Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Biographical / Historical Notes
Preferred Citation
Processing Information
Scope and Content
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Arrangement
Title: Pioneer Society of San Diego County Records
Identifier/Call Number: MS 104
Contributing Institution:
San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
2.75 Linear feet
(6 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1898-1987
Abstract: This collection contains records of the Pioneer Society of San Diego County, including documents related to administration,
finances, membership, accessions, and events. It also contains original correspondence to and from members of the Society.
creator:
Pioneer Society of San Diego County.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
Biographical / Historical Notes
The Pioneer Society of San Diego County was organized on May 31, 1895, and was originally called “The Ladies’ Pioneer Society
of San Diego.” One of its purposes, as stated in the Bylaws, was “to collect, record, and preserve the history of the State
of California, and more especially the history and traditions of the City and County of San Diego, and incidents connected
therewith.” Mrs. Flora Kimball and Hattie Phillips were the first president and secretary, respectively. Membership was limited
to those persons who came to California before January 1, 1880, with extension of privileges to their descendants and to others
who had shown an interest in the objects of the society. Originally all members were women, but in 1905 men were given honorary
memberships. Honorary members included such figures as General John J. Pershing, Winifred Davidson, and John F. Forward. A
1908 letter from John G. Capron states that the symbol of the society was an evergreen sprig. The society held one open meeting
and several closed meetings per year that featured talks on local history by a variety of guests, introduced people important
in politics and society, and presented local music talents as well as entertainment and refreshments.
At the time of the local Panama-California Exposition in 1915-1916, the Society began to collect papers and articles for a
historical exhibit. The collection steadily grew and on July 16, 1930 was officially transferred to the Junipero Serra Museum,
home of the San Diego Historical Society. The Pioneer Society continued as an active local organization until the early 1980s.
Earlier attempts to form a Pioneer Society in 1872 and 1888 were unsuccessful despite the involvement of such important San
Diego figures as William Winder, W.B. Couts, Jose Estudillo, John G. Capron, Ephraim W. Morse, and Douglas Gunn.
Preferred Citation
Pioneer Society of San Diego County Records, MS 104, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Katrina White on June 14, 2011.
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.
Scope and Content
This collection contains the Pioneer Society of San Diego County’s records dating from 1898 to 1987. There are detailed records
of administrative proceedings, including original and later versions of the society’s constitution and bylaws, handwritten
records of Society minutes, as well as annual reports from the Society President and Treasurer. It also contains detailed
membership records including annual handwritten logs of members, dues paid, their participation in certain events, logs of
member deaths and their obituaries, in addition to several handwritten autobiographies and biographies of the earlier female
members of the Society. There is detailed information on the Society’s financial administration, as well as several lists
and inventories of the items in the Society’s historical collection. Original correspondence pertaining to the accession of
items, membership, administrative and financial issues are also part of the collection. Of specific interest are several documents
related to the Panama-California Exposition of 1915 and 1916, including two original gold medal award certificates presented
to the Pioneer Society for their historical exhibit at the fair.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number 310414.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in five series:
Series I: Administrative
Series II: Membership
Series III: Financial
Series IV: Accession Records
Series V: Events
Within each series, items are arranged by subject.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Allen, Margaret V.
Ames, John Judson
Bailey, Lela A.
Capron, John G.
Cleveland, David
Coy, Owen Cochran, 1884-1952
Daughters of the Mormon Battalion.
Davidson, John
Davidson, Winifred
Farnsworth, Julia P.M.
Fenton, Henry G.
Forward, John F.
Guinn, J. M. (James Miller), 1834-1918
Hewitt, Edgar L.
Historical Society of Southern California.
Hudson, Millard F.
Junipero Serra Museum.
Kimball, Flora
Morse, Ephraim W.
Morse, Mary E.
Panama-California Exposition (1915 : San Diego, Calif.).
Panama-California International Exposition (1916 : San Diego, Calif.).
Pershing, John J. (John Joseph), 1860-1948
Phillips, Hattie
Pioneer Society of San Diego County.
San Diego Historical Society.
San Diego Mission.
San Diego Natural History Museum.
Schiller, Bertha
Sherman, Augusta J.
Siebein, Lillie C.
Sloane, Frances
Steadman, M. A.
Verlasque, Louise
Aurora Heights
Balboa Park (San Diego, Calif.)
History -- Societies, etc.
Local history
San Diego (Calif.)
San Diego Herald
San Diego Union
Societies -- History, organization, etc.
Women -- Societies and clubs