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J. D. Spreckels was born
Spreckels was born in Charleston, South Carolina, US -
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Education
Spreckels attended Oakland College and then the Polytechnic College in Hanover, Germany, where he studied chemistry and mechanical engineering. -
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Worked for his father in California
He returned to California and began working for his father, Claus Spreckels, who had grown extremely wealthy in the sugar business. -
He was married
John Diedrich Spreckels married Lillie Siebein in Hoboken, New Jersey. -
Grace Spreckels was born
His first child was born -
Lillie Spreckels was born
Second child -
New sugar company
With $2 million in capital, he organized J. D. Spreckels and Brothers, a company to establish a trade between the mainland United States and the Hawaiian Islands -
John Spreckels was born
Third child -
Spreckels visited San Diego
Spreckels visited San Diego on his yacht Lurline to stock up on supplies. Impressed by the real estate boom then taking place, he invested in the construction of a wharf and coal bunkers at the foot of Broadway (then called "D" Street). That boom ended soon but Spreckels' interest in San Diego would last for the rest of his life. -
Claus Spreckels was born
Fourth and last child -
The San Diego Union
He bought The San Diego Union newspaper. -
He changed San Diego street railway from horse power to electricity
He bought the San Diego street railway system, changing it from horse power to electricity. -
San Diego Evening Tribune
He bought the San Diego Evening Tribune newspaper. -
San Diego earthquake
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He moved into his new mansion
He moved into his new mansion on Glorietta Boulevard in Coronado -
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SD&A
The company also engaged in limited freight handling primarily as an interchange with Spreckels' San Diego and Arizona Railway (SD&A) -
J. D. Spreckels died
Spreckels died in San Diego, California, US