Peter Arrell Browne Widener | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 13, 1834 |
| Died | November 6, 1915 (aged 80) |
| Resting place | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, art collector, philanthropist |
| Known for | Co-founder Philadelphia Traction Company, U.S. Steel, American Tobacco |
| Spouse | Hannah Josephine Dunton |
| Children | Harry (1859-1874) George Dunton (1861-1912) Joseph Early (1871-1943) |
Peter Arrell Browne Widener (November 13, 1834 – November 6, 1915) was an American businessman, art collector, and patriarch of the wealthy Widener family. He began his career as a butcher, ran a successful chain of meat stores, and won a lucrative contract to supply mutton to Union army troops during the American Civil War. He partnered with William Lukens Elkins to found the Philadelphia Traction Company and established electric trolley systems in several major cities in the United States.
Widener was ranked #29 on the American Heritage list of the forty richest Americans in history, with a net worth at death of $44 billion to $48 billion (in 2024 dollars).[1]
- ^ Gibson, Christine (October 1998). "The American Heritage". American Heritage. Vol. 49, no. 6.