The Borel traditions live on

His brother Alfred came to California in 1855 with money to invest in California prosperity. He operated as a commission banker and bought and sold anything that would turn a profit for his Swiss investors.

Young Antoine followed in 1861 and joined his brother in what became a family venture. Antoine, only 21, showed that he had a knack for business. Alfred returned to Switzerland to reassure his Swiss investors that there was nothing to worry about even though the United States was entering a civil war. Alfred remained there.

Antoine stayed in San Francisco where he became a noted figure in financial circles. He ran what is now called a private bank, where money deposited was invested on behalf of the clients. These investments were usually in stocks and bonds, and many of the clients were Swiss, living both here and abroad. Antoine was a conservative investor by the standards of those days.

Later, banking in the United States took on a more corporate structure, led locally by William Ralston and his Bank of California. That bank invested heavily in the Comstock Lode and other speculative ventures. In 1875, the Bank of California failed, and William Ralston died under questionable circumstances.

Antoine Borel became a director of the Bank of California when it was reorganized.

Borel was also involved in many other interests. He was a director of the Spring Valley Water Company and he ran the California Street Railroad, to name just two. He owned some 100 acres in San Mateo where he and his family enjoyed living in the country and participating in social activities at the Burlingame Country Club.

Antoine had married a local girl Grace Canitrot and they had five daughters and two sons. One son, Alfred, died at the age of 4. Three of their daughters married. Alice married Aylett Cotton, who later became a judge. Sophie married John M. Lewis. Grace met and married Louis Bovet in Switzerland, although they came to live on the family property in San Mateo. Guadalupe and Chonita remained single. The remaining son Antoine A. Borel married Mardie McMahon. After both Alice and John Lewis died, Sophie married Aylett Cotton, her former brother-in-law.

When Antoine Borel died in 1915, the partnership that made up the private bank was terminated and the clients moved to other banks. His descendants, however, have carried on the family tradition. Miller Ream, along with Borel’s great grandsons Hal and Ron Fick, formed the Borel Bank in 1980. It was a great success and has since been purchased by Boston Private Financial Holdings. Members of the family are still active with Borel Private Bank and the headquarters are still on the grounds of the former Borel Estate in San Mateo, but it is no longer just a family business.

Other family enterprises include Borel Place Associates and The Borel Estate Company. The Cotton branch of the family has also continued to distinguish itself in legal circles.

Antoine insisted on outstanding customer service and community involvement by his employees. The Borel name was said to stand for tradition and integrity. Borel Bank emphasizes that it still does. Certainly, the family members have continued with a long list of philanthropic interests.

Rediscovering the Peninsula appears in the Monday edition of the Daily Journal. For more information on this or related topics, visit the San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City.