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Percival Farquhar
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Percival Farquhar
Percival Farquhar (October 19, 1865 – August 5, 1953) was an American investor and financier with extensive interests in Latin America and pre-Soviet Russia, including railways, mines, hotels, and restaurants.
Farquhar was born to a wealthy Maryland-Pennsylvania Episcopalian family, with Quaker roots, at York, Pennsylvania in 1865. His father was Arthur B. Farquhar (1838–1925), founder of a large agricultural equipment works at York, which was called the Pennsylvania Agricultural Works (1856–1889) and later the A.B. Farquhar Company (1889–1951). His mother was Elizabeth N. (née Jessop) Farquhar (1837–1918). His grandfather was William Henry Farquhar.
Percival attended the York Collegiate Institute, spent two years working in his father's office, and then attended the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University, where he studied science and engineering.
After Yale he studied law, entered politics, and was elected to the New York State Legislature. He was a member of the New York State Assembly in the 114th (1891), 115th (1892) (both New York Co., 3rd D.), and 116th (1893) (New York Co., 11th D.) sessions.
His father wrote, "In the meantime he had become associated with me as a partner in my business in New York, from which he drifted into financial operations of larger scope, his activities in this direction leading him to Cuba, South America, and Europe." His father's agricultural equipment business had long had a sizeable export component, selling to distributors who resold in Latin America, South Africa, Australia, Russia, and other places.
Farquhar was vice-president of the Atlantic Coast Electric Railway and the Staten Island Railway, which controlled rail services in New York. He was also partner and director of the Compañía de Electricidad de Cuba in Cuba and partner and vice-president of the Guatemala Railway. In 1910 he became the owner of the Paraguay Central Railway Company. His father wrote in 1922, "My son Percival has an international reputation as a promoter of large enterprises. Among other things he was president of the Brazil Railway Co. and of the Mamore Railway Co. in Brazil, and the railroad from Santa Barros to Guatemala City, called the Guatemala R.R., and was active in building the Cuba R.R. from Havana to Santiago, running nearly the length of the island."
Farquhar developed businesses in Cuba and Central America. He owned railways and mines in Russia and dealt personally with Lenin during the years when those assets were being nationalized and foreign specialists were held over to assist.
Farquhar's dream was to control all the railways of Latin America, in a version of manifest destiny.
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Percival Farquhar
Percival Farquhar (October 19, 1865 – August 5, 1953) was an American investor and financier with extensive interests in Latin America and pre-Soviet Russia, including railways, mines, hotels, and restaurants.
Farquhar was born to a wealthy Maryland-Pennsylvania Episcopalian family, with Quaker roots, at York, Pennsylvania in 1865. His father was Arthur B. Farquhar (1838–1925), founder of a large agricultural equipment works at York, which was called the Pennsylvania Agricultural Works (1856–1889) and later the A.B. Farquhar Company (1889–1951). His mother was Elizabeth N. (née Jessop) Farquhar (1837–1918). His grandfather was William Henry Farquhar.
Percival attended the York Collegiate Institute, spent two years working in his father's office, and then attended the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University, where he studied science and engineering.
After Yale he studied law, entered politics, and was elected to the New York State Legislature. He was a member of the New York State Assembly in the 114th (1891), 115th (1892) (both New York Co., 3rd D.), and 116th (1893) (New York Co., 11th D.) sessions.
His father wrote, "In the meantime he had become associated with me as a partner in my business in New York, from which he drifted into financial operations of larger scope, his activities in this direction leading him to Cuba, South America, and Europe." His father's agricultural equipment business had long had a sizeable export component, selling to distributors who resold in Latin America, South Africa, Australia, Russia, and other places.
Farquhar was vice-president of the Atlantic Coast Electric Railway and the Staten Island Railway, which controlled rail services in New York. He was also partner and director of the Compañía de Electricidad de Cuba in Cuba and partner and vice-president of the Guatemala Railway. In 1910 he became the owner of the Paraguay Central Railway Company. His father wrote in 1922, "My son Percival has an international reputation as a promoter of large enterprises. Among other things he was president of the Brazil Railway Co. and of the Mamore Railway Co. in Brazil, and the railroad from Santa Barros to Guatemala City, called the Guatemala R.R., and was active in building the Cuba R.R. from Havana to Santiago, running nearly the length of the island."
Farquhar developed businesses in Cuba and Central America. He owned railways and mines in Russia and dealt personally with Lenin during the years when those assets were being nationalized and foreign specialists were held over to assist.
Farquhar's dream was to control all the railways of Latin America, in a version of manifest destiny.
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