Milo Hoadley papers: Finding Aid mssHY

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Note

Last updated by Brooke M. Black in February 2024.


Contributing Institution: The Huntington Library
Title: Milo Hoadley Papers
Identifier/Call Number: mssHY
Physical Description: 1.34 Linear Feet (1 box, 10 volumes)
Date (inclusive): 1849-1886
Abstract: This collection consists of papers related to the life and business activities of San Francisco, California, civil engineer and county surveyor Milo Hoadley (1809-1887). Includes field notebooks containing street grade measurements and surveys (1850s-early 1860s), as well as material about the fight to supply San Francisco with water in 1856 and the 1870s.
Language of Material: English.

Access

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Publication Rights

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Preferred Citation

[Identification of item]. Milo Hoadley papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

Purchased from Edwin Grabhorn, January, 1945.

Biographical Note

Milo Hoadley (1809-1887), civil engineer, was born in Connecticut on July 25, 1809. In 1849 he came to San Francisco, California, where he served first as assistant deputy county surveyor, then as deputy, to County Surveyor William M. Eddy. After Eddy's election to the State Surveyor General-ship in 1851, Hoadley turned his full attention to former part-time activities--making private surveys and working on the 160 acre tract near Lone Mountain to which he had squatter's rights. There, on the land later to be known officially as Hoadley's Addition, he began cutting wood for sale. During 1852, he and a C. McCartney were partners in a downtown wood yard.
This enterprise was short-lived, and the years 1853-1854 found Hoadley filling the post of city engineer for establishing grades, with James H. Hoadley as his assistant. He next allied himself with the Water Works Company of San Francisco, one of the many organizations which, over the years, vied for the privilege of supplying San Francisco with water. This particular company seems to have existed chiefly on paper, and its engineer soon directed his energies elsewhere, officiating, in 1862-1863, as president of the City Board of Civil Engineers.
In 1864, Milo, Silas, and James Hoadley formed Hoadley & Co., Dealers in Native Sonoma Wines, a business of some four years' duration. Then, in 1867, Milo Hoadley, James T. Boyd and John H. Turney organized the San Francisco Water Co., which, despite wordy battles in the water conscious seventies, was never able to displace the monopolist Spring Valley Company.
City directories list Hoadley as civil engineer until 1887. He died on May 19, 1887, and was buried in Lone Mountain Cemetery, not far from the rancheria on which he had settled 37 years before. His wife Sarah, whom he had married in 1831, died in August 1890.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of letters, manuscripts, and documents (including 7 fieldbooks, a journal, an account book, and a notebook) related to the life and business activities of Milo Hoadley. Subject matter includes life in and near San Francisco (1850-52), official and private surveys made in San Francisco city and county (1849-62), and land titles in San Francisco city and county. There is also information on the controversy in supplying water to San Francisco (1852-72), in which Hoadley's San Francisco Water Co. unsuccessfully tried to displace the Spring Valley Water Company.
Persons represented by more than two items: Augustus Truman Dowd (6 items); James H. Hoadley (8 items); and Milo Hoadley (14 items).
Some notable items include:
  1. Hoadley, Milo. Journal, written in San Francisco, containing entries about surveys, local politics, the wood business and Hoadley's Rancheria, the weather, prices, services at Trinity Church, etc. 1850-1852 (HY 23)
  2. Hoadley, Milo. Drafts of letters later published in The Daily Evening Bulletin about the building of a sea-wall for San Francisco, about corruption in the State Supreme Court, particularly in regard to land titles, and about the Water Works Company of San Francisco. 1856 (In HY 23. Hoadley, Milo, and McCartney C. Account Book, 1852)
  3. Hoadley, Milo. A paper attacking the Spring Valley Water Co. and giving its history. [after 1870, April] (HY 33)
  4. Hoadley, James H. Note book containing detailed plans and measurements of San Francisco streets. Approximately 1862 (HY 19)
  5. Koels, Alphons Edward. Letter about the disappearance of the sons of Milo Hoadley and F.F. Low. 1871, July 12 (HY 36)

General

Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssHY 1-39.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Engineers -- California -- San Francisco -- Archives
Land titles -- California -- San Francisco
Surveyors -- California -- San Francisco -- Archives
Water rights -- California -- San Francisco
Water-supply -- California -- San Francisco
San Francisco (Calif.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
San Francisco (Calif.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
San Francisco (Calif.) -- Surveys.
Field notes California San Francisco 19th century
Letters (correspondence) California San Francisco 19th century
Notebooks California San Francisco 19th century
Hoadley, Milo.
San Francisco Water Company
Spring Valley Water Company

Box 1

Documents

 

Loose volumes

Volume 1

Hoadley, James H. Field notebook containing measurements for street grades and surveys of lots in San Francisco. HY 17 1853-[1854]

Volume 2

Hoadley, James H. Field notebook containing measurements for street grades and surveys of lots in San Francisco. HY 18 1855-[1856]

Volume 3

Hoadley, James. Notebook containing detailed plans and measurements of San Francisco streets. HY 19 [Approximately 1862].

Volume 4

Hoadley, Milo. Journal. San Francisco. HY 22 1850-1852

Volume 5

Hoadley, Milo. and McCartney, C. Account book for wood yard (1852), followed by pencil drafts by Hoadley of letters on public questions (1855-1856). HY 23 1852 May-November; 1855-1856

Volume 6

Hoadley, Milo. Field notebook containing street grade measurements and official and private surveys made in San Francisco city and county. HY 24 1849-1859

Volume 7

Hoadley, Milo. Field notebook containing street grade measurements and official and private surveys made in San Francisco city and county. HY 25 1850-1856

Scope and Contents

Also contains draft of letter, 1855?.
Volume 8

Hoadley, Milo, and James Hoadley. Field note book containing street grade measurements and official and private surveys made in San Francisco city and county. HY 26 1853

Volume 9

Hoadley, Milo, and James Hoadley. Field note book containing street grade measurements and official and private surveys made in San Francisco city and county. HY 27 1853-1860

Volume 10

Hoadley, Milo, and James Hoadley. Field note book containing street grade measurements and official and private surveys made in San Francisco city and county. HY 28 1856-1860