A. Kingsley Macomber
Encyclopedia
Abraham Kingsley Macomber (March 7, 1874 - October, 1955) was an American adventurer, businessman, philanthropist, Thoroughbred
-racehorse owner and breeder. He was born in Morristown, New Jersey
, the second of the three sons of Henry Kirke Macomber, a medical doctor who moved his family to Pasadena, California
in 1883.
at the invitation of American adventurer Frederick Russell Burnham
. With Burnham and seven other Americans, he spent six months surveying and mapping in an area that today is known as Zimbabwe
.
When hostilities broke out between the native Matabeles
and the white intruders, Macomber escaped a massacre but then was caught in the Siege of Bulawayo. A small group of British
and a few Americans held off attacks for two months at a hastily erected laager
at Bulawayo
until being rescued by the British military. Macomber soon left Africa and traveled to London
, England
where he was honored with a Fellowship in the Royal Geographical Society
. In December 1896, he returned to the United States.
Kingsley Macomber's time in Africa led to a lifelong friendship with Frederick Burnham and years later in 1939, Burnham, Macomber and John Eagle gifted a natural history collection to the state of Arizona
. Although largely African, the significant collection included artifacts gathered worldwide.
In 1899, in New York City
, Kingsley Macomber married heiress Myrtle Harkness, the daughter of the wealthy Lamon V. Harkness
, one of the largest stockholders in Standard Oil
. The couple maintained residences on both coasts.
and undertook prospecting
and mining ventures in the Cascade
and Pacific Coast ranges
.
In 1902, Macomber became a founding owner and first president of the Los Angeles Trust Company, which, in 1905, became a part of a multi-bank amalgamation.
In 1905, Kingsley Macomber, Henry E. Huntington
, and William R. Staats developed the Oak Knoll subdivision
in terrain between Pasadena
and San Marino, California
.
In 1906, Macomber purchased Rancho Cienega de los Paicines
, a cattle breeding operation located in Paicines, California
. He invested a great deal of money in a new home as well as stables to facilitate the introduction of thoroughbred
horses to the operation. He kept a private railcar
at nearby Tres Pinos
, which allowed him and his wife to travel to horse-racing
venues throughout the country. After World War I
, the Macombers made a chateau
in France their primary residence, and, in 1927, sold the Paicines ranch to Walter Murphy.
. With both having considerable interest and history with horses, Kingsley and Myrtle Macomber became major international figures in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.
In 1918, Kingsley Macomber's colt War Cloud
ran fourth in the Kentucky Derby
then won the Preakness Stakes
. Of his six Kentucky Derby
runners, Star Hawk had the best result when he ran second in 1916. Other Macomber horses won a number of important American races including the Travers Stakes
, Suburban Handicap
, and Withers Stakes
. In 1911, virtually all horse racing in the United States shut down as a result of government legislation that banned parimutuel betting
. As a consequence, Macomber and several notable American stable owners shifted their racing operations to England
and France
. While the ban on wagering was lifted within two years, and racing returned to U.S. tracks, many owners retained large operations in Europe, and, by 1925, Macomber had more than one hundred horses in training in England. Nonetheless, he supported California racing, and, in 1923, he became a founding member and Director of the Pacific Coast Jockey Club, headed by Adolph B. Spreckels
.
The "Macomber Family Collection about Race Horse Breeding" is at the Department of Special Collections in the University of California, Los Angeles
library. The collection is made up of photographs, ephemera, an album, and a catalog relative to the horse-breeding and ranching interests of Dr. Henry Macomber, A. Kingsley Macomber, and John Kingsley Macomber.
and, around 1919, he purchased the Haras de Cheffreville horse breeding farm. A few years later he acquired two properties owned by a fellow American, William K. Vanderbilt
: the Haras du Quesnay
breeding farm in Normandy, and a chateau at Carrières-sous-Poissy
, which included a stable for Thoroughbreds, a training track, and bloodstock of approximately one hundred and fifty mares and sires, including the great Maintenon
. The Carrières-sous-Poissy property, located near the Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse
, was on the Paris-to-Deauville
railway line, making for easy shipping of horses to the Deauville Racecourse.
Thoroughbreds owned by Macomber won major races in France and England. Notably, in 1923, his colt Parth
won the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
at Longchamp Racecourse, and Gold Bridge won back-to-back runnings of the King's Stand Stakes
at Royal Ascot
in 1933 and 1934.
Part of Paris
ian high society, according to his obituary in Sports Illustrated
, Macomber was hailed as the "undisputed head of American society in Europe." He served as president of the American Hospital of Paris
from 1926 to 1928.
during the American Civil War
. While living in France he promoted the important historic relationship between that country and the United States. In 1931 he commissioned a monument of Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse
which was erected at the Trocadero Palace
in Paris. During the American Revolutionary War
De Grasse had commanded the 1781 French fleet which blocked the British retreat from Yorktown
and made possible the American victory.
In 1934, Macomber donated another American Revolutionary War statue to the city of Newport, Rhode Island
. The sculpture of French General Rochambeau
is a replica of one in Paris. It was from Newport that General Rochambeau departed with his army to join General George Washington
and march on to Yorktown.
Macomber also patronized the game of tennis
. In the 1920s and 1930s he supported the A. K. Macomber tournament at Monte Carlo
.
A. Kingsley Macomber died in 1955 in Paris, France. He is buried in Cannes, France along side Howard Burnham
, a fellow American and spy for France who was also the brother of Frederick Russell Burnham.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
-racehorse owner and breeder. He was born in Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
, the second of the three sons of Henry Kirke Macomber, a medical doctor who moved his family to Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
in 1883.
African adventurer
As a young man, in 1894 Kingsley Macomber explored parts of Central AfricaCentral Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
at the invitation of American adventurer Frederick Russell Burnham
Frederick Russell Burnham
Frederick Russell Burnham, DSO was an American scout and world traveling adventurer known for his service to the British Army in colonial Africa and for teaching woodcraft to Robert Baden-Powell, thus becoming one of the inspirations for the founding of the international Scouting Movement.Burnham...
. With Burnham and seven other Americans, he spent six months surveying and mapping in an area that today is known as Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
When hostilities broke out between the native Matabeles
Ndebele people (Zimbabwe)
The Ndebele are a branch of the Zulus who split from King Shaka in the early 1820s under the leadership of Mzilikazi, a former general in Shaka's army....
and the white intruders, Macomber escaped a massacre but then was caught in the Siege of Bulawayo. A small group of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and a few Americans held off attacks for two months at a hastily erected laager
Wagon fort
A Laager, also known as a wagon fort, is a mobile fortification made of wagons arranged into a rectangle, a circle or other shape and possibly joined with each other, an improvised military camp....
at Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
until being rescued by the British military. Macomber soon left Africa and traveled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he was honored with a Fellowship in the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
. In December 1896, he returned to the United States.
Kingsley Macomber's time in Africa led to a lifelong friendship with Frederick Burnham and years later in 1939, Burnham, Macomber and John Eagle gifted a natural history collection to the state of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Although largely African, the significant collection included artifacts gathered worldwide.
In 1899, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Kingsley Macomber married heiress Myrtle Harkness, the daughter of the wealthy Lamon V. Harkness
Lamon V. Harkness
Lamon Vanderburgh Harkness was an American businessman and a partner in Standard Oil who was one of the company's largest stockholders. Lamon V. Harkness became involved with Standard Oil through his father Stephen V...
, one of the largest stockholders in Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
. The couple maintained residences on both coasts.
Business career
At the end of the nineteenth century, Macomber and a partner established a business that operated a coal mine in Gallup, New MexicoGallup, New Mexico
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 20,209 people, 6,810 households, and 4,869 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,513.7 people per square mile...
and undertook prospecting
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
and mining ventures in the Cascade
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
and Pacific Coast ranges
Pacific Coast Ranges
The Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...
.
In 1902, Macomber became a founding owner and first president of the Los Angeles Trust Company, which, in 1905, became a part of a multi-bank amalgamation.
In 1905, Kingsley Macomber, Henry E. Huntington
Henry E. Huntington
Henry Edwards Huntington was a railroad magnate and collector of art and rare books. Born in Oneonta, New York, Huntington settled in Los Angeles, where he owned the Pacific Electric Railway as well as substantial real estate interests...
, and William R. Staats developed the Oak Knoll subdivision
Oak Knoll, Pasadena, California
Oak Knoll is the southernmost neighborhood in Pasadena, California. It is bordered by Glenarm Street to the north, Old Mill Road to the south, the South Pasadena border to the west, and Oak Grove Avenue to the east....
in terrain between Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
and San Marino, California
San Marino, California
San Marino is a small, affluent city in Los Angeles County, California. Incorporated in 1913, the City founders designed the community to be uniquely residential, with expansive properties surrounded by beautiful gardens, wide streets, and well maintained parkways...
.
In 1906, Macomber purchased Rancho Cienega de los Paicines
Rancho Cienega de los Paicines
Rancho Cienega de los Paicines was a Mexican land grant in present day San Benito County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Angel María Castro and José Antonio Rodriguez. The name means "marsh lands of the Paicines" in Spanish...
, a cattle breeding operation located in Paicines, California
Paicines, California
The unincorporated community of Paicines is located at above mean sea level in San Benito County, California along State Route 25. Guide signs along SR25 say the community is south of Hollister. The community is at the intersection of Panoche Road and SR25...
. He invested a great deal of money in a new home as well as stables to facilitate the introduction of thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horses to the operation. He kept a private railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
at nearby Tres Pinos
Tres Pinos, California
Tres Pinos is a census-designated place in San Benito County, California. The community lies along State Route 25, approximately 4 miles south of Hollister and 5 miles north of Paicines. Tres Pinos sits at an elevation of...
, which allowed him and his wife to travel to horse-racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
venues throughout the country. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Macombers made a chateau
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
in France their primary residence, and, in 1927, sold the Paicines ranch to Walter Murphy.
Thoroughbred racing
From 1892 until her marriage to Kingsley Macomber, Myrtle Harkness had spent much time around horses at her father's Walnut Hall Farm near Lexington, KentuckyLexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. With both having considerable interest and history with horses, Kingsley and Myrtle Macomber became major international figures in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.
In 1918, Kingsley Macomber's colt War Cloud
War Cloud
War Cloud was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was the first horse to compete in all three U.S.Triple Crown races. Bred by Jack Barnato Joel, one of Britain's most prominent Thoroughbred owner/breeders, War Cloud was sold as a yearling and brought to race in the United States.- Racing...
ran fourth in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
then won the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
. Of his six Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
runners, Star Hawk had the best result when he ran second in 1916. Other Macomber horses won a number of important American races including the Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
, Suburban Handicap
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
, and Withers Stakes
Withers Stakes
The Withers Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds willing to compete one mile on the dirt. Held at Aqueduct Racetrack every year at the end of April , it is a Grade III event, and offers a purse of $150,000...
. In 1911, virtually all horse racing in the United States shut down as a result of government legislation that banned parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
. As a consequence, Macomber and several notable American stable owners shifted their racing operations to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. While the ban on wagering was lifted within two years, and racing returned to U.S. tracks, many owners retained large operations in Europe, and, by 1925, Macomber had more than one hundred horses in training in England. Nonetheless, he supported California racing, and, in 1923, he became a founding member and Director of the Pacific Coast Jockey Club, headed by Adolph B. Spreckels
Adolph B. Spreckels
Adolph Bernard Spreckels was a California businessman who ran Spreckels Sugar Company and who donated the California Palace of the Legion of Honor art museum to the city of San Francisco in 1924. His wife Alma was called the "great grandmother of San Francisco".-Biography:His father was Claus...
.
The "Macomber Family Collection about Race Horse Breeding" is at the Department of Special Collections in the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
library. The collection is made up of photographs, ephemera, an album, and a catalog relative to the horse-breeding and ranching interests of Dr. Henry Macomber, A. Kingsley Macomber, and John Kingsley Macomber.
Life and racing in France
During the second decade of the 20th Century, Kingsley Macomber was a frequent visitor to EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and, around 1919, he purchased the Haras de Cheffreville horse breeding farm. A few years later he acquired two properties owned by a fellow American, William K. Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.-Biography:...
: the Haras du Quesnay
Haras du Quesnay
Haras du Quesnay, known as "Le Quesnay", is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm in France about four miles outside the city of Deauville on 3 km², established in 1907 by wealthy American sportsman William Kissam Vanderbilt. He sold the property to another American horseman, A. Kingsley Macomber,...
breeding farm in Normandy, and a chateau at Carrières-sous-Poissy
Carrières-sous-Poissy
Carrières-sous-Poissy is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.- Demographics :-References:*...
, which included a stable for Thoroughbreds, a training track, and bloodstock of approximately one hundred and fifty mares and sires, including the great Maintenon
Maintenon (horse)
Maintenon was a French Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by Gaston Dreyfus at his Haras du Perray in Les Bréviaires, Yvelines...
. The Carrières-sous-Poissy property, located near the Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse
Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse
The Hippodrome de Maisons-Laffitte at 1 avenue de la Pelouse in the northwestern Parisian suburb of Maisons-Laffitte in France is a turf horse racing facility and track for Thoroughbred flat racing...
, was on the Paris-to-Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
railway line, making for easy shipping of horses to the Deauville Racecourse.
Thoroughbreds owned by Macomber won major races in France and England. Notably, in 1923, his colt Parth
Parth (horse)
Parth was a Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1923 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was sired by Polymelus, the five-time Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland. His dam was Willia, a daughter of William The Third whose wins included the 1902 Ascot Gold Cup.Parth was owned by A...
won the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
at Longchamp Racecourse, and Gold Bridge won back-to-back runnings of the King's Stand Stakes
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
at Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
in 1933 and 1934.
Part of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian high society, according to his obituary in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, Macomber was hailed as the "undisputed head of American society in Europe." He served as president of the American Hospital of Paris
American Hospital of Paris
The American Hospital of Paris, founded in 1906, located in Neuilly-sur-Seine, is a private, not-for-profit institution that is considered agréé/non-conventionné under the French system of healthcare. It has 187 surgical, medical, and obstetric beds....
from 1926 to 1928.
Philanthropy
Macomber was a lover of military history; his father had served with the Union ArmyUnion Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. While living in France he promoted the important historic relationship between that country and the United States. In 1931 he commissioned a monument of Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown...
which was erected at the Trocadero Palace
Trocadéro
The Trocadéro, , site of the Palais de Chaillot, , is an area of Paris, France, in the 16th arrondissement, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. The hill of the Trocadéro is the hill of Chaillot, a former village.- Origin of the name :...
in Paris. During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
De Grasse had commanded the 1781 French fleet which blocked the British retreat from Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
and made possible the American victory.
In 1934, Macomber donated another American Revolutionary War statue to the city of Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. The sculpture of French General Rochambeau
Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau
Marshal of France Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau was a French nobleman and general who participated in the American Revolutionary War as the commander-in-chief of the French Expeditionary Force which came to help the American Continental Army...
is a replica of one in Paris. It was from Newport that General Rochambeau departed with his army to join General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and march on to Yorktown.
Macomber also patronized the game of tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. In the 1920s and 1930s he supported the A. K. Macomber tournament at Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
.
A. Kingsley Macomber died in 1955 in Paris, France. He is buried in Cannes, France along side Howard Burnham
Howard Burnham
Mather Howard Burnham , went by the name of Howard and his brother was the celebrated scout Frederick Russell Burnham. He traveled the world, frequently worked as a mining engineer and, during World War I, he became an intelligence officer and spy for the government of France...
, a fellow American and spy for France who was also the brother of Frederick Russell Burnham.