Astor, William
capitalist, was born July 12, 1829, in New York city, and a son of William B. Astor. In 1875 a visit to Florida awoke his interest in the vast undeveloped resources of that state; and it is believed that his enterprise, during the next ten years, accomplished more for Florida than that of any of his contemporaries. He built a railroad from St. Augustine to Palatкa, constructed several modern blocks of buildings in Jacksonville, and led other men of means to join in the work of re-creating a new Florida in place of the old one. His services were so valuable that the state government voted him a grant of eighty thousand acres of land. He died April 25, 1892, in Paris, France.