Adolph Heinrich Joseph Sutro (April 29, 1830 – August 8, 1898) was the 24th mayor of San Francisco from 1894 until 1896. Born in Aachen, Prussia, Sutro was educated as an engineer and arrived in the United States in 1850 at the age of twenty. He made his considerable fortune by de-watering and de-gassing the mine shafts of the Comstock Lode in Nevada.

After returning from the Comstock in 1879 he increased his wealth by large real estate investments in San Francisco such as Land’s End, Mount Sutro, and Mount Davidson. He built a modest yet unique estate in what is now Sutro Heights Park. Sutro opened his estate to the public and was heralded as a populist for various projects that benefitted the general population.

Sutro’s reputation as a provider of diversions and culture for the average person led the Populist Party to draft him to run for mayor. He won on an anti-big business platform but was not considered a successful mayor—his political career lasted a short two years. At the time of his death, in 1898, his fortune was extensive and his legal affairs in disarray. As a result, his heirs fought bitterly over his holdings. For additional information about this fascinating man, follow the links below.