Vanderbilt Cup Races

Transportation - A Good Place to Start

Commodore Vanderbilt's steamship enterprises extended into the Wilmington area prior to the Civil War!  (The State Port Pilot Mar. 29, 1950)

And after the war there were calls for the Vanderbilt railroad empire to enter the Wilmington service area . . . (The New Bern Journal of Commerce Sept. 16, 1869)

  . . . to improve performance by creating competition . . .(The New Bern Journal of Commerce Sept. 16, 1869)

. . . and rid the railroad mentality of "old fogyism".(The New Bern Journal of Commerce Sept. 16, 1869)

Twenty years later a rumor persisted that a Vanderbilt line would travel through Ashville, the home of George Vanderbilt's Biltmore, the largest private residence built in the US.  More on Biltmore in a future post.  (The Daily Review Mar. 15, 1889)

Southport, 30 miles south of Wilmington was often used by the Vanderbilts as a stop over for their yachts while enroute to Florida and the West Indies.  Alfred G. Vanderbilt stopped in Southport in 1915 with his yacht, Wayfarer, 3 months before losing his life on the Lusitania.  (Wilmington Morning Star Feb. 4, 1915)

Wonder who the McCormick's were.  And wonder what bank Alfred used to pay his crew and if ATM fees applied - lol!  As you'll see in Part 2 of this series, Willie K. often stopped in Southport with his many yachts.  (The Wilmington Dispatch Feb. 4, 1915)

Vanderbilt Philanthropy

Donations were made to the University of North Carolina in the 1880s by Mr. W. H. Vanderbilt, Willie's grandfather.   (The Charlotte Observer Jan. 11, 1881)

And after marrying a cousin of a southern woman, Commodore Vanderbilt eventually made a donation (his only one) that led Vanderbilt University in nearby Tennessee to be named for him.  (Wilmington Messenger Feb. 16, 1889)

Other Vanderbilt's also made sizeable donations totaling $1.8 million - taking into consideration inflation that would be $51,577,979.38 in today's dollars.    (Wilmington Messenger Feb. 16, 1889)

But others were not so happy with the Vanderbilt's wealth or generosity - "Vanderbilt's millions cost other people - widows and orphans among them - tears and suffering."  (Carolina Watchman Feb. 14, 1889)

Acquiring Land in North Carolina

Apart from land purchased for the building of Biltmore in the late 1880s, the Vanderbilts continued to acquire land in NC into the early 1900s.  (Wilmington Morning Star Jan. 25, 1900)

Compare the Vanderbilt holdings with other land owners in these townships and you can get a picture of the magnitude of their purchases.  (Sylvan Valley News May 1, 1908

Sylvan Valley News May 1, 1908

Sylvan Valley News May 1, 1908

The charts above relate to George Vanderbilt's ownership of land in 1908 in just three towns in one NC county - Transylvania!  But Vanderbilt ownership also extended into three other counties - Haywood, Buncombe and Henderson.   The arrow highlights Biltmore, with multiple railroads intersecting nearby.  Makes sense I would suppose.  (Railroad Map, Library of Congress 1900)

Following George's death in 1914, his wife Edith and daughter, Cornelia, continued to be active in local affairs including Edith being State Fair President in 1921. (Marin County History, 1977)

Part 2 of this series will detail William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s connections to my new home town.