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Category: Business

328. alberto j. belaustegui

Published by Robert on 9 April 2009

Alberto J. Belaustegui, Recoleta Cemetery

As happens so often, if an important person did not establish a family vault during their lifetime, their children usually take on the responsibility. Alberto J. Beláustegui married into the family of one of Argentina’s most famous Merchant Marines: Baron Nicolás Mihanovich.

Born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Mihanovich arrived in South America in 1867. Deciding to establish a river navegation company, by 1900 the business had a fleet of 200 ships, their own drydock facilities & hundreds of employees. But vessels are expensive to maintain & in order to remain profitable, the company became a public corporation with Mihanovich & his family retaining the majority of shares & control.

Nicolás Mihanovich, Recoleta Cemetery

Growth continued at a wild pace. With the acquisition of more second-hand vessels as well as new ships from England, the Mihanovich fleet served half of South America. Local banks were unwilling to deal with such large investment needs, so Mihanovich created a branch in England to keep the cash flowing. The Argentine Navigation Company (Nicolás Mihanovich), Ltd. had approximately 25% British shareholders in 1909… an important fact when World War I began five years later.

By that time, the business had expanded to 5,000 employees & 324 vessels, including trans-Atlantic passenger ships. But Mihanovich had never officially become Argentine, & his company became the subject of aggression in London. His Austro-Hungarian nationality (plus a recently added title of Baron) made investors uneasy dealing with “the enemy.” At the age of 72, Mihanovich was forced to liquidate a large portion of his company, but the ongoing war made that easy due to a high demand for ships.

Nicolás Mihanovich, Recoleta Cemetery

The entire company was eventually acquired by Alberto Dodero & continues to function today, albeit after many name changes & mergers. Several vestiges of the Mihanovich shipping empire remain in Buenos Aires; one very visible example is the company’s main office. Built on Avenida Alem with a direct view to Puerto Madero, the 1912 building stands out for its interesting architecture:

Edificio Mihanovich, Buenos Aires

Edificio Mihanovich, Buenos Aires

The main entrance at the intersection of Perón & 25 de Mayo still displays the Mihanovich logo:

Edificio Mihanovich, Buenos Aires

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280. ingº emilio mitre

Published by Robert on 3 January 2009

Emilio Mitre, Recoleta Cemetery

Although participating in a number of political events during the end of the 19th century (most notably the 1890 Revolution), Emilio Mitre chose not to follow the path of his father—President Bartolomé Mitre. Emilio limited his political ambitions to Congress, using his engineering background to improve the nation.

Emilio Mitre, Recoleta Cemetery

Before being elected senator, Emilio Mitre established telegraph lines & managed the operations of the train service departing from Once in Buenos Aires. Mitre also took over the family business—the La Nación newspaper founded by his father—but probably his most important contribution was supervising the construction of a canal in the Río de la Plata.

In spite of being famous as a port city, Buenos Aires has always had trouble with shipping due to its location. Tons of sediment from the Paraná & Uruguay Rivers finds a cozy home on the sandbars off the coast of Buenos Aires. Large berth ships follow restricted lanes, dredged frequently to be navigable. Mitre realized that cargo coming down the Paraná River needed better access to the port of Buenos Aires, so proposed a new canal. It continues to be used today. There are few nav charts online which clearly shows the buoy-marked canal just off the city shoreline:

Canal Emilio Mitre map

On a non-engineering note, Bartolomé Mitre may be buried here with his son. Maybe. While rummaging through photos at the Archivo General de la Nación, a 1906 photo of Emilio’s tomb had “transfer of  Mitre” written on the back:

AGN, Emilio Mitre, Recoleta Cemetery

The dates don’t jive though. Emilio died in 1909… three years after the above photo was allegedly taken. Bartolomé’s grand vault was replaced with an equally grand monument in 1938, but the final location of all family members is not clear:

AGN, Bartolomé Mitre, Recoleta Cemetery

Bartolomé Mitre, Recoleta Cemetery

Bartolomé & wife Delfina de Vedia are most likely with their son, but this needs further investigation… surely they wouldn’t be sealed underneath this monument for eternity. Emilio’s vault was declared a National Historic Monument in 1946.

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272. álvaro barros

Published by Robert on 18 December 2008

In 1866—several years before the Campaña del Desierto—Álvaro Barros went to command one of the fortified outposts on the frontlines between the indigenous population & what was considered national territory. His new settlement founded a year later near the fortress became known as Olavarría, established friendly relations with local tribes & began moderate agricultural activity.

Barros left Olavarría when his replacement arrived in 1868 but maintained active in both the military & politics. After Roca pushed the frontlines as far south as the Río Negro, all newly acquired territory in Patagonia needed to be officially incorporated into the central government. Roca named Barros Governor of Patagonia in 1878, & he reported to Roca directly… not to the Ministry of the Interior.

Two years later the final boundary was set between the Province of Buenos Aires & Patagonia at the outlet of the Río Negro. To make the separation clearer, Barros decided to move the regional capital to the area only the southern side of the river. Viedma is now considered the oldest settlement in Patagonia.

As co-founder of the land auction firm Bravo Barros y Cía, Álvaro managed to control real estate development in Patagonia & earned a lot of prestige & power at the same time. The company even auctioned off land in Buenos Aires:

Álvaro Barros, Recoleta Cemetery

Other relatives of Álvaro helped develop train lines to deliver agricultural goods for export & connect remote regions of the south to the port of Buenos Aires:

Horacio Barros, Recoleta Cemetery

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260. domingo matheu

Published by Robert on 24 November 2008

Domingo Matheu, Recoleta Cemetery

Born near Barcelona in 1765, Matheu piloted vessels in his youth after training in the Spanish Navy. He later formed a partnership with his brother after obtaining permission from the crown to engage in colonial trade. It was the start of a venture which would change his life. Matheu permanently moved to Buenos Aires in 1793 after several trips to the area.

As one of the major businessmen in city, Matheu also became influential in politics. He used his military training to defend Buenos Aires against the British during the 1806 & 1807 invasions & was one of the most involved citizens during the May Revolution against Spain.

Whether Matheu identified strongly with his new home or was mainly considering business opportunities is unclear, but he effectively betrayed his homeland by becoming a member of the Primera Junta in 1810 at the age of 44. During the absence of the President while on a trip to reorganize the Northern Army, Matheu made decisions on his behalf. Although not officially named President of the Primera Junta, Matheu ruled the new nation for several months.

Domingo Matheu, Recoleta Cemetery

The participation of Matheu in the early days of Argentina is often hidden behind more recognized names such as Moreno, Saavedra, & Belgrano. Besides performing civic duties, Matheu’s most important contribution during that time was financial. Wealthy & generous, Matheu helped fund the creation of expeditions which eventually persuaded regions of modern-day Uruguay, Paraguay & Bolivia to join the independence movement.

After the dissolution of the Junta in 1811, Matheu donated additional funds for the army & manufactured rifles for Argentina during most of the war with Spain. He passed away in 1831 & was buried in an oddly off-center spot in Recoleta Cemetery. Barely visible these days, the simple inscription reads:

Domingo Matheu
Procer de la Revolución de Mayo
Vocal de la Primera Junta
Fallecido el 28 de marzo de 1831
La Patria agradecida

The tomb became a National Historic Monument in 1946.

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231. timoteo balbín

Published by Robert on 8 August 2008

Timoteo Balbín, Recoleta Cemetery

Laid to rest in a nice example of Art Nouveau—although a bit neglected these days—Timoteo Balbín was a founder & early president of the Banco Español del Río de la Plata. One of many Spanish business ventures in their former colonies, the bank began operating in 1887 as Argentina’s economy picked up steam & it quickly became the largest private institution in the nation. The main branch in Buenos Aires elegantly sat a couple blocks from Plaza de Mayo in La City on the corner of Reconquista & Perón:

Banco Español del Río de la Plata

After a Menem-era bank buyout left the building abandoned, Banco Galicia purchased the lot for their massive, skyscraper headquarters. Completely out of place & towering over everything in the vicinity, at least they had the decency to save the two street-side façades:

Banco Galicia, La City

Banco Galicia, La City

The main Spanish branch in Madrid was equally impressive, near the beginning of Gran Vía on Calle Alcalá. Designed by master architect Antonio Palacios, the location currently houses the headquarters of the Instituto Cervantes:

Instituto Cervantes, Madrid

Like Art Nouveau? Learn about the architects of the era, their individual styles & what makes Art Nouveau in Buenos Aires so unique with a 33-page guide from our sister site, Endless Mile.

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