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Collection Guide

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Southern California Edison Records

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Table of contents

CONTAINER LIST

Series 1. Administrative Records 1892-1987

Physical Description: 22 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains Southern California Edison's administrative records and includes correspondence, forms, manuals, maps, minutes, pamphlets, policy and procedure orders, reports, and other materials. Of particular note is a set of Annual Reports to the Federal Power Commission and the California Railroad Commission/California Public Utilities Commission containing statistical data, financial details, and stock information. These reports range in date from 1918 to 1964. The series also contains a set of Annual Reports to Stockholders ranging in date from 1914 to 1987. Some years also include supplementary financial and statistical reports, minutes of annual stockholder meetings, and quarterly reports.

Series 2. Department/Division Records 1903-1987

Physical Description: 68 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains records documenting Southern California Edison's department/division records. The series is divided into six subseries: Commercial Department, Communication Division, Engineering Department, Garage Department, Shop and Test Department, and Steam Generation Division.

Subseries 2.1. Commercial Department 1916-1953

Physical Description: 6 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's Commercial Department and includes manuals, memoranda, reports, scrapbooks, and other materials. Statistical reports, ranging in date from 1916 to 1918, provide information related to various districts throughout Southern California.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 2.2. Communication Division 1922-1969

Physical Description: 6 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's Communication Division and includes bulletins, correspondence, log sheets, manuals, minutes, photographs, reports, and other materials. Dispatcher Wartime Bulletins Files include bulletins, clippings, correspondence, diagrams, memoranda, notes, and reports pertaining to war-time air raid alarms, barrage balloons, blackouts, power interruptions, and other matters. Black and white photographic prints and negatives include images of Edison's radio communications system, the division's facilities and equipment, Breckenridge Mountain, Government Peak, and other sites.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 2.3. Engineering Department 1918-1985

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's Engineering Department and includes correspondence, lists, notes, photographs, and other materials. This subseries consists, almost exclusively, of Real Property Files related to business offices, service centers, substations, and other locations. Black and white photographic prints comprise a significant portion of this subseries.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 2.4. Garage Department 1925-1928

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's Garage Department and is comprised of ledgers containing requisitions and invoices for the Main Garage, as well as transfer requisitions for materials being transported from the General Garage to various Edison facilities.

Ledgers are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically/numerically thereafter.

Subseries 2.5. Shop and Test Department 1903-1987

Physical Description: 44 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's Shop and Test Department and includes correspondence, design specifications, invoices, ledgers, manuals, minutes, newsletters, notes, plans, reports, work orders, and other materials. This subseries includes the meeting minutes of the Edison Electric Institute Meter and Service Committee from 1948 to 1972, as well as Meter and Test Department (later called the Shop and Test Department) Annual Reports and/or supporting materials ranging in date from 1921-1959. General store transfer ledgers, with dates ranging from 1917-1935, offer auditing information and comprise the bulk of the Shop and Test Department subseries.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 2.6. Steam Generation Division 1928-1957

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's Steam Generation Division and includes manuals, newsletters, and reports. Of primary importance are the Steam Generation Division's Annual Reports from the 1930s and copies of Edison Energy, a newsletter published by the Steam Generation Division from 1928 to 1932.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 3. Employee Records 1892-1977

Physical Description: 6 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains Southern California Edison's employee records and includes booklets, brochures, correspondence, manuals, minutes, newsletters, notes, pamphlets, Edison Choir sheet music, and other materials. Much of the material pertains to accident prevention, employee safety, and benefits. A significant portion of this series consists of items documenting the activities of the Edison Masonic Club and predecessor Masonic clubs. Included are historical notes about the club, a club history, meeting minutes, and miscellaneous materials. There are also two folders containing printed and bound agreements with unions representing Edison workers. These agreements predate and postdate the 1953 strike against Edison. This series does not contain personnel records.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 4. Financial Records 1902-1971

Physical Description: 44 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains Southern California Edison's financial records and includes bank books, budgets, checks, ledgers, statements, receipts, reports, and other materials. Many of the items are bound. Included are cost reports for various steam stations and transmission lines ranging in date from 1928 to 1971 and financial statements and auditors' reports from Arthur Anderson & Co.- CPA's. The series also contains information related to stock, ranging in date from 1916 to 1945. Of historical note is a 1917 stock certificate issued to Henry E. Huntington for 115,299 shares. Another significant portion of the series is comprised of valuations pertaining to appraisals of Edison equipment and property.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 5. Generation, Distribution, and Transmission Records 1899-1980

Physical Description: 138 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains records documenting Southern California Edison's generation, distribution, and transmission of electricity. The largest subseries, Generation (Power Plant) Records, consists primarily of log books kept by various facilities.

Subseries 5.1. Generation (Power Plants) Records 1899-1980

Physical Description: 132 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's generation of electricity and includes abstracts, histories, job/work orders, lists, log books, pamphlets, reports, statistical information, and other materials. The log books comprise the bulk of the subseries and range in date from 1899 to 1972. These materials document the creation, operation, and routine maintenance of various generation facilities including Fontana Station, Lytle Creek, Mill Creek, Ontario Power Station, the Santa Ana River Plants, and the Sierra Hydro Plant. Meter readings for some facilities are also included.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 5.2. Distribution Records 1918-1964

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's distribution of electricity and includes blueprints, charts, diagrams, notes, reports, and other materials.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 5.3. Substations 1912-1974

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's distribution of electricity and includes employee examinations, log books, manuals, and other materials.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 5.4. Transmission Records 1914-1955

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting Southern California Edison's transmission of electricity, and includes diagrams, proposals, reports, and schedules.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 6. Personal Papers 1900-1977

Physical Description: 28 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains collections of personal papers created by various Southern California Edison employees. The series is divided into four subseries: the Dean E. Batchelder Papers, the Albert Chavannes Papers, the Elizabeth Erickson Edmunds Papers, and the David Hubbard Redinger Papers.

Subseries 6.1. Dean E. Batchelder Papers 1914-1964

Physical Description: 9 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains the papers of Dean E. Batchelder, an electrical engineer in Southern California Edison's Electrical Engineering Section. The subseries consists of books, catalogs, correspondence, manuals, pamphlets, photographs, specifications, reports, and other materials. Published monographs pertaining to electrical materials, public utilities, and other topics comprise a significant portion of the collection, as do several file folders containing information related to the Lane-Wells Company.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 6.2. Albert Chavannes Papers 1920-1971

Physical Description: 6 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains the papers of Albert Chavannes who served as Southern California Edison's corporate secretary from the 1930s to the 1960s. The subseries includes biographical information, clippings, correspondence, cost statements, flyers, indices, newsletters, organizational charts, pamphlets, reports, and other materials. Items reflect Chavannes' many roles, including those of SCE corporate secretary, member of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, and auditor in the Edison Comptroller's Department. The subseries includes materials created by Chavannes, as well as items collected by him.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 6.3. Elizabeth Erickson Edmonds Papers 1900-1975

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains the papers of Elizabeth Erickson Edmonds who served as an employee of the Pacific Light and Power Company and later as a long-time clerical/secretarial employee of Southern California Edison. The subseries includes correspondence, ephemera, notes, photographs, and scrapbooks. Many of the items are not related to Ms. Edmonds' work with SCE.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 6.4. David Hubbard Redinger Papers 1904-1977

Physical Description: 12 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains the papers of David Hubbard Redinger who served as the division superintendent for Southern California Edison at Big Creek, California. The subseries includes clippings, correspondence, field books, journals, notes, pamphlets, photographs, scrapbooks, and other materials. The most historically significant portion of the subseries is comprised of daily journals written by Redinger. These journals, ranging in date from 1904 to 1976, document his life from adolescence to old age and contain information about his entire working life, including his time at Big Creek. The subseries also contains a number of black and white and cyanotype photographic prints of various sizes, documenting the construction of Big Creek, the Florence and Huntington Lake Projects, the Kern River Flume, and other SCE employees, events, and subjects.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 7. Predecessor Companies 1890-1965

Physical Description: 19 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains records documenting Southern California Edison's predecessor companies. The series in divided into eighteen subseries: the Bishop Light and Power Company; the California Electric Power Company; the Edison Electric Company; the Imperial Ice and Development Company; the Kern River Company; the Mountain Power Company; the Mount Whitney Power and Electric Corporation; the Nevada-California Electric Corporation; the Nevada-California Power Company; the Nevada Power, Mining, and Milling Company; the Pacific Light and Power Company; the Redlands Gas Company; the Redlands Light and Power Company; the Rialto Light, Power, and Water Company; the San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad Company; the Southern Sierras Power Company; the United Electric, Gas, and Power Company; and the Ventura County Power Company.

Subseries 7.1. Bishop Light and Power Company 1902-1914

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Bishop Light and Power Company and includes ledgers tracking payments and receipts for the Bishop Light and Power Company.

Ledgers are arranged alphabetically by title.

Subseries 7.2. California Electric Power Company 1921-1963

Physical Description: 8 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the California Electric Power Company and includes addresses, agreements, bulletins, bylaws, clippings, correspondence, handbooks, histories, pamphlets, press releases, programs, reports, and other materials. The subseries contains issues of the Calectric Bulletin, the employee bulletin of the California Electric Power Company, ranging in date from 1941 to 1963. Materials pertaining to employee strikes against the California Electric Power Company are also included.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 7.3. Edison Electric Company 1890-1912

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Edison Electric Company and includes blueprints, correspondence, proposals, reports, and other materials related to various construction, development, and generation projects. Photocopies of records documenting Edison Electric Company stockholders and stockholder meetings are also included.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 7.4. Imperial Ice and Development Company 1923

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This subseries documents the Imperial Ice and Development Company and consists of a volume containing an appraisal of the facility and equipment at the Imperial Ice and Development Company's Plant No. 5 in Brawley, California.

Subseries 7.5. Kern River Company 1907

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This subseries documents the Kern River Company and consists of a check to the Kern River Company from the A. Brown Company in Kernville, California.

Subseries 7.6. Mountain Power Company 1900-1903

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Mountain Power Company and includes articles of incorporation, ledgers, and minutes.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 7.7. Mount Whitney Power and Electric Corporation 1916-1918

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Mount Whitney Power and Electric Corporation and includes cancelled checks, correspondence, and invoices.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 7.8. Nevada-California Electric Corporation 1913-1964

Physical Description: 4 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Nevada-California Electric Corporation, and include addresses, bulletins, diagrams, ledgers, pamphlets, reports, and other materials. Materials related to the Nevada-California Electric Corporation's substations are located in a separate subseries.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 7.8.1. Nevada-California Electric Corporation, Substations 1911-1965

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Nevada-California Electric Corporation's Goldfield, Manhattan, Millers, and Tonopah substations and includes bulletins, correspondence, general orders, inventories, maps, memoranda, notebooks, reports, and other materials.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 7.9. Nevada-California Power Company 1908-1909

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Nevada-California Power Company and includes agreements, correspondence, reports, and sketches.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 7.10. Nevada Power, Mining, and Milling Company 1905-1906

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Content Note

This subseries documents the Nevada Power, Mining, and Milling Company, the predecessor company of the Nevada-California Electric Corporation, and is comprised of annual reports.

Subseries 7.11. Pacific Light and Power Company 1903-1918

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Pacific Light and Power Company and includes bond records, cash vouchers, and log books.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 7.12. Redlands Gas Company 1901

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Pacific Light and Power Company and includes bond records, cash vouchers, and log books.

Subseries 7.13. Redlands Light and Power Company 1892-1896

Physical Description: 2 folders

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Redlands Light and Power Company and is comprised of minutes of the first meeting of stockholders (1892), the first meeting of the Board of Directors, and subsequent meetings.

Subseries 7.14. Rialto Light, Power, and Water Company 1913-1915

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Content Note

This subseries consists of trial balance ledgers for the Rialto Light, Power, and Water Company.

Subseries 7.15. San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad Company 1921

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Content Note

This subseries consists of a legal settlement between the Director General of Railroads and the San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad Company.

Subseries 7.16. Southern Sierras Power Company 1910-1960

Physical Description: 3 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Southern Sierras Power Company and includes agreements, bulletins, clippings, correspondence, lists, reports, rosters, scrapbooks, and other materials. The subseries also contains issues of the Sierras Service Bulletin, ranging in date from 1927 to 1940. This publication of the Southern Sierras Power Company for its employees contains news about company and employee activities.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 7.17. United Electric, Gas, and Power Company 1902

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Content Note

This subseries is comprised of photocopies of a minute book for meetings of the United Electric, Gas, and Power Company Executive Committee.

Subseries 7.18. Ventura County Power Company 1906-1919

Physical Description: 3 folders

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains records documenting the Ventura Power Company and is comprised of agreements, indices, and minutes.

Series 8. Project Records 1903-1985

Physical Description: 5 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains Southern California Edison's project records and includes articles, clippings, correspondence, forms, histories, maps, pamphlets, permits, photographs, reports, and other materials. Items document various projects, including those related to Big Creek, the Colorado River, the Florence Lake Tunnel, Kern River, and Redinger Lake.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 9. Publications 1848-1989

Physical Description: 5 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains Southern California Edison's publications collections. The series is divided into three subseries: Edison Publications, General Publications, Journals and Serials, and Reference Materials.

Subseries 9.1. Edison Publications 1912-1989

Physical Description: 17 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains items published by Southern California Edison and includes articles, brochures, bulletins, maps, newsletters, pamphlets, reports, and other materials. Several employee newsletters are included such as Busy Buttons Bulletins, Edison Current Topics, Edison Facts, and Edison News.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 9.2. General Publications 1848-1985

Physical Description: 13 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains general publications related to Southern California Edison, but published by an external source. The subseries includes articles, books, brochures, catalogs, clippings, manuals, maps, pamphlets, reports, and other materials. Many of the items document various SCE projects such as Boulder Dam. The subseries also contains annual reports for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, ranging in date from 1950 to 1971.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 9.3. Journals and Serials 1896-1962

Physical Description: 17 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains journals and serials collected by Southern California Edison. A significant portion of the subseries is comprised of issues of the Electric Club Journal (1904), the Electric Journal (1905-1931), and the Journal of Electricity (1896-1926).

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Subseries 9.4. Reference Materials 1895-1982

Physical Description: 24 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains reference materials collected by Southern California Edison and includes articles, books, notebooks, pamphlets, periodicals, reports, and other materials. A significant portion of the subseries is comprised of books from the SCE Library. These items pertain to a variety of topics including the Calleguas and Central Valley projects, the Colorado River and Boulder Canyon, dams, electrical engineering, flood control, generating plants, public utilities, transmission and overhead lines, and water resources.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 10. Publicity Records 1914-1978

Physical Description: 4 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains Southern California Edison's publicity records and includes advertisements, clippings, newsletters, notes, memoranda, press releases, reports, scrapbooks, scripts, and other materials. Many of the items pertain to the 1953 Edison employee strike.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 11. Research Files 1866-1987

Physical Description: 14 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains Southern California Edison's research files and includes brochures, certificates, clippings, correspondence, graphs, pamphlets, photographs, press releases, reports, and other materials. Many of the research files were compiled by N. B. Hinson and William Myers, a former SCE historian. Files pertain to a variety of topics such as population, power generation and transmission, substations, and stocks.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 12. Topical Records 1898-1988

Physical Description: 5 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains Southern California Edison's topical records and includes articles, biographies, charts, clippings, correspondence, maps, pamphlets, photographs, press releases, procedures, reports, and other materials. Topics include accidents and disasters, hydroelectric development, and SCE employees and history. This series also contains biographical information and memorabilia related to Thomas A. Edison. Black and white photographic prints document various events, people, and projects related to SCE.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 13. Vertical File (Edison Library) 1889-1989

Physical Description: 111 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series is comprised of the Edison Library Vertical File and includes published materials such as articles, newspaper clippings and sections, pamphlets, reports, and other materials documenting topics of interest to Southern California Edison and its employees.

Files are arranged alphabetically by title, and chronologically thereafter.

Series 14. Oversize Materials 1899-1985

Physical Description: 6 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of oversize material that were removed from the collection and filed separately in oversize boxes. Oversize material is located in boxes 505-510.

CONTAINER LIST

Series 1. Administrative Records

Series 2. Department/Division Records

Subseries 2.1. Commercial Department

Subseries 2.2. Communication Division

Subseries 2.3. Engineering Department

Subseries 2.4. Garage Department

Subseries 2.5. Shop and Test Department

Subseries 2.6. Steam Generation Division

Series 3. Employee Records

Series 4. Financial Records

Series 5. Generation, Distribution, and Transmission Records

Subseries 5.1. Generation (Power Plants) Records

Subseries 5.2. Distribution Records

Subseries 5.3. Substations

Subseries 5.4. Transmission Records

Series 6. Personal Papers

Subseries 6.1. Dean E. Batchelder Papers

Subseries 6.2. Albert Chavannes Papers

Subseries 6.3. Elizabeth Erickson Edmonds Papers

Subseries 6.4. David Hubbard Redinger Papers

Series 7. Predecessor Companies

Subseries 7.1. Bishop Light and Power Company

Subseries 7.2. California Electric Power Company

Subseries 7.3. Edison Electric Company

Subseries 7.4. Imperial Ice and Development Company

Subseries 7.5. Kern River Company

Subseries 7.6. Mountain Power Company

Subseries 7.7. Mount Whitney Power and Electric Corporation

Subseries 7.8. Nevada-California Electric Corporation

Subseries 7.9. Nevada-California Power Company

Subseries 7.10. Nevada Power, Mining, and Milling Company

Subseries 7.11. Pacific Light and Power Company

Subseries 7.12. Redlands Gas Company

Subseries 7.13. Redlands Light and Power Company

Subseries 7.14. Rialto Light, Power, and Water Company

Subseries 7.15. San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad Company

Subseries 7.16. Southern Sierras Power Company

Subseries 7.17. United Electric, Gas, and Power Company

Subseries 7.18. Ventura County Power Company

Series 8. Project Records

Series 9. Publications

Subseries 9.1. Edison Publications

Subseries 9.2. General Publications

Subseries 9.3. Journals and Serials

Subseries 9.4. Reference Materials

Series 10. Publicity Records

Series 11. Research Files

Series 12. Topical Records

Series 13. Vertical File (Edison Library)

Series 14. Oversize Materials

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