Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 175: Hotel History: William Cornelius Van Horne; My Five Published Hotel Books

Stanley Turkel | March 13, 2017

by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: William Cornelius Van Horne (1843-1915) William Cornelius Van Horne was born on February 3, 1843 on a farm in Will County, Illinois. His great grandfather, Jan Cornelissen Van Horne had emigrated from the Dutch Republic in 1635 to the British colonies and settled in New Amsterdam, now known as the Island of Manhattan. The family prospered and became landowners and businessmen who played an important role in the industrial and political development of New York State. William Van Horne's father, Cornelius Covenhoven Van Horne, was trained as a lawyer at Union College. He is said to have "chafed at th...