Abbie Gifford Rogers (January 20, 1841 – May 21, 1894), was the first wife of
Henry Huttleston Rogers, (1840-1909), a
United States capitalist,
businesswoman,
industrialist,
financier, and
philanthropist.
As children, Abbie and "Hen", each of
Mayflower lineage, grew up and went to school together in
Fairhaven, Massachusetts, a small coastal fishing town with a
whaling heritage. They were married in 1862, and started their family life together in a one room shack in the newly discovered western
Pennsylvania oil fields. Although he and Abbie lived frugally for many years, by 1875, Henry Rogers had risen in the
petroleum industry to become one of the key men in
John D. Rockefeller’s
Standard Oil Trust. He invested heavily in various industries, including copper, steel, mining, and railways. The
Virginian Railway is widely considered his final life's achievement. Rogers amassed a great fortune, estimated at over $100 million, and became one of the wealthiest men in the United States.
Abbie and Henry Rogers were generous, providing many public works for their hometown of
Fairhaven, including the Town Hall which Abbie donated in 1894 shortly before her death. Rogers also financially assisted such notables as
Mark Twain,
Helen Keller, and
Booker T. Washington.
Abbie and Henry Rogers had 5 children, four of whom survived to adulthood. She died suddenly on May 21, 1894, following an operation in
New York City. After her death, Henry Rogers is said to have immersed...
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