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Hello, A touching but not true story re: the founding of Leland Stanford Jr. University. Leland Stanford Jr. died when he was 15 years old. A victim of typhoid fever. He and his parents were visiting Italy at the time. The University is situatated on the Stanford's stock farm where young Leland loved to visit and spend time. Leland Stanford was instrumental in holding California loyal to the Union. A merchant interested in developing CA and one of the four businessmen who was instrumental in the building of the Transcontinental railway (hence the Stanford award to alumni of the "Golden Spike") Leland Stanford declared upon the death of his young son (only child) that the children of California would become their children and the University would be constructed on "the farm" as a memorial to the young son. Jane Stanford was very actively involved in supervision of the Memorial Church on the campus and reputedly visited the site daily and used the tip of her umbrella to measure the depth of the lettering being etched in the sandstone in the walls of the church. A beautiful gift in memory of their son. Rita Weeks