William Cornell Greene
William Cornell Greene | |
|---|---|
| File:WilliamCornellGreene.jpg | |
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | August 5, 1911 (aged 58) Cananea, Sonora, Mexico |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder of Cananea, Sonora |
Colonel William Cornell Greene (August 26, 1852 – August 5, 1911) was an American entrepreneur best known for uncovering significant copper deposits in Cananea, Mexico, and establishing the Greene Consolidated Copper Company in 1899. By the year 1905, he had become one of the wealthiest industrialists worldwide.
Biography
Greene was born in Duck Creek, Wisconsin and received his education at private institutions as well as the Chappaqua Mountain Institute located in Chappaqua, New York.
His early career included working as a clerk for O. H. Angevin & Company before joining a surveying crew for the Northern Pacific Railroad. After leaving railroad work, he claimed the site that would become Fargo, North Dakota in 1870 and subsequently pursued mining and cattle ranching ventures throughout the western United States and northern Mexico, including areas such as Montana, Colorado, and Arizona. His business activities frequently involved overcoming the difficulties of frontier environments.
The Burnett killing
In 1897, while residing on a ranch near what is now Sierra Vista, Arizona along the San Pedro River, Greene constructed a dam to irrigate his alfalfa crops. This action angered his neighbor James C. Burnett, who responded by hiring men to demolish the dam using explosives. The resulting blast altered the river's course and created a dangerous swimming spot where Greene’s daughter Ella and her companion tragically drowned on June 25.
Holding Burnett responsible for this loss, Greene located him in Tombstone on July 1 and fatally shot him. He then surrendered to law enforcement and was found not guilty of murder after asserting self-defense. The event profoundly impacted Greene’s family life; his wife never recovered from their daughter's death and passed away in 1899. Subsequently, Greene remarried Mary Benedict (1876–1955).
Businessman
On September 15, 1899, Greene established the Greene Consolidated Copper Company to exploit copper-rich deposits near Cananea. The company rapidly became one of the globe’s most productive copper ore producers, yielding more than 70 million pounds annually on average. This achievement elevated Greene to one of America’s most affluent businessmen and prompted him to initiate additional enterprises such as the Pacific Coast Coal Company, Greene Consolidated Gold Company, Cananea Railroad Company, and Sierra Madre Land and Lumber Company. Nevertheless, none matched the profitability of his Cananea copper mines.
In 1903, Greene purchased the San Rafael Ranch near Lochiel, Arizona, which served as the hub for his cattle operations. The ranch flourished but also attracted unwanted attention from Mexican bandit Pancho Villa, who repeatedly stole horses from the property. The San Rafael Ranch remained under Greene family ownership until 1998 when it was sold to The Nature Conservancy and Arizona State Parks for conservation purposes. In 2008, its main buildings were designated on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the "San Rafael Ranch Historic District."
The Lawson Panic of 1904 coupled with ensuing labor strikes signaled the downturn of Greene Consolidated. Instigated by investor Thomas Lawson, this financial panic caused a significant sell-off on Wall Street that severely depressed stock prices. Although there was some market rebound, in May 1906 striking miners protesting wage disparities laid siege to the company’s facilities. Local Sonoran Rurales and the Arizona Rangers intervened despite orders prohibiting crossing into Sonora.
At the same time, Greene’s New York investors began liquidating shares, further driving down stock values. Ultimately, due to excessive expenditures on affiliated businesses and intense competition within the industry, Greene faced financial ruin. In 1906 he was compelled to sell Greene Consolidated to Thomas F. Cole, John D. Ryan, and Amalgamated Copper.
Death
Following the sale of Greene Consolidated, Greene stepped away from the day-to-day management of the mining operations and largely retreated from public affairs, choosing to live a quiet life in Cananea. He passed away on August 5, 1911, due to pneumonia that developed after an accident.
His funeral featured a religious ceremony held at his residence, after which his casket was conveyed to Los Angeles, California, aboard his private train. In 1918, Charlie Wiswall—Greene’s devoted general business manager—entered into marriage with Greene’s widow Mary. Their union was governed by a prenuptial agreement that limited Wiswall’s access to the estate’s assets and established him as a lifelong employee of Greene Emporium. Wiswall died in 1953, followed by Mary in 1955. Later, in 1956, Greene’s son William arranged for his father’s remains to be moved and reburied in the municipal cemetery of Cananea.
See also
Further reading
- Charles Leland Sonnichsen, Colonel Greene and the Copper Skyrocket: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of William Cornell Greene Copper King, Cattle Baron and Promoter, Arcadia Publishing, 1974.
- Miller, Joseph, editor, The Arizona Rangers, Hastings House, 1975.
- O'Neal, Bill, The Arizona Rangers, Eakin Press, 1987.
- Zimmerman, David A., "Panic! Markets, Crises, and Crowds in American Fiction", Chapel Hill, 2006.