Jun 162012
The Marina Green
Near the end of Fillmore Street
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Memorial to William C. Ralston by Haig Patigian 1941
William C. Ralston made his fortune in Nevada’s Silver Comstock Lode. He was one of the richest and most powerful men in California, founding the Bank of California and building the Palace Hotel. In 1875, after a combination of the expense of building the Hotel, his attempt to buy and resell the Spring Valley Water Company and the effects of the Panic of 1873, which crashed the stock value of his Bank, his body was found in the Bay. Whether due to a stroke during his regular swim, or from suicide it will never be known. It is said nearly 50,000 people watched his funeral procession.
This statue to Ralston was commissioned and paid for by Edward Bowes(14 June 1874, San Francisco – 13 June 1946, Rumson, New Jersey) Bowes made his fortune in real estate in San Francisco. The 1906 earthquake made him reevaluate his life, he moved to New York and became involved in the entertainment industry. Major ( a rank he obtained in WWI, and insisted on being addressed this way for the rest of his life) Bowes’ Amateur Hour was the best-known amateur talent show in radio during its eighteen-year run (1934-1952) on NBC Radio and CBS Radio.
I have no idea what linked the two gentlemen’s lives.
The Woman is holding an eagle on one hand and a weapon in the other. On the east and west sides, were ornamental fish, they are no longer there. The sculptor, Haig Patigian has been in this site many times before.
it would be interesting to know what kind of connection there was between them. I have heard of that Amateur Hour.
Interesting post! I wonder what linked the men’s lives. . .
The 1906 quake also sent Gertrude Stein running -she to Paris. My great grandfather, a bakery owner, died in December 1905 and I understand my great grandmother was homeless from it. I’ve read accounts that the bakery helped feed people in the days after the quake. My grandfather, a young teen at the time, never spoke of it though my grandmother talked of seeing the smoke from where she lived, on a farm in the Central Valley.
I never knew the background of Mr. Ralston. Very sad. And, that was quite a career change for Mr. Bowes. I’m glad he found his calling in radio.
The woman in the back is fantastic!
Wow, what an impressive piece. I’ve never heard of him, but sounds like he played a big part in early CA history. Thank you for sharing on Weekly Top Shot #35.
I just watched a documentary on these early bankers so this ties in with that information. An interesting bit of history. I like the patina on this piece. xx