had turned away from the Democrats in favor of Unionist Republicans, who now controlled the State Legislature. Latham lost his bid for a second Senate term to Republican John Conness, himself a former Anti-Lecompton Democrat. Following his defeat, Latham traveled to Europe, joining the London and San Francisco Bank Ltd (now MUFG Union Bank), where he became the bank's San Francisco chief. Throughout the late 1860s and into the 1870s, Latham helped finance the California Pacific and the North Pacific Coast Railroad, earning recognition as one of California's rail barons. In 1872, Latham bought and began renovating a 50-room Menlo Park mansion, Thurlow Lodge as a gift to his bride, only for the estate to burn down before completion. Nevertheless, it was entirely rebuilt in 1873. In 1874, Latham commissioned Carleton Watkins to photograph the huge estate and produce two presentation albums of mammoth plate prints. Latham later moved to New York City in 1879 to become president of the New York Mining Stock Exchange. The former governor died in New York three years later in 1882 at 54. Latham was originally buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in San Francisco (now the site of the Lone Mountain campus of the University of San Francisco), and later re-interred at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in 1940. References Further reading External links Milton Latham biography at the California State Library 1827 births 1882 deaths Politicians from Columbus, Ohio Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California Democratic Party United States senators from California Democratic Party governors of California County officials in Alabama 19th-century American politicians Alabama lawyers California lawyers Lawyers from Columbus, Ohio Washington & Jefferson College alumni People of California in the American Civil War Burials at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (San Francisco) 19th-century American lawyers