She was a major operator on Wall Street. In addition to extensive railroad holdings, stocks and government bonds, she maintained a liquid fund of considerable size for the purpose of lending money. During the stock market drought of 1907 she lent money to large stores and businesses as well as to the City of New York itself. Her success led to the nickname "The Queen of Wall Street" which was twisted into "The Witch of Wall Street" by jealous rival investors.
Hetty rarely spent any of her massive fortune. She seemed intent solely on the pursuit of wealth and applied shrewd and miserly practices alike. She invested in mortgages and real estate in New York and Chicago. She bought railroad operations in Texas, leading to the establishment of the Texas Midland Railroad with her son Ned as president. He was successful and is said to have lived there in luxury and to have owned the first automobile in the state.
Hetty's miserly traits were numerous. She bought broken cookies in bulk and returned berry baskets for a nickel. She is said to have once spent hours looking for a 2 cent stamp she had lost. She most often dressed in old ragged clothing, and her outfit always included long black skirts which led many neighborhood children to believe her "witch" nickname. Those long black skirts would trail in the dust of the sidewalk, and, when they needed cleaning, she would walk to the cleaners and instruct them 'to wash only the bottom' while she waited in her petticoats.
Hetty died in New York City in 1916 and was buried beside her husband in Bellows
Falls. Hetty's will provided a few small gifts to individuals and businesses,
but her fortune of over 100 million dollars was left to Ned and Sylvia. Relative
to today's dollar, her fortune is worth over 17 billion dollars. In October,
1998 'American Heritage Magazine' listed the 40 richest Americans in history.
Hetty, at number 36, is the only woman on the list.