Edward Hardy Clark (1864-1945)

He was born at St. Louis, Missouri. He was a cousin of Phoebe Apperson whose husband, George Hearst, had become a multi-millionaire in California and at the age of twenty Edward went out west and joined him. George died five years later in 1891, leaving his wife as his sole heir. Phoebe then entrusted Edward - who was the same age as her only son, William Randolph Hearst - to manage her late husband's vast business interests and acted as her financial advisor until her death. For many years, he was President of the Homestake (Gold) Mining Company and after retiring was Chairman of the Board until his death. He was also Vice President (1902-1929) then President (1929-1942) of the Cerro de Pasco Copper Corporation in Peru and a director of the American Metal Company, the American Trust Company, and the Irving Trust Company, all of New York. He lived in San Francisco and in 1901 sold his hunting retreat in Northern California to Phoebe Hearst who built the 7-story castle, Wyntoon, near the site of his lodge, still preserved on the estate today, known as the "River House". He was married at Fresno in California in 1895 to Eva Turner and they had two children.