Standing alongside J. P. Morgan, Carnegie, and Rockefeller, Charles Tyson Yerkes (1837-1905) was one of the most influential and controversial public figures in America. Robber Baron is the first biography of the traction magnate who was behind the Chicago Loop Elevated, an investor in the London Underground, namesake of the University of Chicago's observatory, and vilified as Frank Cowperwood in Theodore Dreiser's trilogy, "The Financier", "The Titan", and "The Stoic". After losing his fortune and being jailed for financial improprieties in Philadelphia, Yerkes used political blackmail to secure a pardon. With his boundless ambition intact, he relocated to Chicago and made millions from questionable financial transactions, while also using his influence and charm to assemble one of the world's finest mass transit networks. Despite various philanthropic efforts, Yerkes and his methods were despised by the press and public, and he left Chicago a bitter man. He moved to London, organizing much of the Underground, battling J. P. Morgan, and romancing Emilie Grigsby, the love of his life, before his death at age 68. John Franch has drawn upon every available source, including newspapers, memoirs, credit reports, court filings, bankruptcy records, and correspondence to tell the complete story of a man desperate to leave a lasting impression on his world. Yerkes's enduring public works and remarkable history are a testament to his success, but Robber Baron reveals that his legacy wasn't as sparkling as he might have hoped.
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Editorial Reviews
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"John Franch's compelling biography of this complicated figure offers a rich lode for scholarly analysis."--Business History, May 2007
Book Description
Standing alongside J. P. Morgan, Carnegie, and Rockefeller, Charles Tyson Yerkes (1837-1905) was one of the most influential and controversial public figures in America. Robber Baron is the first biography of the traction magnate who was behind the Chicago Loop Elevated, an investor in the London Underground, namesake of the University of Chicago’s observatory, and vilified as Frank Cowperwood in Theodore Dreiser’s trilogy, The Financier, The Titan, and The Stoic. After losing his fortune and being jailed for financial improprieties in Philadelphia, Yerkes used political blackmail to secure a pardon. With his boundless ambition intact, he relocated to Chicago and made millions from questionable financial transactions, while also using his influence and charm to assemble one of the world’s finest mass transit networks. Despite various philanthropic efforts, Yerkes and his methods were despised by the press and public, and he left Chicago a bitter man. He moved to London, organizing much of the Underground, battling J. P. Morgan, and romancing Emilie Grigsby, the love of his life, before his death at age 68.
John Franch has drawn upon every available source, including newspapers, memoirs, credit reports, court filings, bankruptcy records, and correspondence to tell the complete story of a man desperate to leave a lasting impression on his world. Yerkes’s enduring public works and remarkable history are a testament to his success, but Robber Baron reveals that his legacy wasn't as sparkling as he might have hoped.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Robber Baron" is a compelling read.,
By William Maher (Urbana, Illinois) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Robber Baron: The Life of Charles Tyson Yerkes (Hardcover)
It is amazing that Franch's book is the first serious biography of Charles Tyson Yerkes. Why has the fascinating story of this important man never been told before? Perhaps it is because Yerkes left few letters and diaries behind, or perhaps it is because he spent so much of his life trying to rescue his reputation from all his financial escapades.
No matter. John Franch has done a masterful job of pulling together newspaper accounts, court records, and other sources to present a complete picture. But what's more, Franch's account is a highly readable telling of the story of a self-made man in era of industrial giants. At the same time, Franch brings to life the development of urban life in the post-civil war era. Just as James Green's "Death in the Haymarket," Franch's "Robber Baron" puts one on the streets of Chicago in the boom era after the Fire and gives an immediacy to the people, industry, and financial chicanery that made the city. In the post-Enron era, this lucid telling of the story of Yerkes is a clear reminder of the foibles of those at the crest of the wave of financial schemes. At the same time, it is a compelling good read.
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First Sentence:
On a mild winter morning in 1872, a horse-drawn carriage thundered to a stop before the massive iron gate of Philadelphia's fortress-like Eastern State Penitentiary. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
cable ordinance, traction twins, franchise war, streetcar firms, franchise ordinances, streetcar men, streetcar magnate, streetcar franchises, horsecar lines, franchise extensions, city bonds, city railway, city treasurer, street tunnel, elevated roads Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, United States, West Chicago, Union Traction, Chicago Tribune, Inter Ocean, North Chicago City, Lake Street Elevated, Mayor Harrison, Daily News, Consolidated Traction, Charing Cross, Van Buren, Carter Harrison, Inner Circle, Jackson Park, London United, University of Chicago, Charles Tyson Yerkes, David Jones, Civic Federation, Joseph Marcer, Northern Liberties, Northwestern Elevated, Eastern State Penitentiary New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
On a mild winter morning in 1872, a horse-drawn carriage thundered to a stop before the massive iron gate of Philadelphia's fortress-like Eastern State Penitentiary. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
cable ordinance, traction twins, franchise war, streetcar firms, franchise ordinances, streetcar men, streetcar magnate, streetcar franchises, horsecar lines, franchise extensions, city bonds, city railway, city treasurer, street tunnel, elevated roads Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, United States, West Chicago, Union Traction, Chicago Tribune, Inter Ocean, North Chicago City, Lake Street Elevated, Mayor Harrison, Daily News, Consolidated Traction, Charing Cross, Van Buren, Carter Harrison, Inner Circle, Jackson Park, London United, University of Chicago, Charles Tyson Yerkes, David Jones, Civic Federation, Joseph Marcer, Northern Liberties, Northwestern Elevated, Eastern State Penitentiary New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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