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Great Persuader: The Biography of Collis P. Huntington
The Great Persuader is the biography of a robber baron, the greatest railroad mogul of them all-Collis P. Huntington, the Sacramento, California, storekeeper who, along with Leland Stanford and Mark Hopkins, parlayed $1,500 into America's first continental railroad. It is an almost unbelievable story of a high dream of fortune realized through highhanded practices-an adventure which left the national treasury poorer by millions of swindled dollars, and America itself richer by a national railroad system which contributed greatly to the country's westward expansion.
How did Huntington operate? What were his methods? Was he corrupt? These are questions that were previously unanswered but thanks to the cooperation of the Huntington family who supplied Mr. Lavender with material that had never before been made public, Lavender shows just how Collis P. Huntington operated-and it was defintely outside the law, although well inside the prevailing morality of his time. It shows his complicated dealings with Sanford Hopkins, how he bested such tycoons as Thomas A. Scott, John C. Durrant, Oliver Ames and Jay Gould, how Huntington accumulated the great fortune which was the legacy to his family, and how his great railroad network was to prove an unparalleled legacy to all Americans. The Great Persuader is a powerful story of a remarkable man whose singleness of purpose and ruthless manipulation of men and money propelled the great enterprise forward against all odds.
How did Huntington operate? What were his methods? Was he corrupt? These are questions that were previously unanswered but thanks to the cooperation of the Huntington family who supplied Mr. Lavender with material that had never before been made public, Lavender shows just how Collis P. Huntington operated-and it was defintely outside the law, although well inside the prevailing morality of his time. It shows his complicated dealings with Sanford Hopkins, how he bested such tycoons as Thomas A. Scott, John C. Durrant, Oliver Ames and Jay Gould, how Huntington accumulated the great fortune which was the legacy to his family, and how his great railroad network was to prove an unparalleled legacy to all Americans. The Great Persuader is a powerful story of a remarkable man whose singleness of purpose and ruthless manipulation of men and money propelled the great enterprise forward against all odds.
- GenresBiography
459 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
About the author
David Lavender
79 books16 followersDavid Sievert Lavender was a well-known historian of the Western United States, nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, who is best remembered by many for his River Runners of the Grand Canyon.
Lavender spent most of his life in Ojai, California. An articulate and deeply knowledgeable speaker on the political and social history of the American West, he often spoke at the annual Telluride Film Festival.
Lavender spent most of his life in Ojai, California. An articulate and deeply knowledgeable speaker on the political and social history of the American West, he often spoke at the annual Telluride Film Festival.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 20, 2019
To understand great movements in history it is imperative to be acquainted with the people who made things happen. In the development of the American railroad system the name of Collis P Huntington ranks among the top echelons. “The Great Persuader” is his story. This merchant who transferred his enterprise from Connecticut to Sacramento, California was ready when opportunity knocked to participate in the greatest enterprise of nineteenth century America, the transcontinental railroad.
One of the Central Pacific’s Big Four, Huntington’s role was to obtain the financing for a railroad that, during the construction phase, required a huge cash outflow but generated little or no operating income. On these pages the reader learns how Huntington managed to sell the bonds, both of the railroad and the U. S. Government, insured that federal subsidies kept flowing and kept creditors and political opponents at bay.
Though described as a biography, this tome is the saga of the building of the transcontinental railroad with a life story embedded within it. Readers gain a familiarity with the the early statehood era of California, the legislation that enabled the rails to stretch across the continent, the financiers, politicians and workers who participated in the endeavor and the impediments encountered along the way.
I came away from this with an appreciation for the challenges the builders of the railroads faced. They were physical, in the form of mountains to be scaled, tunnels to be blasted open, monumental trestles to be constructed, and material and workers to be delivered to the worksites and supplied while there. Some were financial, such as money to be raised and competition from the other roads striving to be the first to knit the country together. The Transcontinental’s status as a national project entrusted to private hands with major government support and oversight provide new perspectives its place in the American Pageant. I recommend “The Great Persuader” for anyone with an interest in the western railroads, the interplay between government and industry during the Gilded Age or one in search of a biography of a business leader.
One of the Central Pacific’s Big Four, Huntington’s role was to obtain the financing for a railroad that, during the construction phase, required a huge cash outflow but generated little or no operating income. On these pages the reader learns how Huntington managed to sell the bonds, both of the railroad and the U. S. Government, insured that federal subsidies kept flowing and kept creditors and political opponents at bay.
Though described as a biography, this tome is the saga of the building of the transcontinental railroad with a life story embedded within it. Readers gain a familiarity with the the early statehood era of California, the legislation that enabled the rails to stretch across the continent, the financiers, politicians and workers who participated in the endeavor and the impediments encountered along the way.
I came away from this with an appreciation for the challenges the builders of the railroads faced. They were physical, in the form of mountains to be scaled, tunnels to be blasted open, monumental trestles to be constructed, and material and workers to be delivered to the worksites and supplied while there. Some were financial, such as money to be raised and competition from the other roads striving to be the first to knit the country together. The Transcontinental’s status as a national project entrusted to private hands with major government support and oversight provide new perspectives its place in the American Pageant. I recommend “The Great Persuader” for anyone with an interest in the western railroads, the interplay between government and industry during the Gilded Age or one in search of a biography of a business leader.
October 18, 2016
After having read Flagler: Rockefeller Partner and Florida Baron and not really warming up to it, I launched into Lavender's biography of another railroad man with a bit of doubts. These doubts vanished however after reading the first chapter.
The book starts out, as one does expect, with the family roots of Collis P. Huntington and then spans from his youth to the time of a succesful trader, on to his very ambitious railroad plans. All the time the book is very smoothly written and is quite a page turner. Turning to the only downside of the book, I have to admitt that keeping track of all the different railroad ventures is quite difficult. Central Pacific, South Pacific, California & Oregon, California Southern... to name just a few. Sometimes I lost track of what Lavender was writing about just now.
What I find most intriguing is the sources used for writing the book. Much of it are personal papers and letters provided by the Huntington family. This being so, it is a really first hand narative of the life of a great builder of American economy.
The book starts out, as one does expect, with the family roots of Collis P. Huntington and then spans from his youth to the time of a succesful trader, on to his very ambitious railroad plans. All the time the book is very smoothly written and is quite a page turner. Turning to the only downside of the book, I have to admitt that keeping track of all the different railroad ventures is quite difficult. Central Pacific, South Pacific, California & Oregon, California Southern... to name just a few. Sometimes I lost track of what Lavender was writing about just now.
What I find most intriguing is the sources used for writing the book. Much of it are personal papers and letters provided by the Huntington family. This being so, it is a really first hand narative of the life of a great builder of American economy.
November 8, 2021
This is the biography of Colis Huntington. Lavender was asked to write this, by the Huntington family. They gave him free access to all the historical records in the family libraries as well as those in the Huntington Library. He tells us they placed no restriction on what he said or how he said. It does feel like a fair and balanced story.
This story starts with Colis as a young, restless and ambitious storekeeper in upstate New York. It was 1849 and the California Gold Rush was in full flood. The brothers decided Solon should stay and manager the store while Colis would travel to California. He wasn't going to mine, but to set up a branch of their general store.
The story takes Colis from this fresh & eager store owner to an querulous, suspicious, ill tempered old man. Through it all no one denied his ability, his devotion to his railroads and, by the standards of the time, his integrity. It's also a history of California as a result of the completion of the transcontinental railroads. It's a wonderful story.
Colis personal story is as interesting. His feuds, his victories, his failures, his marriage – all the things that make a real life – are discussed in depth.
Is this biography complete? Is it unbiased? Are all the things he did and didn't do in the book or only the ones David Lavender considered important? You decide.
This story starts with Colis as a young, restless and ambitious storekeeper in upstate New York. It was 1849 and the California Gold Rush was in full flood. The brothers decided Solon should stay and manager the store while Colis would travel to California. He wasn't going to mine, but to set up a branch of their general store.
The story takes Colis from this fresh & eager store owner to an querulous, suspicious, ill tempered old man. Through it all no one denied his ability, his devotion to his railroads and, by the standards of the time, his integrity. It's also a history of California as a result of the completion of the transcontinental railroads. It's a wonderful story.
Colis personal story is as interesting. His feuds, his victories, his failures, his marriage – all the things that make a real life – are discussed in depth.
Is this biography complete? Is it unbiased? Are all the things he did and didn't do in the book or only the ones David Lavender considered important? You decide.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews