Agustín Ross

Agustín Ross Edwards (February 5, 1844, La Serena, Chile - October 20, 1926, Viña del Mar, Chile) was a Chilean politician, diplomatic and banker. He was son of David Ross and Carmen Edwards. He was married with Susana Ferari.

Biography

Ross studied in the Carlos Black and Simon Kerr School, in La Serena. He later went to Scotland, where he studied in the Queen Streat Institution, between 1856 and 1860. He participated in the trades of the bank of the Edwards family. He was a private agent in London of the Government Junta of Iquique in 1891. He was plenipotenciary minister in Great Britain in February 1892.

Ross went to Pichilemu circa 1890, and he bought some areas in the town. In San Fernando, in September 1885, he bought the property of Francisco Torrealba, a terrain that lasted at the Pichilemu beach. He first constructed the Ross Hotel with a European-style design, assigning Evaristo Merino as its administrator, meanwhile he started promoting Pichilemu in cities as Santiago de Chile. He later constructed the Ross Casino and the Ross Park. They used materials as: shards from Italy, Oregon pine from the United States, Portland cement. A Chilean chronicler quoted:

“	Mr. Agustín Ross throws away his money in Pichilemu, [a place] that will soon become a complete port, just like it is currently, the Chilean Biarritz.	”
	— Quote from José Arraño Acevedo's book, Hombres y Cosas de Pichilemu (2003).

Ross was militant of the National Party of Chile. He was Senator of the Coquimbo Province between 1897 and 1903.

Ross died in October 26, 1926, in Viña del Mar. Later, his succession donated to the Municipality of Pichilemu their forest, terraces, park, perrons, among others, with the condition that they should be attended worthily.

References

José Arraño Acevedo (July 14, 2008). "Don Agustín Ross y su Máxima Creación: Pichilemu" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2010-04-12.
Biografías de Chilenos: Miembros de los Poderes Ejecutivos, Legislativo y Judicial (1876-1973); Armando de Ramón Folch; Ediciones Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 1999, volume 2.

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