Agustín Ross Edwards was a Chilean

Chilean people

Chilean people, or simply Chileans, are the native citizens and long-term immigrants of Chile. Chileans are mainly of Spanish and Amerindian descent, with small but significant traces of 19th and 20th century European immigrant origin...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

, diplomat

Diplomat

A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...

, and banker. He was son of David Ross and Carmen Edwards Ossandon; both were of British

British Chilean

The British Chileans are people of British ancestry, in full or in part, who reside in Chile. The British have been very important in the formation of the Chilean nation. They include Chileans of English, Scottish and Welsh ancestry. The numbers of Scottish and Welsh are higher in the Patagonia and...

 ancestry. He was married to Susana Ferari.

Biography

Ross studied at the Carlos Black and Simon Kerr School in La Serena. He studied at the Queen Street Institution in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 between 1856 and 1860. He participated in the trades of the bank of the Edwards family. He was private agent in 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...

 of the Government Junta of Iquique

Iquique

Iquique is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Atacama Desert and the Pampa del Tamarugal. It had a population of 216,419 as of the 2002 census...

 in 1891. He was plenipotentiary minister in Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 in February 1892.

Ross moved to Pichilemu

Pichilemu

Pichilemu , originally known as Pichilemo, is a beach resort city and commune in central Chile, and capital of Cardenal Caro Province. It is located southwest of Santiago, the capital of Chile, and comprises an urban center and twenty-three villages, such as Ciruelos, Cáhuil, and Espinillo...

 around 1890 and bought some land in the town. In San Fernando

San Fernando, Chile

San Fernando is the capital of the province of Colchagua, in central Chile, and the second most populated urban center of the O'Higgins Region. Located close to the Tinguiririca River in a fertile valley, San Fernando sits 1,112 feet above sea level...

, in September 1885, he bought some property from Francisco Torrealba, on a site that was located at the Pichilemu beach. He constructed the Ross Hotel with a European-style design, assigning Evaristo Merino as its administrator. He promoted Pichilemu in cities such as Santiago de Chile. He later constructed the Ross Casino and the Ross Park

Agustín Ross Park

Agustín Ross Park is a park located in the Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of the old Ross Casino, in Pichilemu. It is a National Monument of Chile.The original park contains 100-year-old native Chilean palms and many green spaces...

. They used materials such as stone from Italy, Oregon pine from the United States, and Portland cement

Portland cement

Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...

. A Chilean chronicler quoted:
Ross was a militant of the National Party of Chile

National Party (Chile)

There have been two "National Parties" in the history of Chile:*The National Party of 1857-1933, created by the supporters of President Manuel Montt and Interior Minister Antonio Varas, also known as Montt-varista Party....

. He was senator of the Coquimbo Province

Coquimbo Region

The IV Coquimbo Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is some 400 km north of the capital, Santiago.The capital and largest city is La Serena, other important cities include the seaport Coquimbo and the agricultural centre...

 between 1897 and 1903.

Ross died on October 26, 1926, in Viña del Mar

Viña del Mar

Viña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...

. Some of his property was left to the Municipality of Pichilemu in his will, including forest, terraces, and the park, with the condition that they should be attended worthily.

See also

• Ross Balcony