Erastus Wiman

Erastus Wiman

• Born April 21, 1834 in Churchville, ON CAN
• Died February 9, 1904 in Staten Island, NY USA

Biographical Information

Erastus Wiman was a prominent businessman and financier in 19th Century New York, NY who was the owner of the New York Metropolitans of the American Association.

He was born in what is now the city of Brampton, ON and began working as an apprentice printer in nearby Toronto, ON. he later became a reporter and financial editor for the Toronto Globe thanks to prominent family connections, before becoming head of the Canadian affiliate of credit reporter R.G. Dun and Co. (now Dun & Bradstreet). He moved to New York City in 1867 and eventually became the company's manager. He then became a major developer in the borough of Staten Island, NY, including building the rail tunnel that connected it with the mainland. He also purchased an amusement park in the borough.

After purchasing the Metropolitans in 1885, he moved them to Staten Island, with the aim of creating an entertainment conglomerate, the Staten Island Amusement Company. However, the venture was not a success, as the team played poorly and failed to attract many fans to the St. George Cricket Grounds, while being largely ignored by the city's newspapers. After two seasons, he sold the team to the owners of the rival Brooklyn Grays who took control of the team's best players and then dissolved the franchise. It is estimated that his two-year dalliance in baseball cost him around $30,000, even though he was able to sell the Metropolitans for $25,000, the amount he had originally paid to the Metropolitan Exhibition Company and John B. Day, who also owned the rival New York Giants of the National League.

Things went downhill for him after that. He filed for bankruptcy in 1893, had to sell off his properties, and in 1894 was arrested for forgery after trying to cash in a falsified cheque of $5,000. He was found guilty, lost the remainder of his properties and was the victim of a stroke in 1901. He died in 1904.

Related Sites

• Erastus Wiman at the SABR Bio Project