Real Estate Mogul. An important figure in the history of San Diego, California, he is best remembered for building the famous Hotel del Coronado (1888) to attract residential buyers to the area. Ten US Presidents and countless celebrities have stayed at this Victorian-style beachfront hotel, which remains the second-largest wooden structure in the country; in addition it has appeared in over a dozen Hollywood films, most notably “Some Like It Hot” (1959) and “The Stunt Man” (1980). It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. The Chicago-born Babcock trained as a civil engineer and moved to Southern California for health reasons in 1884. He developed over 4000 acres of San Diego property and gave the city its first electrical lighting system in 1904. But his business career was rocky, and he was nearly bankrupt when he died. (bio by: Bobb Edwards)  Family links:  Parents:  Elisha S Babcock (1814 – 1890)  Agnes Sutherland Davidson Babcock (1828 – 1911)  Spouse:  Isabella Graham Babcock (1850 – 1932)* *Calculated relationship