24 Facts About James Lick

James Lick was an American real estate investor, carpenter, piano builder, land baron, and patron of the sciences.

The wealthiest man in California at the time of his death, Lick left the majority of his estate to social and scientific causes.

James Lick's paternal grandfather, William was a German immigrant from the Palatinate, and served in the American Revolutionary War.

The son of a carpenter, James Lick began learning the craft at an early age.

James Lick left Stumpstown for Baltimore, Maryland, where he learned the art of piano making.

James Lick quickly mastered the skill, and moved to New York City and established his own shop.

In 1821 James Lick moved to Argentina, after learning that his pianos were being exported to South America.

James Lick found his time in Buenos Aires to be difficult, because of his ignorance of Spanish and the turbulent political situation in the country.

James Lick escaped captivity and returned to Buenos Aires on foot.

James Lick failed to reunite with Barbara Snavely and their son, and returned to Buenos Aires.

James Lick decided the political situation was too unstable and moved to Valparaiso, Chile.

James Lick arrived in San Francisco, California, in January 1848, bringing with him his tools, work bench, $30,000 in gold, and 600 pounds of chocolate.

The chocolate quickly sold, so James Lick sent back word convincing his friend and neighbor in Peru, the confectioner Domingo Ghirardelli, to move to San Francisco, where he founded the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.

James Lick got a touch of "gold fever" and sought to mine the metal, but after a week decided his fortune was to be made by owning land, not digging in it.

James Lick continued buying land in San Francisco, and began buying farmland in and around San Jose, where he planted orchards and built the largest flour mill in the state.

James Lick invited his son to join him there in 1854; however, the younger Lick suffered from poor health and returned to Pennsylvania in 1863.

In 1861, James Lick began construction of a hotel, known as James Lick House, 41 Montgomery Street, at the intersection with Sutter Street, in San Francisco.

James Lick House was considered the finest hotel west of the Mississippi River.

In 1874, James Lick suffered a massive stroke in the kitchen of his home in Santa Clara.

James Lick originally wanted to build giant statues of himself and his parents, and erect a pyramid larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza in his own honor in downtown San Francisco.

James Lick replaced the board in 1875 with Faxon Atherton, John Nightingale, Bernard D Murphy and his son, John H Lick.

James Lick had had an interest in astronomy since at least 1860, when he and George Madeira, the founder of the first observatory in California, spent several nights observing.

James Lick approved, on the condition that Santa Clara County build a "first-class" road to the site.

On October 1,1876, James Lick died in his room in James Lick House, San Francisco.