Anson Parsons Hotaling
Anson Parsons Hotaling | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date New York, United States |
| Died | February 16, 1900 (aged 72) San Francisco, California, United States |
| Other names | A.P. Hotaling |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, real estate investor |
| Known for | Wine and spirits business; maritime commerce; real estate investments |
Anson Parsons Hotaling (also spelled Houghtaling; born February 28, 1827, in New York – died February 16, 1900, in San Francisco) was a prominent American entrepreneur and real estate investor based in San Francisco. He was frequently referred to as A.P. Hotaling.
Biography
The third son of Garrit A. Ho(u)ghtaling and Hanna Parsons, Hotaling's family name originated from the Dutch Hoogteijling. Raised in rural New York, he embarked on a voyage to San Francisco in 1852 aboard "The Racehound," traveling around Cape Horn with layovers in South America. Although he considered settling there, he ultimately proceeded to California.
Following a short period working in mining, he established a business specializing in wine and spirits in San Francisco. By 1866, he had become the sole proprietor and expanded his operations into maritime commerce involving the South Sea islands, Pacific Russia, and subsequently Australia. Hotaling amassed significant real estate holdings throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, alongside investments in iron and mercury mining ventures.
Death and legacy
In 1863, he married Lavinia J. Linen. Among their four sons, two passed away before him; his son Richard M. Hotaling served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors between 1900 and 1901. Hotaling passed away on February 16, 1900, in San Francisco.
Hotaling Place, situated within the Jackson Square Historic District and recognized as "San Francisco's oldest alley," bears his name. He operated a whiskey warehouse there which reportedly withstood the 1906 earthquake and fire. This survival is memorialized by a poem from Charles K. Field displayed on a plaque:
- "If, as they say, God spanked the town
- For being over-frisky,
- Why did He burn His churches down
- And spare Hotaling's Whiskey?"