January 13, 2006
it was 1841, and like so many of those who have washed up on these shores, then or since, william alexander leidesdorff was a man on the run from his past — a man trying desperately to reinvent himself on the blank canvas of the western coast.
though hardly anyone remembers his name these days, he became essential to the fabric of yerba buena, honored and mourned by the entire city upon death. he racked up an unparalleled array of “firsts” in the city, state, and even country — not the least of which was his entry into the historical record as the United States’ first black millionaire.
leidesdorff arrived in the village a tall, dark and handsome man, multi-lingual, highly educated, and an instant commercial success. though well-liked in the village, he was by all accounts a lonely and solitary figure, his history shrouded in mystery. what had driven him to the far edge of the continent, and why is he forgotten today?
for further edification:
» fifties era biography -sfmuseum.net
» leidesdorff day 2005
random episode from the archives:
announcement: sparkletack takes a break
thanks to rob costlow for “bliss”, and to mark heimonen for “always”, courtesy of the podsafe music network.
March 17, 2006 at 11:55 am
“United States’ first black millionaire.” But was he? California wasn’t yet a state when Leidesdorff died but, of course, he would be the first United States black millionaire provided he was a U.S. citizen. Your link to sfmuseum states that he was a California citizen, naturalized in 1844. I can only assume that means he was a Mexican citizen, as wikipedia states unequivocally that “though he had held federal offices, [he] had never been a citizen of the United States.” I hate to stir up historic controversy, and don’t wish to take anything away from this noteworthy man, but perhaps the “first black U.S. millionaire” title belongs to somebody else.
March 31, 2006 at 12:02 pm
colin - that’s a fair point, and thanks for making it.
one could say that i’ve taken the liberty of “grandfathering” leidesdorff’s united states citizenship. because of his assistance to the united states in their efforts to take possession of califonia, i’m personally certain that only his untimely death prevented his taking the oath of citizenship.
August 31, 2006 at 11:55 am
Interesting notion, Leidesdorff 1834 was naturalized a U.S. citizenship, New Orleans.
200 year celebration for William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr.
2010
Leidesdorffproject@yahoo.com
January 10, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Goethe Park may become renamed back to the original Leidesdorff Ranch, established in 1844. Sacramento County Board of Supervisors meet on Jan. 29, 2008 to discuss the matter.