William S. O'Brien
Encyclopedia
William S. O'Brien was an American businessman who formed a business partnership with fellow Irishmen James Graham Fair
, James C. Flood
, and John William Mackay
, the Consolidated Virginia Mining Company
. The four dealt in mining stocks and operated silver mines on the Comstock Lode
, and in 1873 discovered the great orebody known as the "Big Bonanza" in the Consolidated Virginia and California Mine, an orebody more than 1,200 feet deep, which yielded in March of that year as much as $632 per ton, and in 1877 nearly $190,000,000 altogether. The four-way partnership, although formally called "Flood and O'Brien," was more commonly known as the Bonanza firm. Together they also established the Bank of Nevada in San Francisco, California
.
He is considered to have been one of the 100 wealthiest Americans, having left an enormous fortune.
James Graham Fair
James Graham Fair was the overnight millionaire part-owner of the Comstock Lode, a United States Senator and a colorful real estate and railroad speculator.-Early life:...
, James C. Flood
James Cair Flood
James Clair Flood was born on Staten Island, N.Y. to Irish immigrant parents. Flood came to San Francisco a few years after the discovery of gold in California, and tried his luck in mining. In 1857 he opened a saloon with partner William S. O'Brien. In 1858 they sold the saloon and went into...
, and John William Mackay
John William Mackay
John William Mackay was an American capitalist, born in Dublin, Ireland.-Early years:His parents brought him in 1840 to New York City, where he worked in a shipyard.-Gold and silver mining:...
, the Consolidated Virginia Mining Company
Bonanza Kings
The Bonanza Kings, also called the Silver Kings, was a nickname given to the four men who started a stock brokerage called Flood and O'Brien, more commonly known as the Bonanza Firm...
. The four dealt in mining stocks and operated silver mines on the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
, and in 1873 discovered the great orebody known as the "Big Bonanza" in the Consolidated Virginia and California Mine, an orebody more than 1,200 feet deep, which yielded in March of that year as much as $632 per ton, and in 1877 nearly $190,000,000 altogether. The four-way partnership, although formally called "Flood and O'Brien," was more commonly known as the Bonanza firm. Together they also established the Bank of Nevada in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
He is considered to have been one of the 100 wealthiest Americans, having left an enormous fortune.