US Chase, Katherine Jane

Katherine Jane "Kate" Chase
From A to Z - Women​

Born: August 13, 1840

Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio

Father: Chief Justice Salmon Portland Chase 1808 – 1873

(Buried: Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio)​

Mother: Eliza Ann Smith 1821 – 1845

(Buried: Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio)​

Husband: Governor William Sprague IV 1830 – 1915

(Buried: Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Rhode Island)​

Married: November 12, 1863 in Washington, D. C.

Divorced: 1882 taking her maiden name back

Children:

William "Willie" Sprague V 1865 – 1890​

(Buried: Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Rhode Island)​

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Portia Sprague Browning 1867 – 1932​

(Buried: Riverside Cemetery, South Kingstown, Rhode Island)​

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Ethel Chase Sprague Donaldson 1869 – 1936​

(Buried: Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio)​

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Kitty Sprague 1872 – 1910​

(Buried: Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.)​

Education:

Haines School in New York City, New York​

Life Events:

1856 – 1860: Official Hostess to Governor of Ohio, Salmon Chase​

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1861 – 1863: Hostess for her Father, who was Secretary of Treasury​

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Visited battle camps around Washington & friend to many Generals​

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1863: Wedding Gift was a tiara that cost more than $50,000.00​

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1863: U.S. Band played "The Kate Chase March" at her wedding​

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1863: President Lincoln attended wedding reception​

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1864: Worked to try to have her father nominated for President​

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1868: Hoped the Republican Party would dismiss Pres. Johnson​

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1868: Ran her father's campaign for Democratic Nomination​

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Lived at Edgewood Estate in Edgewood Washington, D.C.​

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Lost her fortunate surviving selling Chickens and Vegetables​

Died: July 31, 1898

Place of Death: Washington, D.C.

Cause of Death: Bright's Disease

Age at time of Death: 58 years old

Burial Place: Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio

 

[DBF]

How did she lose her fortune?

Like so many he lost most of his fortune on "Black Thursday" September 18, 1873 that started the economic downturn that is known as the Panic of 1873. By October 30th A. & W. Sprague Manufacturing was floundering and the banks had cut-off his credit. He employed twelve thousand employees and could not make payroll. 1873 was a difficult year for Kate, in May her beloved father died and with the loss of most of their income (no more $18,000.00 for a dress from Paris) she was forced to go on an allowance when her husband had to step down as president of his company and was put on a salary (a trustee was put in charge of his company to steer it through the financial difficulties), and she and her sister had a dispute over their father's Washington home "Edgewood". Kate wanted to keep the home - sister Nettie wanted money. Kate ended up paying $16,000 to buy her share of the property.

Kate discovered Edgewood was a money pit and in her later years was reduced to fending off debt collectors and contacting her father's friends to help finance the keeping of her home. Henry Villard did organize a consortium of investors (including J.P. Morgan) to protect her home. Money collected $80,000.00. By the end of her life as her home was falling into disrepair the investors decided it was time to sale, move Kate to another living arrangement and hopefully at least get their money back, however Kate was extremely ill and died before this could be accomplished. Her death made the front pages of newspapers across the country.

 

[Pollaco]

Actually it probably wasn't her that lost the fortunes.I don't think she really had what you'd call income, sounds like she was spending other people's money.One of Her sources dried up like when "Daddy" died. Her husband lost alot of income on bad business deals and he turned to alcohol . Some folks think they can drink their problems away.There were rumors that Spraque may have had his fingers in the "Cotton trade" during the war. That source of income(and others) dried up when the war ended. The boom was over.