Businessman. He was responsible for establishing streetcar lines in Chicago in the late 1880s and headed the syndicate that built the London Underground at the turn of the century. Labeled by some a "robber baron", he was said to be the source of inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's novels "The Financier" (1912), "The Titan" (1914), and "The Stoic" (1947). In 1892 he provided funding for the University of Chicago to build the Yerkes Observatory at Williams Bay, Wisconsin which included what was then the world's largest telescope. A crater on the Moon was named in his honor. He contributed large sums of money to ensure that the 1893 Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago, Illinois and served on its Committee on Fine Arts. His own art collection was one of the largest in the nation.
Businessman. He was responsible for establishing streetcar lines in Chicago in the late 1880s and headed the syndicate that built the London Underground at the turn of the century. Labeled by some a "robber baron", he was said to be the source of inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's novels "The Financier" (1912), "The Titan" (1914), and "The Stoic" (1947). In 1892 he provided funding for the University of Chicago to build the Yerkes Observatory at Williams Bay, Wisconsin which included what was then the world's largest telescope. A crater on the Moon was named in his honor. He contributed large sums of money to ensure that the 1893 Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago, Illinois and served on its Committee on Fine Arts. His own art collection was one of the largest in the nation.
Bio by: L. M. Yerkes
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