Agustín Edwards Ossandón
Encyclopedia
José Agustín de Dios Edwards Ossandón (May 20, 1815 – September 1878) was a Chilean politician and businessman, and one of the main forces behind the early railroad construction in South America.
Agustín Edwards was born in La Serena, the son of Jorge Edwards Brown and Isabel Ossandón Iribarren. At the age of 19, he started to manage the silver smelting operations owned by his father in the cities of Vallenar
and Freirina
. In 1837, by the age of 22, he became independent and moved to the city of Copiapó
, with a small capital he had managed to save.
In 1849 he founded the Bank of Valparaíso. He married Juana Ross Edwards on April 6, 1851, with whom had eight children. He was an active promoter of the railroads in South America. He worked in the construction of the Copiapó-Caldera railway, the first Chilean railroad (and one of the first in Latin America) that was inaugurated on December 25, 1851. He then concentrated on the nitrate exploitation. He became president of the Nitrate Company, and began the studies for a railroad between Antofagasta
and Bolivia
.
He was elected to the lower house of parliament on 1861, and then again in 1873. In 1876, he was elected a Senator for Valparaiso
, a position he held until his death. He died in the city of Limache
in 1878.
Agustín Edwards was born in La Serena, the son of Jorge Edwards Brown and Isabel Ossandón Iribarren. At the age of 19, he started to manage the silver smelting operations owned by his father in the cities of Vallenar
Vallenar
Vallenar is a city and commune in Atacama Region, Chile. It is the capital of the Huasco Province and is located in the valley of the Huasco River. Vallenar has 47,000 inhabitants. Its main activities are farming and mining...
and Freirina
Freirina
Freirina is a Chilean commune and town in Huasco Province, Atacama Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute, Freirina had 5,666 inhabitants; of these, 3,469 lived in urban areas and 2,107 in rural areas. At that time,...
. In 1837, by the age of 22, he became independent and moved to the city of Copiapó
Copiapó
Copiapó is a city in northern Chile, located about 40 miles east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region....
, with a small capital he had managed to save.
In 1849 he founded the Bank of Valparaíso. He married Juana Ross Edwards on April 6, 1851, with whom had eight children. He was an active promoter of the railroads in South America. He worked in the construction of the Copiapó-Caldera railway, the first Chilean railroad (and one of the first in Latin America) that was inaugurated on December 25, 1851. He then concentrated on the nitrate exploitation. He became president of the Nitrate Company, and began the studies for a railroad between Antofagasta
Antofagasta
Antofagasta is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the city has a population of 296,905...
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
.
He was elected to the lower house of parliament on 1861, and then again in 1873. In 1876, he was elected a Senator for Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, a position he held until his death. He died in the city of Limache
Limache
Limache is a Chilean city and commune in the Marga Marga Province, Valparaíso Region. Limache is the only commune of Chile that has two cities. First San Francisco de Limache is to the north of the Matting of Limache, towards the south is Limache Viejo...
in 1878.