Leland Stanford

Leland Stanford
Born	Watervliet, New York, U.S.
Died	June 21, 1893(1893-06-21) (aged 69)
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, industrialist, philanthropist, politician
Years active	Mid 19th century – 1893
Known for	Founder of Stanford University; Governor of California; U.S. Senator; president of Central Pacific Railroad

Amasa Leland Stanford (March 9, 1824 – June 21, 1893) was a prominent American lawyer, industrial magnate, philanthropist, and member of the Republican from Watervliet, New York. He held office as California's eighth governor of California between 1862 and 1863, and later represented the state as a United States Senator from 1885 until 1893. Together with his wife Jane, he established Stanford University, honoring their deceased son through its name.

Following his relocation to California amid the 1852 California gold rush, Stanford developed a prosperous enterprise in merchandising and wholesale trade. He rose to prominence as a leading figure in the Central Pacific Railroad and subsequently the Southern Pacific railroads from 1861 to 1890, wielding considerable power throughout the Western United States and significantly influencing California’s economic landscape.

Stanford also played key roles as an executive and investor in foundational financial firms including Pacific Life and Wells Fargo. As California’s inaugural Republican governor, he was influential in shaping state governance. Due to his immense wealth and railroad dominance, many historians have categorized him as a robber baron.

Early life and career

Born in 1824 in Watervliet, New York (now part of the Town of Colonie), Leland Stanford was one of eight children born to Josiah and Elizabeth Phillips Stanford. His brothers included Charles Stanford, a New York State Senator, and Thomas Welton Stanford, a businessman active in Australia. The family lineage traces back to settlers in Massachusetts during the 1600s who later moved to central New York around 1720.

Stanford grew up on family farms located in Lisha Kill and Roessleville, New York. His education began at local common schools until 1836, followed by private tutoring until 1839. Between 1841 and 1845, he attended Clinton Liberal Institute and Cazenovia Seminary. In 1845, he commenced legal studies at the Albany law firm Wheaton, Doolittle, and Hadley. After passing the bar exam in 1848, he relocated to Port Washington, Wisconsin, where he partnered with Wesley Pierce to establish a law practice. His father supplied him with an extensive legal library. By 1850, Stanford secured nomination from the Whig Party for Washington County district attorney.

Businesses

Following the destruction of his law library and property by fire in 1852, Stanford joined his brothers in moving westward to California during the Gold Rush. Initially, he operated a general merchandise store for miners at Michigan Bluff (formerly Michigan City) before advancing into wholesale trade. He also served as justice of the peace and contributed to founding the Sacramento Library Association—an early iteration of what became the Sacramento Public Library. Although he briefly returned to Albany in 1855, he soon went back to California attracted by its dynamic environment.

Central Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads

In 1856, Stanford relocated to Sacramento where he broadened his mercantile enterprises on a larger scale. He became one of "The Big Four" investors—together with Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins, and Collis P. Huntington—in Chief Engineer Theodore Judah’s Central Pacific Railroad initiative. The company was officially incorporated on June 28, 1861, with Stanford elected as president. The Central Pacific’s inaugural locomotive bore the name Gov. Stanford as a tribute.

Although unsuccessful in his initial bid for California governor in 1859, Stanford won the election in 1861 and served a two-year term marked by challenges including managing the aftermath of the Great Flood of 1862.

During construction of the Central Pacific Railroad, Stanford and his partners obtained control over the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1868. He acted as its president until 1890 except for a brief interval between 1869 and 1870 when Tevis filled that role. Internal conflicts led to Huntington forcing him out.

As leader of the firm responsible for building the western portion of the First Transcontinental Railroad—from Sacramento across the Sierra Nevada mountains to Utah—Stanford presided over the iconic “Last Spike” ceremony at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869.

By 1874, Stanford moved his family residence to San Francisco and took on presidency of the Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company, which aligned with Central Pacific’s interests toward Asian markets.

The Southern Pacific Company was established in 1884 as a holding entity overseeing Central Pacific-Southern Pacific operations. Stanford held its presidency from 1885 until Huntington compelled his resignation in 1890—likely due to political rivalry following Stanford’s Senate victory over Huntington’s ally Aaron A. Sargent.

Subsequently, Stanford assumed chairmanship of Southern Pacific Railroad’s executive committee while maintaining leadership of Central Pacific until his passing.

Additional Ventures

In May 1868, Stanford partnered with Lloyd Tevis, Darius Ogden Mills, and others to establish the Pacific Union Express Company, which merged with Wells Fargo and Company in 1870. He held a position on Wells Fargo’s board of directors from 1870 until January 1884, and resumed this role from February 1884 until his passing in June 1893. That same year, he founded the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company (now known as Pacific Life), serving as its inaugural president between 1868 and 1876.

Stanford possessed two notable wineries: the Leland Stanford Winery in Alameda County, created in 1869 and later overseen by his brother Josiah, and the expansive Great Vina Ranch in Tehama County spanning 55,000 acres. This ranch included a vineyard covering 3,575 acres—the largest globally at the time—and was eventually gifted to Stanford University.

His interests extended to equine breeding, owning the 17,800-acre Gridley property in Butte County and founding the Palo Alto Stock Farm in Santa Clara County. He specialized in breeding Standardbred trotters such as his principal sire Electioneer and distinguished descendants including Arion, Sunol, Palo Alto, and Chimes (whose dam was Beautiful Bells), as well as Thoroughbreds for flat racing. In 1872, Stanford commissioned photographer Eadweard Muybridge to conduct scientific studies of horse locomotion at Sacramento’s Agricultural Park racetrack and subsequently at Palo Alto Stock Farm. This research led to the creation of the early motion picture Sallie Gardner at a Gallop (1878), which investigated whether horses have all four hooves off the ground simultaneously. The Palo Alto breeding establishment eventually transformed into Stanford University, earning it the moniker "The Farm."

Political Career

Stanford played an active role in politics as a prominent member of the Republican Party. In 1856, he contributed to the formation of the California Republican Party at its inaugural state convention held in Sacramento. He participated as a delegate in Republican conventions responsible for selecting US presidential electors in both 1856 and 1860. Despite unsuccessful campaigns for California state treasurer in 1857 and governor in 1859, he secured election as governor in 1861.

Governorship of California

Serving as California’s eighth Governor from January 1862 through December 1863, Stanford became the state’s first Republican governor. His term coincided with the Great Flood of 1862, which caused significant disruption statewide. Known for his measured oratory and preference for prepared speeches, he was widely regarded as earnest and dependable.

During his governorship, Stanford reduced California’s public debt by half and advocated for forest preservation. He also founded California’s first normal school located in San Jose, which later developed into San Jose State University. Additionally, legislation passed under his administration extended the gubernatorial term length from two to four years.

Policies Regarding Native Americans

Stanford’s administration perpetuated policies that contributed to the systematic destruction of Native American populations within California. He enacted legislation that partially reversed provisions of the 1850 Act for the Government and Protection of Indians, which had permitted Native American enslavement. Nevertheless, his government also actively prosecuted military campaigns such as the Bald Hills War against Indigenous groups in Northern California.

Chinese immigrants

The California gold rush drew numerous newcomers, among them Chinese immigrants who endured considerable discrimination. Opposition to Chinese immigration became a prominent political concern. In January 1862, Governor Stanford expressed his views on the matter:

Although Stanford initially received backing for his stance, his popularity waned once it was revealed that the Central Pacific Railroad, which he was involved with, employed Chinese workers to construct the railroad.

United States Senator

From 1885 until his passing in 1893, Stanford held a seat as a United States Senator. During this period, he chaired the Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds and was also a member of the Naval Committee. Throughout his Senate service, he maintained leadership roles as president and director of the Central Pacific Railroad.

Stanford introduced legislation reflecting the People's Party platform, including initiatives to encourage worker-owned cooperatives and to establish currency secured by land value instead of exclusively by gold. Neither proposal progressed beyond committee review. His residence in Washington was located near Farragut Square, close to Russian diplomat Karl von Struve.

Stanford University

Leland Stanford and his wife Jane established Leland Stanford Junior University to honor their only son, Leland Stanford Jr., who passed away at age 15 from typhoid fever during a European trip in 1884. The university was founded through the California Endowment Act in March 1885 and financed by an endowment from the Stanfords signed later that year in November. It officially opened on October 1, 1891, with an initial emphasis on agricultural education. The Stanfords invested approximately $40 million (equivalent to roughly $ today) into the university's development. The institution's first enrolled student was future U.S. President Herbert Hoover. By the late 19th century, the Stanford family's wealth was estimated at $50 million (about $ today).

For more than three decades, Stanford advocated for employee ownership concepts, which influenced his vision for the university, legislative efforts, and public remarks.

Personal life and death

On September 30, 1850, Stanford wed Jane Elizabeth Lathrop, daughter of Albany merchant Dyer Lathrop. Their only child, Leland DeWitt Stanford, was born in 1868 when Stanford was 44 years old.

Between 1850 and 1855, Stanford was an active Freemason affiliated with lodges in Wisconsin before joining those in California. He was also a member of California’s Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

The Stanfords resided in a Sacramento mansion where their son was born; this property is now preserved as the Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park and serves as a venue for official state functions. Their Nob Hill residence in San Francisco was destroyed during the 1906 earthquake; its location is currently occupied by the Stanford Court Hotel. Their home in Palo Alto was converted into a convalescent facility for children in 1919 (a predecessor to Lucille Packard Children's Hospital) before being demolished in 1965.

Stanford suffered from locomotor ataxia and passed away due to heart failure at his Palo Alto home on June 21, 1893, aged 69. He was buried in the family mausoleum located on the university campus. Jane Stanford died in 1905 from strychnine poisoning.

Legacy and Honors

In 1862, volunteer soldiers from California assigned to reconstruct a military installation at the junction of the San Pedro River and Aravaipa Creek in the Arizona Territory named the site Fort Stanford in tribute to the governor. Subsequently, the fort was renamed Fort Breckenridge before becoming known as Camp Grant in 1866. Stanford was posthumously honored in 2008 with induction into the California Hall of Fame at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts; a family member accepted this distinction on his behalf.

The Stanford Memorial Church, situated within the university grounds, stands as a testament to Stanford's enduring influence. Additionally, Mount Stanford in California’s Sierra Nevada range carries his name. Among Central Pacific’s locomotives commemorating Stanford were:

• Gov. Stanford, a 4-4-0 engine constructed in 1863 by Norris Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, transported to San Francisco via sailing ship, and now preserved at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
• El Gobernador, a 4-10-0 locomotive fabricated in Central Pacific's Sacramento facility in 1884, which was dismantled by 1894 due to inadequate performance in freight service.

Mount Stanford within the John Muir Wilderness is positioned near other peaks named after notable industrialists such as Mount Huntington, Mount Hopkins, and Mount Crocker.

External links

• Governor Leland Stanford biography at the California State Library
• Penny Postcards: Leland Stanford's store: Michigan Bluff, California