George H. B. Atherton

George Henry Bowen Atherton (December 23, 1851 - March 24, 1887) was an American businessman and a member of a prominent family in California.
He was the son of Faxon Atherton (1815-1877) and Dominga de Goñi. His father was a successful American businessman, and is the namesake of Atherton, California. He was born in Valparaiso, Chile and named as Jorge.
He married Gertrude Franklin Horn (1857-1948), a relative of Benjamin Franklin, who after his passing would go on to become one of California's most important authors as Gertrude Atherton. He eloped with her once she was eighteen, after having been her mothers suitor. They had two children, George and Muriel.
Upon the death of his father in 1877, he took the lead in the daily management of the family real estate business. Papers relating to the management of the Faxon Dean Atherton Estate, part of which he inherited and administered in trust for the last 10 years of his life have been retained by the California Historical Society.
In order to follow the route of his pioneering father, he set about a plan to return to Chile. His mother was a domineering matriarch and his marriage an unhappy one.
His Cousin, Alberto de Goñi was the commanding officer of the Chilean Corvette Pilcomayo. The Atherton family hosted a ball in their honor. Alberto invited him to accompany him to Valparaiso. This presented a opportunity for him to explore business opportunities in Chile.
Two weeks into the sea journey and he developed a kidney stone. He was administered a shot of morpheme by the ship’s surgeons, however he haemorrhaged and died, aged 35. In normal circumstances, he would have thrown overboard, however he came from a wealthy family. His cousin chose to have him placed in a rum barrel to preserve him and persuaded the captain of the Tropic Bird to return the embalmed remains to San Francisco.
His obituary appeared in the San Francisco Morning Call and the San Francisco Chronicle on June 25, 1879. He was buried shortly after at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, California.
His last place of residence, Atherton House, 1990 California St, is on the San Francisco ghost trail. After his death, an abundance of paranormal activity was reported; purportedly of him, which led to his terrorised mother having to leave the family home. It also kept his estranged wife away.

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