The Philadelphia Traction Company operated under the leadership of George Dunton Widener, who managed the expansion of cable and electric streetcar systems in Pennsylvania. As a prominent banker and entrepreneur, he directed significant capital into regional infrastructure, while maintaining board seats at the Land Title Bank and Trust Company and the Electric Storage Battery Company.
Business and Civic Contributions
Born in Philadelphia in 1861, Widener entered the family enterprise through his father, Peter Arrell Brown Widener. He expanded his influence beyond streetcar operations to include industrial interests like the Portland Cement Company. His civic engagement included a directorship at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, reflecting his role as an active patron within the regional cultural establishment.
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In 1912, Widener traveled to Paris with his wife, Eleanor Elkins, and their son, Harry, to secure a chef for a planned Ritz Carlton hotel in Philadelphia. The family booked return passage on the RMS Titanic. Upon the ship's collision with an iceberg, Widener ensured his wife and her maid, Amalie Gieger, secured places on a lifeboat. He, his son Harry, and their valet, Edwin Keeping, died in the North Atlantic. Their bodies were never identified.
Legacy and Estate
Widener commissioned architect Horace Trumbauer to design Miramar, a 30,000-square-foot French neoclassical mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. The project remained in the design phase at the time of his death. Following the tragedy, a memorial service occurred at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, where stained glass windows were installed to commemorate him and his son. His descendants included Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr., who later became an owner of several Philadelphia professional sports franchises.
Fast facts
- Born: 1861, Philadelphia
- Died: 1912, North Atlantic Ocean
- Occupations: Businessperson, entrepreneur, banker, art collector
- Spouse: Eleanor Elkins
- Children: Harry Elkins Widener, George Dunton Widener Jr., Eleanor Widener
- Burial place: Atlantic Ocean
- Citizenship: United States
Questions readers ask
What was the purpose of the Widener family's 1912 trip to Europe?
They traveled to Paris to hire a chef for a new Ritz Carlton hotel project in Philadelphia.
Did George Dunton Widener survive the sinking of the RMS Titanic?
No, he perished at sea alongside his son Harry and their valet, Edwin Keeping.
