On this day in North Carolina History,

Biltmore House under construction

“George W. Vanderbilt, age 25, purchases the first of 661 parcels of land that will ultimately become his 125,000-acre Biltmore Estate. He is the youngest of the eight children of railroad tycoon William Henry Vanderbuilt, reputedly the world’s richest man.” (1888)

Source: Powell, L. (1996). On This Day in North Carolina History.Winston-Salem, North Carolina: John F. Blair, Publisher.