Kate O. Sessions Collection
Finding aid created by San Diego City Clerk's Archives staff using RecordEXPRESS
San Diego City Clerk's Archives
2023
202 C Street
San Diego, California 92101
(619) 236-7216
sely@sandiego.gov
http://www.sandiego.gov/city-clerk/inforecords/archive.shtml
Title: Kate O. Sessions Collection
Dates: 1891-1957
Collection Number: Kate O. Sessions Collection
Creator/Collector:
Kate O. Sessions
K. O. Sessions
Fred Sessions
Jean Kenneally
F. H. Dixon
Duncan MacKinnon
F. M. Lockwood
William Templeton Johnson
William T. Johnson
Sessions
Olmsted
Dixon
Johnson
City Clerk Archives, City of San Diego
Common Council of the City of San Diego
U. S. Post Office
Board of Public Works
Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Co.
Department of Education
Board of Education, City of San Diego
City Schools
Municipal Farm
City Farm
San Diego Nursery
Hillcrest Gardens
Cemetery Commission, City of San Diego
Extent: 69 documents including 2 photographs, sketches, maps
Online items available
Repository:
San Diego City Clerk's Archives
San Diego, California 92101
Abstract: A collection of document archives relating to Kate O. Sessions, horticulturist, landscaper, city gardener, and nursery and
cut flower business owner in San Diego, dating from 1891-1940, from the City Clerk’s Archives, City of San Diego, CA. Miss
Sessions is considered the mother of San Diego’s Balboa Park, formerly known as City Park or the Fourteen Hundred Acre Public
Park; and the location of the 1915 Panama- California Exposition, the 1916 Panama-California International Exposition and
the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition. Documents consist of those Miss Sessions personally submitted to
the City of San Diego, as well as those submitted by others but referencing her. The collection features a 1891 letter by
Frederick Law Olmsted (considered the father of U. S. landscape architecture) responding to Miss Sessions’ inquiry regarding
the planning of City Park accompanied by her handwritten notes presenting his letter to the Common Council of the City of
San Diego.
Language of Material: English
public documents Box 16 Folder 25, Box 29 Folder 5, Box 54 Folder 7, Box 78 Folder 5, Box 86 Folder 7, Box 112 Folder
20, Box 154 Folder 1, Box 175 Folder 9, Box 93 (not organized in folders) (wrapped in pink paper), Box 115 Folder 17,
Box 23, Folder 5, Box 35 Folder 1, Box 12827, Box 13841, Box 13849, Box 17332, Box 15388, Box 17101, Box 13850, Box 9878,
Box 9590, Box 15787
[Identification of item]. Kate O. Sessions Collection. Collection Number: Kate O. Sessions Collection. San Diego City Clerk's
Archives
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection contains submissions by Kate O. Sessions to the City of San Diego in the form of petitions, reports, memoranda,
handwritten notes and other correspondence, as well as grant deeds, contracts, agreements, new clippings, correspondence,
and city ordinances and resolutions concerning or relating to her. The date range of the collection is 1891-1940. In addition,
two photos of Miss Sessions supplement the document archives. Please see Supplemental File below for a detailed description
of each archive in the collection.
City Park, San Diego
1400 Acre Park, San Diego
Balboa Park, San Diego
Landscape Architecture
Horticulture
Gardening
Plants, Trees and Scrubs
Flowers
Parks
Frank N. Meyer Medal for Plant Genetic Resources recipient 1939
Botany
Mission Hills
Nursery
Plants
Planting
Soledad Terrace
Kate Sessions Park
San Diego Floral Association
Squatters on City Park
The Country Club
University Heights
Eucalyptus trees
Barns and cottages on City Park
Trees on City Park
olive trees
Telephones
Kitchen Telephones
City Schools
Municipal Farm
City Farm
Monterey Cypress trees
Acacia Verticillata
Pelargoniums
Zonal Geraniums
School gardens
Hillcrest Gardens
San Diego Nursery
Mission Hills Cars, 1428 West Lewis St.
Sidewalks
Parking
North Florence Heights
Mission Hills
Frances Parker School
Mission Hills street cars
John Nolen of Boston
W. Templeton Johnson of New York
Street planning
grading
sidewalking
street drainage
private contracts for city streets
K. O. Sessions in Mission Hills
Frank S. Sessions in Mission Hills
Cocos Plumosa
Erythea Edulis
street palms
Guadalupe Fan Palm
Hooker Street
Lark Street
Montecito Way
Randolph Street
Broadway Street
Palmetto Street
Calhoun Street
Catholic Cemetery
Pioneer Park
City road planning
Arnold & Choate Addition
Washington Heights
North Florence Heights
Poinsettia commercial nursery
Mission Hills poinsettias
Cemetery plot care and maintenance
Sewer lines
Kate O. Sessions
Kate Olivia Sessions
Kate Sessions
Frederick Law Olmsted
Dorothea Sanford
Benjamin McLaren, Civil Engineer
John L. Springer, expressman
Mrs. Holt
Mrs. Mary Woodard
Mr. Starbird
Mr. Morse
Mr. Martinez Click
Park Superintendent Belden
Mrs. Boceh
Mr. John Gay
L. H. Jacobi
F. M. Lockwood
William Templeton Johnson
John Nolen
Lida Scripps
Mattie Bowerstock
Chas, F. O'Neall
H. G. Purcell
J. T. Ledell
J. N. Howard
Geo Houck
G. C. Arnold
C. Wellborn
A. Thieme
W. M. Rumsey
Mary C. Bleifuss
Charles Gunn
M. E. Kelly
J. L and R. J. Kelly
Elizabeth A. Gunn
F. Jane Pritchard
Frances J. Hruska
A. Schreiber
Miss Alice Lee
Miss Lida Scripps
Mrs. F. Sandford
John H. Ferry
Mary J. Hill
Mary C. Hamilton
Mrs. E. Reid
John Long
Sarah M. Utt
George W. Marston
Ralph M. Ward
Rebecca F. Doyle
John Dement
Frank S. Sessions
Ellen Sessions
Sessions
Olmsted
Click
Morse
Starbird
McLaren
Woodard
Holt
Springer
Belden
Boceh
Gay
McClenaghan
Rhodes
Lockwood
Scripps
Marston
Lee
Bowerstock
O'Neall
Purcell
Level
Howard
Houck
Wellborn
Thieme
Rumsey
Bleifuss
Nolen
Templeton Johnson
Gunn
Kelly
Pritchard
Hruska
Schreiber
Sandford
Ferry
Hill
Hamilton
Utt
Engler
Ward
Doyle
Dement
Salmons
Frederick Law Olmsted & Co.
Cut Flower Depot, San Diego
F. L. Olmsted & Co.
San Diego Floral Association
Board of Public Works
Sunset Telephone and Telegraph
Pacific Telephone and Telegraph
Duncan MacKinnon
San Diego Nursery
Hillcrest Gardens
Hillcrest Residence
Utt Investment Company
Security Savings Bank & Trust Co.
Streets Department
Operations Department
CIty Engineering
Cemetery Commission
Water Department, Water Commissioners
San Diego, California
San Diego, CA
Mission Hills
Soledad Terrace
Soledad Terrace Park
Mission Hills Nursery
Pacific Beach
Kate Sessions Park
City Park
1400 Acre Park
Balboa Park
Florence Heights
Stephens Street
Stockton Street
The Country Club
University Heights
Juniper Street
Park Blvd.
San Francisco
City school gardens
North Florence Heights
Palmetto Way
Arbor Way
Ft. Stockton St.
Mission Hills Cars, 1428 West Lewis Street
Calhoun St.
Los Altos Road, Pacific Beach
Hooker Street
Lark Street
West Montecito Way
Broadway Street
Fort Stockton Street
Hunter Steet
Stevens Street
Plumosa Way
deep canyon
Getti Street
Catholic Cemetery
5 acre City Park
San Diego Nursery
Arnold & Choate Addition
Randolph Street
Hermosa Way
Cliff
Hawk Street
Lewis Street
Washington Heights
Mount Hope Cemetery
Ivy Place
Public Documents
Photographs
Letters
Annual Report
Petitions
Memoranda
Notes
Deeds
Resolutions
Report
Lot map
Communication
Advertisement
recommendations
park plan
park sketch
street lot sketch
Superintendent
City Gardener
Engineer
Secretary of Board of Public Works
President
Councilman
Manager of Operations
Superintendent of City School, Department of Education
Supervisor of Agriculture and Horticulture in the San Diego School Department
Manager Operations Department
Property Owner
Secretary of Cemetery Commission
report
petition
resolution
communication
deed
contract
grant
sketch
note
recommendation
letter
park plan
parking sketch
parking plan
street map
sweet lot map
City Gardener
Florist
Landscaper
Landscape Architect
Businesswoman
City Planner
Horticulturist
Botanist
Nursery owner
Property owner
Squatter
Board of Public Works Secretary
Expressman
Superintendent of City Schools, Department of Education
Supervisor of Agriculture and Horticulture in City School, Department of Education
Manager, Operations Department
resident
Secretary, Cemetery Commission