Pacific Improvement Company

The Pacific Improvement Company was a large California company that was part of the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was started in 1878 by four influential men known as the Big Four. These men were Leland Stanford,  Collis Potter Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker. They were wealthy businessmen who helped build the Central Pacific Railroad. They actively participated to remove Chinese American presence in the 19th Century anti-Chinese movement.

History

The Pacific Improvement Company was started in San Francisco, California, on November 4, 1878. It had $5,000,000 in capital, divided into 5,000 shares worth $100 each. The company’s directors were J. H. Strobridge, F. S. Douty, Authur Brown, B. R. Crocker, and W. E. Brown.

The Pacific Improvement Company was involved in many big projects, including building the Hotel Del Monte in 1880, a large resort hotel in Monterey, California. By the 1880s, it had grown into one of the largest companies in the Western United States. The company was in charge of businesses like shipping, mining, publishing, land development, resort hotels, electric streetcars, and water systems.

In 1880, the Pacific Improvement Company purchased Rancho Pescadero from a businessman David Jacks. In 1919, the company was sold to Del Monte Properties.

References

 Other websites

 Pacific Improvement Company

Category:Companies based in California
Category:1878 establishments in California
Category:Monterey County, California