Henry Huntington: un icono del sur de California

The name ?Huntington? is one that is heard routinely throughout Orange County and other parts of Southern California. Yet, many people do not know the history of the man behind the name. An American railroad magnate, Henry Edwards Huntington owned the Pacific Electric Railway as well as a significant amount of real estate in the area. As such, he played a significant role in helping to build up Los Angeles and the surrounding area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Huntington?s Impact on Southern California

The nephew of Collis P. Huntington, who was one of The Big Four of men who were instrumental in the creation of the Central Pacific Railroad, Henry Huntington held several executive positions while working alongside his uncle. In 1898, he purchased the Los Angeles Railway before going on to form the Pacific Electric Railway three years later. By offering passenger-friendly streetcars 24 hours per day, Huntington?s railway systems were a step ahead of the railroads that were previously in service. In addition, his railway systems contributed to the boom in land development in Southern California as they serviced areas that railroads had never considered.

Para 1910, los sistemas de carritos de Huntington se extendían a lo largo de aproximadamente 1.300 millas del sur de California. En su apogeo, el sistema cuenta con 20 líneas de tranvías y 1.250 carros. Huntington se retiró del negocio activo en 1916, pero el impacto de sus desarrollos todavía se siente en todo el sur de California y su nombre sigue vivo de muchas maneras.

El legado de Huntington

The Huntington name can be seen in many places throughout Southern California. Among the most prominent of his legacies is the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, which is located on his former estate in San Marino. In addition to being one of the top institutions in the world for the study of the history of science and technology, the library houses an extensive art collection focusing on 18th and 19th-century European art and 17th to mid-20th-century American art. The property also boasts 120 acres of landscaped gardens, including the ?Desert Garden,? the ?Japanese Garden? and the ?Chinese Garden.?

Huntington Beach, Huntington Park and Huntington Lake are all named in Huntington?s honor, as is Huntington Hospital in Pasadena and Henry E. Huntington Middle School in San Marino. Huntington Drive, which runs eastbound from downtown Los Angeles, was also named after Henry Huntington.

El parque de la ciudad de Mount Rubidoux en Riverside originalmente se llamaba Huntington Park y la carretera en la parte superior se llamaba Huntington Drive. Si bien el parque ha cambiado de nombre desde entonces, una placa dedicada a Huntington en 1907 todavía se puede encontrar en una gran roca dentro del parque conocido como Huntington Rock. Después de su muerte, se agregó una placa adicional en el lado norte de la colina en un lugar conocido como Huntington Shrine.

The Huntington Hotel in Pasadena is another of Huntington?s legacies, with Huntington purchasing the failing Hotel Wentworth in 1911 and reopening it in 1914 under its new name. Huntington transformed the hotel into a beautiful winter resort , forging a reputation for fine service. Following a long history of ups and downs that included a variety of different owners, the hotel was most recently purchased by Langham Brand International and renamed Huntington Hotel & Spa.