Henry Meiggs
Henry Meiggs (known in South America as Enrique Meiggs , born July 7, 1811 in Catskill , New York , † September 30, 1877 in Lima ) was an American entrepreneur and fraudulent financial juggler. He became known as the founder of Meiggsville - today's Mendocino .
Life
After several attempts to make a living trading timber in New York City, Meiggs moved to San Francisco during the gold rush and began trading real estate there in 1849, particularly in what is now the historic port area ( Meiggs Wharf and Fishermans Wharf ) .
In 1854 Meiggs went to South America and built railways in Peru and the neighboring countries. In 1869 the Peruvian government signed the contract with him to build the Peruvian Central Railway . It is the most famous of the railway lines that Meiggs had built, because for over a hundred years it was the highest standard-gauge railway line in the world.
The judicial clarification of his obscure real estate deals took more than a hundred years.
Honors
Numerous streets in Peru are named after Enrique Meiggs, including those in Lima , Callao , Chimbote and Juliaca .
literature
- Elisabeth P. Myers: South America's Yankee Genius, Henry Meiggs . Messner, New York 1969.
- Watt Stewart: Henry Meiggs, Yankee Pizarro . Duke University Press, Durham 1946.
- Ernst Wilhelm Middendorf : El constructor de ferrocarril Henry Meiggs . In: Letras , Volume 40, No. 80/81, Lima 1968, pp. 109–129.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Meiggs, Henry |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American entrepreneur and fraudster |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 7, 1811 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Catskill |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 30, 1877 |
| Place of death | Lima |