Document Archives Record
Metadata
Collection |
MS 258 |
Title |
Spreckels Companies Records |
Object type |
Documents |
Catalog Number |
MS 258 |
Creator |
J.D. and A.B. Spreckels Company |
Year Range from |
1910 |
Year Range to |
1958 |
Scope & Content |
Abstract: The collection contains information related to specific properties owned by J.D. and A.B. Spreckels Company and other Spreckels-owned companies. Biographical/Historical Notes: John D. Spreckels visited San Diego in the mid-1880s and became interested in the development boom. Adolph B. Spreckels, his brother, joined forces with John in many business ventures. The Spreckels Brothers Commerical Company, established in 1886, built a brick warehouse and a wharf near Pacific Highway and G Street to process bulk commodities such as coal, cement, and railroad iron. The Spreckels’ empire expanded to various companies, utilities, and buildings in the San Diego and other locations. John Spreckels worked with several other local businessmen, such as E. S. Babcock, Charles T. Hinde, and D. C. Collier. Businesses included the Mission Beach Company, First National Bank of San Diego, Savage Tire Company, and the J.D. and A.B. Spreckels Company. Utilities included the Coronado Water Company, Southern California Water Company, and the Hercules Oil Company. In addition, John D. Spreckels was part owner of the San Diego & Coronado Ferry Company and the San Diego Electric Railway Company, and he was a key player in the expansion of the railway system for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915. The Spreckels brothers built the Spreckels Theater Building, the Union Building, and the San Diego Hotel, among others. Scope and Content: The collection contains "land booklets" for property held and managed by the Spreckels Companies, including the J.D. and A.B. Spreckels Company, San Diego Electric Railway Company, Mission Beach Company, Spreckels Brothers Commercial Company, and Cabrillo Land Company. The booklets generally contain the same type of information for each business venture—an index summary sheet, finances, lease and rental information, taxes, appraisals, valuations, correspondence, maps, and photographs. Specifically, the index summary sheet includes information on location, size, date of purchase and improvements, the property’s function or utility, and a list of current lease and/or rental agreements. The finance sheets cover yearly totals of expenses, investments, and revenue. |
Quantity |
0.5 Linear feet (1 box) |
Notes |
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation. |
Finding Aid |
http://www.sandiegohistory.org/archives/archivalcollections/ms258 |
Names |
Babcock, Elisha S. Hinde, Charles T. Kemmer, Julius Spreckels, Adolph B. Spreckels, John Diedrich, b. 1853 Cabrillo Land Company. J.D. and A.B. Spreckels Company. J.D. and A.B. Spreckels Securities Company. J.D. Spreckels & Bros.. Mission Beach Company. San Diego Electric Railway. Spreckels Brothers Commercial Company. Spreckels Theatre. |