The
Father of Put-in-Bay: Jose
de Rivera St. Jurgo
Jose de Rivera St.
Jurgo was born in Barcelona,
Spain and immigrated to New
York City about 1826.
By the 1840’s, de
Rivera was a very successful
businessman. He owned an
import business with
interests in Cuba, Central
and South America; slate and
marble mines in Vermont;
West Indies sugar
plantation; farm land in
Kentucky and Florida; and
homes in New York City and
Connecticut.
In 1854, after
visiting South Bass by
hiring a boat from Lakeside,
de Rivera bought six of the
islands (South Bass, Middle
Bass, Gibraltar, Ballast,
Sugar and Starve) from the
Pierpont Edwards family of
Connecticut for $44,000
dollars.
At first, de
Rivera’s agents, such as
Phillip Vroman, remained on
South Bass, protecting his
interests, raising sheep and
selling lumber and stone.
Middle Bass was sold
in 1859 to Rehberg, Wehrle
and Caldwell for $12,000.
Sugar Island was sold in
1861 for $1000 to Charles
Caldwell. In 1864, Gibraltar
Island was sold to his
friend, Jay Cooke, a wealthy
industrialist born in
Sandusky, Ohio, for $3000.
Ballast Island was sold in
1871 for $1750 to Lemuel S.
Brown.
De
Rivera planned to develop
the island of South Bass,
but he also wanted to make
it his summer home. From
1858 -1862, he hired Ottawa
County engineer, Ernest
Franck, to lay out the roads
and subdivide the land into
10 acre plots. He set aside
a 5 acre waterfront park and
land for a church, a
cemetery and a school.
He encouraged
Valentine Doller to move to
South Bass and open the
first dry goods store.
The climate favored
fruit farming and Kelleys
Island was already planting
vineyards. Settlers from
Rhineland Germany, Canada
and New York State were
encouraged to buy lots
outright or lease the land
and buy it in installments
with their harvest profits.
After De Rivera
retired, his business “J. de
Rivera & Company” went
bankrupt in 1886. His
remaining island properties
were put for sale for his
creditors. Three years
later, on May 31, 2889, Jose
de Rivera died and was
buried in the island
cemetery.
150 years of Island
residents have this Hispanic
entrepreneur to thank for
his amazing foresight and
love of the islands. De
Rivera’s descendants have
recently “discovered” their
ancestor’s legacy and have
visited his beloved
Put-in-Bay.
Descendants
of Jose De Rivera St. Jurgo
1 Jose de Rivera 1813
Barcelona, Spain - 1889
Put-in-Bay,Ohio
m. 1st
Josephine Lexidore abt 1822
Burgos, Spain- abt 1855 New
York City.
2
Josephine de Rivera b: Abt.
1842 m. William A. Roos
3 Josephine
Roos b: 1865
3 Delores Roos
b: 1868
2 Isabella de
Rivera Abt. 1844- 1896
m. Enrique Vazquez
3 Consuelo
Vazquez
3 Enriquetta
Vazquez
3 Enrique
Vazquez
3 Hortensia
Vazquez
3 Anita
Vazquez
2 Henry Clay De
Rivera 1845 – abt 1907 m. 1st
Eugenie Hosmer Leland
3 Joseph
Hosmer de Rivera b: Abt.
1896
3 Horace
Leland de Rivera 1898 -
1988
Henry m.2nd
Ella Isabel Ward
3 Nellie Ward
de Rivera 1875 -1962 m.
James O. I. Sinkinson
3 Henry
Lexidore de Rivera b: Abt.
1877 m. Ethel Lelah Munsell
2 Thomas de
Rivera Abt. 1847-1888
m. Adeline S.
3 Anita de
Rivera b: Abt. 1875
2 John C. de
Rivera b: 1851 m.
Isabella Camblos
3 Henrietta
de Rivera b: Jul 1878 in New
York m. Loney
2 William J. de
Rivera b: 1857 m. Mary
Camblos
3 Marie de
Rivera 1877 - 1968
3 Henry C. de
Rivera b: 1880
3 Cyril C. de
Rivera b: 1897 m. Ruth
1 Jose de Rivera m. 2nd:
Rachel b: 1835 d: Aft. 1900
2 Lilly de Rivera
b: Abt. 1870
2 Casilda Anita de
Rivera abt. 1870 - 1896
m. Augustin Alexander
Daussa
