August Belmont II | |
|---|---|
 Belmont circa 1890 | |
| Born | February 18, 1853 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 10, 1924 (aged 71) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | Island Cemetery Newport, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Other names | August Belmont Jr. |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman Racehorse owner/breeder |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) |
Elizabeth Hamilton
Morgan
(m. 1881; died 1898) |
| Children | August Belmont III Raymond Belmont II Morgan Belmont |
| Parent(s) | August Belmont I Caroline Slidell Perry |
| Relatives | Matthew C. Perry (maternal grandfather) |
August Belmont Jr. (February 18, 1853 – December 10, 1924) was an American financier. He financed the construction of the original New York City Subway line (1900–1904) and for many years headed the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, which ran the transit system.[1] He also financed and led the construction of the Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts, which opened in 1914. Belmont bought the land for and built New York's Belmont Park racetrack—named for his father—and was a major owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.[2] He served as chairman of the board of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.[3] He also served as a director of the Southern Pacific Co., parent of the railroad, and National Park Bank.[3]
- ^ Clifton Hood, 722 Miles: The Building of the Subways and How They Transformed New York (Simon & Schuster 1993), pp. 71–74
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
obitwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1900). . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.
He is a son of the late banker of the same name and was graduated from Harvard in 1875, immediately entering his father's banking-house, of which he is now the head — August Belmont & Co., American representatives of the Rothschilds. He is chairman of the board of directors of the Louisville and Nashville railway, and connected with various financial enterprises