Guide to the Haight Street Diggers Records, 1966-1969 MS 3159
Finding aid prepared by Processed by California Historical Society staff;
supplementary encoding and revision supplied by Xiuzhi Zhou. Revised by David
Krah in 2009.
California Historical Society
2001, revised 2009
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA, 94105
415-357-1848
reference@calhist.org
Title: Haight Street Diggers Records
Date (inclusive): 1966-1969
Collection Number: MS 3159
Creator:
Haight Street Diggers (San Francisco, Calif.).
Physical Description:
1 box
(0.25 linear ft.)
Contributing Institution:
California Historical Society
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA, 94105
415-357-1848
reference@calhist.org
URL: http://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org/
Language of Material: Collection materials are in English.
Abstract: Mainly photocopies of fliers, broadsides, poetry,
manifestos, and other printed material distributed in the community, the bulk of
which was printed by the Communications Company, a group created by several writers
and Diggers; together with several issues of Free City News and Free News, community
newsletters. Includes material on the Summer of Love, 1969, Glide Church Be-In, Free
City Collective, Happening House, and other events and topics.
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requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted
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copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
[Identification of item], Haight Street Diggers Records, MS 3159. California
Historical Society, Manuscript Collection.
National Union Catalog of Manuscripts Collection Number
NUCMC 82-387
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Broadsides
Communications Company
Ephemera
Free City News
Glide Memorial United Methodist Church (San Francisco,
Calif)
Haight-Ashbury (Calif.)
Hippies--California--San Francisco.
Neighborhood--California--San Francisco.
Newsletters
San Francisco (Calif.) --Social life and
customs.
San Francisco Mime Troup--History
Summer of Love
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Donated by Eric Noble, date unknown
No additions are expected
Processed by California Historical Society Staff
Characterized by the San Francisco press as a "hippie philanthropic organization,"
the Diggers were started by two members of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Emmet
Grogan and Peter Berg in 1966. The group took its name from a reform group in
Cromwell's England. In 1649 Gerrard Winstanley, William Everard and their one
hundred supporters began to cultivate common park land to feed themselves. Their
action was a protest against the rising costs of food. They offered the surplus food
to the poor, arguing that land should be free to all those who needed to make use of
it. Opposed to physical force, they were easily suppressed by army leaders.
Throughout their struggles, they supported the notion that political revolutions
must be based on social revolution.
These ideological roots were replanted with the Haight Street Diggers of the 1960s.
The Diggers were an open organization, for "to announce oneself a Digger, was to be
a Digger." Their first action was to print leaflets known as "Digger Papers." Their
purpose was to "educate the people in the Haight; to make them open to the Diggers'
philosophy; and, to make them think for themselves." Leaflets often pertained to
specific events that were happening in the neighborhood, such as disagreements with
the Haight Independent Proprietors, the local merchants association. They also
covered such controversial topics as the War In Vietnam.
The Digger organization fed hundreds of people free food in the Panhandle of Golden
Gate Park for about one year. The group was given surplus vegetables from the stalls
at Farmer's Market. When free meat was unavailable, they stole from the local
markets. They were responsible for the establishment of many free services, such as
free stores, the Free Frame of Reference, the Trip Without a Ticket and free medical
care.
Glide Memorial Methodist Church in the Tenderloin became involved with the Hippie
Movement and permitted the Diggers to hold a "happening" at Glide known as the
Invisible Circus. It was to have been a three day event on February 24, 25 and 26
1967. However, the police closed it down after the first day. As a result of their
use of the streets for theater, parades and gatherings, the Diggers were often
involved in confrontations with the police department. They were constantly subject
to harrassment and arrest at their free stores.
During 1967 the Diggers grew in number and became a large informal organization
involved in many different groups and causes. They included Hells Angels, the Mime
Troupe Guerilla Theater, the anti-war movement and the Communications Company. The
Communications Company was created by several writers and Diggers, including Richard
Brautigan, Michael McClure, Lenore Kandel, Emmet Grogan, Peter Berg and others. They
issued communications altering the community to events and free services, as well as
providing them with information about avoiding the police, drug use, the Vietnam
War, anti-draft efforts and the fight against racism in the Haight. These papers
were distributed free on Haight Street from January to June 1967.
The Diggers were as important part of the daily life of the Haight during the years
1966 and 1967. On October 6, 1967 they and hundreds of others celebrated "The Death
of the Hippie," the last hippie event with a parade and ceremony that ended with the
burial of the Psychedelic Shop store sign. Many of the Diggers left San Francisco to
set up collectives in other states, but vestiges of the Diggers remained. Some of
the Diggers formed the Free City News and organized a Free City Planning event in
March 1968. As late as 1969 papers issued by the Diggers were still printed.
The Haight Street Diggers Records consists mainly of photocopies of letters, flyers,
poetry, manifestoes, posters and other printed materials that were distributed in
the Haight-Ashbury. The bulk of the material was printed by the Communications
Company. There are several issues of "Free City News" and "Free News," community
news letters. Subjects of the materials include: Summer of Love, the Human Be-In
(January 1967), Glide Church Be-In, (Invisible Circus, February 1967), Free City
Collective, Happening House, KIVA, Hopi Religious ideology, Job Coop, Black Man's
Free Store, the Free Frame of Reference and the Trip Without a Ticket, free city, a
free city planning event (March 1968) mobilization against the war in Vietnam and a
variety of events and rock concerts.
Box 1, Folder 1
1967 March-1969 March, undated
Box 1, Folder 2
Invisible Circus 1967 February 24-26
Box 1, Folder 3
Communication Company 1967 January 24, July 28, undated
Box 1, Folder 4
Free City News 1968 June 7
Box 1, Folder 5-6
Miscellaneous 1966-1968, undated