Theodore R. Hostetter
Theodore R. Hostetter | |
|---|---|
| Born | Theodore Rickey Hostetter October 19, 1870 |
| Died | August 3, 1902 (aged 31) |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, polo player, yachtsman |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Greta Hostetter Verna Hostetter Theodore R. Hostetter |
| Parent(s) | David Hostetter Rosetta (Rickey) Hostetter |
Theodore R. Hostetter (October 19, 1870 – August 3, 1902) was an American heir, businessman, polo player and yachtsman during the Gilded Age.
Early life
Theodore Rickey Hostetter was born in 1870.[1] His father was David Hostetter (1819-1888) and his mother, Rosetta (Rickey) Hostetter.[1][2] He had a brother, D. Herbert Hostetter.[2] He attended public schools in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania the Western University of Pennsylvania, and a college in New England.[2]
Career
He served as Vice President of the Hostetter Company, his family business.[2] He also ran the East End Riding Academy.[2]
He built a polo field on his Pennsylvania farm, and played polo regularly.[2][3]
He was also a notable gambler.[4] For example, he won US$30,000 on the United States presidential election of 1896, by betting on William McKinley.[4] He also gambled and won on yacht races.[4] Additionally, he would bet US$1,000 a game on polo matches in Narragansett Pier.[4] The year before his death, he lost US$1 million, mostly to David C. Johnson, John Daly and Richard Canfield.[4] David C. Johnson sued his widow to get his money back.[4]
Personal life
In 1891, Hostetter was married to Allene Tew (1872–1955).[1][2] They had a farm in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.[2][3] They also resided at the Waldorf Astoria New York, a luxury hotel in Manhattan, New York City.[2] Additionally, they summered in Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island and wintered in South Carolina.[2] They had three children:
- Greta Hostetter (1892-1918), who married Glenn Stewart.[1][2]
- Verna Hostetter (1893-1895), who died in early childhood.[1][2]
- Theodore R. Hostetter Jr. (1897-1918), who was killed in World War I.[1][2]
Additionally, he was an avid yachtsman.[2] He was a member of the New York Yacht Club and the Columbia Boat Club.[2]
He died of pneumonia on August 3, 1902.[2] After his death, his widow remarried four times, including to Anson Wood Burchard, Prince Heinrich XXXIII Reuss of Köstritz, and Count Pavel de Kotzebue.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f The Peerage: Theodore Rickey Hostetter
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Sudden Death of Hostetter". The Pittsburg Press. August 4, 1902. p. 2.
- ^ a b Alpine MacArthur, Kobuta--A History of the Land Archived 2008-11-18 at the Wayback Machine, Milestones, Vol. 3 No 2. Spring, 1977
- ^ a b c d e f Gambled Away Million: Hostetter, It Is Said, Was Great Plunger, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, April 1, 1903
- ^ "Countess Kotzebue Is Dead on Riviera" (PDF). The New York Times. 3 May 1955. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
External links
- 1870 births
- 1902 deaths
- Deaths from pneumonia in New York City
- People from Beaver County, Pennsylvania
- People from Narragansett, Rhode Island
- People from Manhattan
- University of Pittsburgh alumni
- American polo players
- Members of the New York Yacht Club
- American gamblers
- Burials at Allegheny Cemetery
- 19th-century American businesspeople