45 Facts About Faxon Atherton

Faxon Dean Atherton was an American businessman, trader and landowner; initially successful in Valparaiso, Chile.

Faxon Atherton became a prominent citizen of San Mateo County, California.

Faxon Dean Atherton was born on January 29,1815, in Dedham, Massachusetts into an established New England family, with roots dating back to the colonial period of the United States.

Faxon Atherton was the son of Abner Atherton and Betsey Dean of Dedham, Massachusetts.

Faxon Atherton's father was a sea captain, first married to Catherine Dean, and after her death, married her sister Betsy, who became Atherton's mother.

In 1830, Atherton entered the shipping and merchant business at the age of 15 as an apprentice to his brother-in-law, merchant Charles T Ward.

Faxon Atherton was intent on making his fortune in the Pacific Coast Trade.

Faxon Atherton had accumulated sufficient capital for such an overseas enterprise.

Faxon Atherton was made responsible for the operation of vessels plying between Boston - Valparaiso, Chile and Monterey, California.

Whilst in Oahu, Faxon Atherton met Captain Alpheus Basil Thompson, a seagoing merchant from Santa Barbara, who was originally from Brunswick, Maine, who by the 1830s had become engaged in the hides and tallow trade along the Californian coastline.

When Faxon Atherton traveled to Alta California with Thompson on the ship Bolivar Libertador in 1836, arriving in San Francisco, the city was in its infancy.

Faxon Atherton worked for Thompson for a period of two years, initially accepting a position as a clerk for $50 a month.

In 1839 Faxon Atherton was described by John Sutter as an upstanding merchant from Honolulu who later moved to California.

Faxon Atherton established a ship chandler's store in Valparaiso, whilst at the same time trading in the hide and tallow and other merchandise.

Faxon Atherton wrote to his friend Thomas Larkin in California during August 1843 to say that he had married the previous month.

Faxon Atherton's letter provides an insight for historians into the trade route in place at the time between Valparaiso, Mazatlan, and San Francisco.

Between 1841 and 1846 Faxon Atherton had tried to lure Thomas Larkin into the Valparaiso lumber market.

Faxon Atherton was an enthusiastic supporter of the Annexation of California.

Faxon Atherton had followed events from Chile and Tahiti, and was very much in favor of it being incorporated into the United States.

In 1848, Faxon Atherton corresponded with Thomas Larkin over the disappearance of his brother, Robert in Mazatlan the previous year.

Faxon Atherton's brother was at the time working for Thomas Larkin on a Gold project in Mazatlan.

Faxon Atherton was skeptical at first witnessing gold seekers leaving Valparaiso for California.

Faxon Atherton went on to become one of the wealthiest men on the Pacific Coast, making extensive investments in California commerce and real estate.

Faxon Atherton wanted to be in the company of those who built not just the banks and railroads of the American West, but the cultural and intellectual institutions as well.

Faxon Atherton focused on ensuring his daughters married into other influential families, and they did, by marrying into the Macondray, Selby and Eyre families.

Faxon Atherton had a business acquaintance with Guillermo Castro, a rancher, surveyor and a former magistrate under the Mexican administration, who had turned to selling large parcels of land in order to reduce his gambling debt.

Faxon Atherton would lend him money, however took ownership of the land when Castro defaulted on his debt.

Faxon Atherton in turn began selling off his portion in smaller parcels.

Faxon Atherton had chosen to liquidate all his assets in Chile and reinvested heavily into California.

Faxon Atherton built his home, Valparaiso Park, situated approximately where the Menlo Circus Club, 190 Park Lane, Atherton has operated as a private country club since 1923.

Faxon Atherton added a second adobe story, a merchandise store, saloon post office, and stagecoach stop.

Faxon Atherton became prominent in banking, financial enterprises and railroad building, with projects such as the Oregon and California Railroad.

Faxon Atherton played an instrumental role in the construction of a railroad in Hayward.

Faxon Atherton served on the board of trustees of the Lick Trust from 1875.

Faxon Atherton's wife was born on August 4,1823, into a prominent Valparaiso family.

Faxon Atherton's daughter Florence has been confused by researchers with Florence Atherton Spalding, who was a Boston music teacher, who married in 1886.

Faxon Atherton's wife died on September 20,1890, in San Francisco, aged 67.

Faxon Atherton is buried at the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, San Mateo County, California.

Faxon Atherton gave an eyewitness account as a twenty-one year old Bostonian of his hide and tallow trading days in Mexican California.

Faxon Atherton himself wrote of raping Indigenous girls at Mission San Jose during a night he spent there in 1936.

The town of Faxon Atherton, previously known as "Fair Oaks" is named after him.

Unfortunately, the name was already taken by a suburb of Sacramento, so after a shortlist, Faxon Atherton was chosen as the towns new name in honor of one of the first principal landowners.

Faxon Atherton was a New England descendant of Puritan heritage, whose ancestors had settled in Massachusetts Colony.

Faxon Atherton is a direct descendant of James Atherton, one of the First Settlers of New England; who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in the 1630s.

Faxon Atherton's relatives include Charles Humphrey Atherton, Cornelius Atherton, Joseph Ballard Atherton, Joshua Atherton and Uriah A Boyden.