printing stories about land buyers who were disgruntled with Hillman's sales tactics. There were instances in which the land's development potential had been exaggerated, and in some cases the land was sold to more than one person or was at the bottom of a lake. When Hillman started to use the mail to conduct these questionable practices, he was charged with the federal offense of mail fraud. He was convicted and, after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case, served 18 months of a 30-month sentence before rejoining his family in California and developing land in Paso Robles
, San Diego
, and Pasadena
.
He died in 1935 while visiting his ranch at Paso Robles, and was buried in Seattle, Washington.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
at the beginning of the 20th century.
Born in Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
, his parents both died before he was ten years old. Quitting school after the second grade, he and his brother sold newspapers in Chicago, Illinois before heading west in 1891 to seek their fortunes in California.
Hillman headed north to Seattle in the late 1890s as the city was recovering from the Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
. Soon after his arrival the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
brought a surge of visitors and commerce to the area. By purchasing large tracks of land that had been recently logged around the city, and then sub-dividing that land and selling it to individuals, Hillman soon became one of the most successful businessmen in Seattle.
In 1910 a Seattle newspaper began printing stories about land buyers who were disgruntled with Hillman's sales tactics. There were instances in which the land's development potential had been exaggerated, and in some cases the land was sold to more than one person or was at the bottom of a lake. When Hillman started to use the mail to conduct these questionable practices, he was charged with the federal offense of mail fraud. He was convicted and, after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case, served 18 months of a 30-month sentence before rejoining his family in California and developing land in Paso Robles
Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Paso Robles is the fastest growing city in San Luis Obispo County: Its population at the 2000 census was 24,297; in 2010 it recorded some 29,793 residentsLocated on the Salinas River north of San Luis Obispo, California,...
, San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, and Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
He died in 1935 while visiting his ranch at Paso Robles, and was buried in Seattle, Washington.
See also
- Clearview, WashingtonClearview, WashingtonClearview is a small unincorporated community located on both sides of State Route 9, where it intersects 180th Street SE in Snohomish County, Washington, United States...
- Kennydale, WashingtonKennydale, WashingtonKennydale is a neighborhood in Renton, Washington, in the United States. As of 2008, it had an estimated population of 4,840. It lies along the southeastern shore of Lake Washington and straddles Interstate 405 which runs north-south between Renton and Bellevue, and borders the Newport Shores...
- Pacific, WashingtonPacific, WashingtonPacific is a city in King and Pierce counties in the U.S. state of Washington. Located primarily in King County, the population was 6,606 at the 2010 census. Like its northern neighbor Algona, Pacific is sometimes mistaken for a part of Auburn.- History :...
- Rainier Beach, Seattle, Washington
Sources
- Wilma, David, "Hillman, Clarence Dayton (1870-1935)", HistoryLink.org, Essay 3080, March 10, 2001.
Additional Resources
- McAbee, J. Clark, "White River Rapscallion: An Insight into C. D. Hillman" White River Journal, October 2003.
- Wilma, David, "Hillman, Clarence Dayton (1870-1935)", HistoryLink.org, Essay 3080, March 10, 2001