The Big Four
Encyclopedia
The Big Four was the name popularly given to the chief entrepreneur
s in the building of the Central Pacific Railroad
, the western portion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States
. However, the four of them preferred to be known as "The Associates".
David Hewes
, an enterprising businessman, was called the "maker of San Francisco" for his work in clearing land for development. He was invited to be a part of the Big Four (Central Pacific Railroad) but declined due to the financial risks, over his lifetime he gained and lost several fortunes.
included characters based on the Big Four in his work Black Beetles in Amber as Sootymug (Hopkins), Happy Hunty (Huntington), Cowboy Charley (Crocker) and Leland, The Kid (Stanford).
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
s in the building of the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
, the western portion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, the four of them preferred to be known as "The Associates".
- Leland StanfordLeland StanfordAmasa Leland Stanford was an American tycoon, industrialist, robber baron, politician and founder of Stanford University.-Early years:...
- President - Collis P. HuntingtonCollis P. HuntingtonCollis Potter Huntington was one of the Big Four of western railroading who built the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad...
- Vice President - Mark Hopkins - Treasurer
- Charles CrockerCharles CrockerCharles Crocker was an American railroad executive.-Early years:Crocker was born in Troy, New York, to a modest family and moved to an Indiana farm at age 14. He soon became independent, working on several farms, a sawmill, and at an iron forge. In 1845 he founded a small, independent iron...
- Construction supervisor and president of Charles Crocker & Co., a CP subsidiary.
David Hewes
David Hewes
David Hewes born into one of the "old families" of the state that trace back seven generations to the patriot Joshua Hewes. His father died when he was five years old...
, an enterprising businessman, was called the "maker of San Francisco" for his work in clearing land for development. He was invited to be a part of the Big Four (Central Pacific Railroad) but declined due to the financial risks, over his lifetime he gained and lost several fortunes.
In popular culture
Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist...
included characters based on the Big Four in his work Black Beetles in Amber as Sootymug (Hopkins), Happy Hunty (Huntington), Cowboy Charley (Crocker) and Leland, The Kid (Stanford).