Monday 22 May 2017

Adolph and Alma Emma Spreckels

Adolph and Alma Emma had a son called Adolph Bernard Spreckels, as I said. His claim to fame was to have married Kay Williams who had previously been married to the film star, Clark Gable. Kay and Adolph had two children, one of whom died at the early age of 27,  from a drug overdose ,having inherited his share of the Spreckels fortune and become a 'surfing legend' in Hawaii.

Adolph's Mother, Alma's nickname was 'The Great Grandmother of San Francisco'. Her husband Adolph Spreckels had studied in Germany for two years and then returned to the USA to work for his Father.

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco owe their existence to Adolph and Alma, and the Spreckels' millions.

He was involved in many business pursuits and philanthropic works. He also donated the land for Golden Gate Park. He was President of the San Francisco and San Mateo Railway and Vice President of the Western Sugar Company and the Oceanic Steamship Company.

He built the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park, in San Diego, with his brother, John.This has the largest outdoor organ in the world, according to Wikipedia.

He also owned and bred racehorses and his horse Morvich was the first Californian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby in 1922.

Adolph died of pneumonia in 1924, aged 67. The house he built in 1913 is currently owned by the novelist, Danielle Steele. It is at 2080 Washington Street in the Pacific Heights area of San Francisco.

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