Theodore R. Hostetter

Theodore R. Hostetter (October 19, 1870 – August 3, 1902) was an American heir, businessman, polo player and yachtsman during the Gilded Age.

Theodore R. Hostetter
Born
Theodore Rickey Hostetter

(1870-10-19)October 19, 1870
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
DiedAugust 3, 1902(1902-08-03) (aged 31)
New York City, New York
OccupationBusinessman, polo player, yachtsman
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1891)​
ChildrenGreta Hostetter
Verna Hostetter
Theodore R. Hostetter
Parent(s)David Hostetter
Rosetta (Rickey) Hostetter

Early life

Theodore Rickey Hostetter was born in 1870.[1] His father was David Hostetter (1819-1888) and his mother, Rosetta (Rickey) Hostetter.[1][2] He had a brother, D. Herbert Hostetter.[2] He attended public schools in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania the Western University of Pennsylvania, and a college in New England.[2]

Career

He served as Vice President of the Hostetter Company, his family business.[2] He also ran the East End Riding Academy.[2]

He built a polo field on his Pennsylvania farm, and played polo regularly.[2][3]

He was also a notable gambler.[4] For example, he won US$30,000 on the United States presidential election of 1896, by betting on William McKinley.[4] He also gambled and won on yacht races.[4] Additionally, he would bet US$1,000 a game on polo matches in Narragansett Pier.[4] The year before his death, he lost US$1 million, mostly to David C. Johnson, John Daly and Richard Canfield.[4] David C. Johnson sued his widow to get his money back.[4]

Personal life

In 1891, Hostetter was married to Allene Tew (1872–1955).[1][2] They had a farm in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.[2][3] They also resided at the Waldorf Astoria New York, a luxury hotel in Manhattan, New York City.[2] Additionally, they summered in Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island and wintered in South Carolina.[2] They had three children:

  • Greta Hostetter (1892-1918), who married Glenn Stewart.[1][2]
  • Verna Hostetter (1893-1895), who died in early childhood.[1][2]
  • Theodore R. Hostetter Jr. (1897-1918), who was killed in World War I.[1][2]

Additionally, he was an avid yachtsman.[2] He was a member of the New York Yacht Club and the Columbia Boat Club.[2]

He died of pneumonia on August 3, 1902.[2] After his death, his widow remarried four times, including to Anson Wood Burchard, Prince Heinrich XXXIII Reuss of Köstritz, and Count Pavel de Kotzebue.[5]

References
  1. The Peerage: Theodore Rickey Hostetter
  2. "Sudden Death of Hostetter". The Pittsburg Press. August 4, 1902. p. 2.
  3. Alpine MacArthur, Kobuta--A History of the Land Archived 2008-11-18 at the Wayback Machine, Milestones, Vol. 3 No 2. Spring, 1977
  4. Gambled Away Million: Hostetter, It Is Said, Was Great Plunger, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, April 1, 1903
  5. "Countess Kotzebue Is Dead on Riviera" (PDF). The New York Times. 3 May 1955. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
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