Guide to the William E. Mahan research collection

James C. Scott
Sacramento Room, Sacramento Public Library
828 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 264-2976
Fax: (916) 264-2884
Email: sacroom@saclibrary.org
URL: http://www.saclibrary.org
Copyright 2017
Sacramento Public Library. All rights reserved.


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento Room
Title: William E. Mahan research collection
Identifier/Call Number: MC 54
Physical Description: 3.5 Linear Feet (8 Archival Boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1987-2016
Abstract: William E. Mahan was a high school history teacher, college professor, social activist, and professional historian. This collection consists of published materials, research notes and correspondence that the creator generated on specific people, trends, and topics in the history of Sacramento, highlighted by politician Marshall Beard, Sacramento's Progressive and Reform movements of late-nineteenth and early twentieth-century Sacramento, the City Beautiful Movement in Sacramento, and his strong advocacy for the works of Depression-era artist Ralph Stackpole. There are groupings of 35mm slides, one covering a trip to Europe and a notable excursion to the home of John A. Sutter, Sr., in Kandern, Switzerland; one covering Sacramento churches; the other, covering Stackpole and his works.

Biographical Note

William "Bill" Edward Mahan was born in Illinois in 1931, grew up in Illinois and Wisconsin, and eventually earned an undergraduate degree in History from San Jose State University and a graduate degree in History from Stanford University. He went on to teach history at Sacramento's Kennedy High School for four years (where he was a teacher and mentor to political philosopher Cornel West and his brother Clifton West) and Sacramento High School for 10 years. He transitioned to a professorship at Sacramento City College where he taught Local and American History for over 20 years. He retired in 1994 at the age of 63, but continued his work as a professional historian, developing walking tours, publishing scholarly articles, and producing videos on public art and local history that appeared on local television. Over his career, Mahan developed into one of the most respected and beloved historians of the Sacramento region and was a committed proponent of civic involvement. He passed away in August 2016.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.
Restriction on Letters of Recommendation (Box 8, Folder 3) until 2067.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], William E. Mahan research collection, MC 54, Sacramento Room, Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento, California.

Scope and Contents

The papers are comprised of published items, research notes, newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, photographic slides and maps relating to Mahan's tireless effort to gain a deeper understanding of American and Sacramento history. The original order and labeling choices of Mahan, particularly with his coverage of historic topics, have been left generally intact. Note that a very small selection of items – notably, letters of recommendation – have been restricted to protect privacy.

Separated Materials

Three maps were separated from the collection and filed with the Sacramento Room map collection: 1. Sacramento City, Map of. 1913 reproduction of Phinney, Cate and Marshall. 2. Sacramento County and Delta Region. Circa 1950. Sacramento Chamber of Commerce and Harry Freese. 3. Sacramento East Quadrangle, California-Sacramento Co., 7.5-minute series (topographic). 1992. United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey.

 

Research notes and published materials Series I

 

Biographical research Subseries I

box-folder 1: 1

Beard, Marshall R.

box-folder 1: 2

Bidwell, John

box-folder 1: 3

Bigelow, Hardin

box-folder 1: 4

Bigler, John

box-folder 1: 5

Brannan, Sam

box-folder 1: 6

Cooledge, Belle, Crocker Family

box-folder 1:7

French, Parker

box-folder 1: 8

Haggin, James Ben Ali

box-folder 1: 9

Hopkins, Mark

box-folder 1: 10

Judah, Theodore

box-folder 1: 11

Lienhard, Heinrich

box-folder 1: 12

Lubin, David and Simon

box-folder 1: 13

Lukenbill, David

box-folder 1: 14

Mandella, Ron

box-folder 1: 15

McClatchy Family

box-folder 1: 16

Morgan, Julia

box-folder 1: 17

Smith, Jedediah

box-folder 1: 18

Stackpole, Ralph: Personal Letters Praising Restoration

box-folder 1: 19

Stackpole, Ralph: Exhibit in Lobby (See Stackpole slides in Box 8)

box-folder 1: 20

Stackpole, Ralph: Exhibit in Lobby/Sabbatical and General

box-folder 1: 21

Stackpole, Ralph: Brochure

box-folder 2: 1

Stackpole, Ralph: Mural Restoration Publicity

box-folder 2: 1.1

Stackpole, Ralph: Photographs of Works

box-folder 2: 2

Steffens, Lincoln

box-folder 2: 3

Sutter, John A: Sutter in Europe

box-folder 2: 4

Sutter, John A: Romantic Revolution

box-folder 2: 5

Sutter, John A: J. A. Sutter and Sons

box-folder 2: 6

Sutter, John A: Sutter in Switerland

box-folder 2: 7

Sutter, John A: Sutter Lectures

box-folder 2: 8

Walker, William

box-folder 2: 9

Warner, William

box-folder 2: 10

Winn, A.M.

 

Trend, topic, place research Subseries II

box-folder 2: 11

African Americans in Sacramento

box-folder 2: 12

Alkali Flat Neighborhood

box-folder 2: 13

American River Parkway

box-folder 2: 14

Archaeology

box-folder 2: 15

Big Four

box-folder 2: 16

Boulevard Park Neighborhood

box-folder 2: 17

Bourgeoisie, 1909

box-folder 2: 18

Bridges

box-folder 2: 19

Brighton

box-folder 2: 20

California

box-folder 2: 21

California State Capitol

box-folder 2: 22

California State Fair

box-folder 2: 23

Carmichael, California

box-folder 3: 1-3

Cesar Chavez Park (Plaza Park)

box-folder 3: 4

Chinese California

box-folder 3: 5

Churches

box-folder 3: 6

Citrus Heights, California (and Sylvan)

box-folder 3: 7

Depression Era Sacramento

box-folder 3: 8

Disease

box-folder 3: 9

Dredging

box-folder 3: 10

Duels

box-folder 3: 11

Electricity in Sacramento

box-folder 3: 12

Fabulous Forties Neighborhood

box-folder 3: 13

Federal Artists' Project in Sacramento/Sacramento Art Center

box-folder 3: 13.1

Federal Artists' Project in Sacramento/Sacramento Art Center

box-folder 3: 14

Fifteen Mile House

box-folder 3: 15

Floods

box-folder 3: 16

Freeport

box-folder 4: 1

Geology

box-folder 4: 2

Gladding, McBean

box-folder 4: 3

Glenn Dairy

box-folder 4: 4

Gold Rush and the California Dream

box-folder 4: 5

Hispanics in Sacramento

box-folder 4: 6

Hock Farm

box-folder 4: 7

Homes, not Victorian

box-folder 4: 8

Homes, Victorian

box-folder 4: 9

Hydraulic Mining

box-folder 4: 10

Idealism in Sacramento

box-folder 4: 11

Italians

box-folder 4: 12

Manifest Destiny and Sacramento

box-folder 4: 13

Maps of Sacramento

box-folder 4: 14

Mather Field

box-folder 4: 15

McClellan Field

box-folder 4: 16-18

McKinley Park

box-folder 5: 1

Meadowview Neighborhood

box-folder 5: 2

Miller Park Marina

box-folder 5: 3-4

Native Americans, Sacramento Area

box-folder 5: 5

Newpapers, Saramento

box-folder 5: 6

Oak Park Neighborhood

box-folder 5: 7

Old City Cemetary

box-folder 5: 8

Old Sacramento

box-folder 5: 9

Open Space, Sacramento

box-folder 6: 1

Progressive Movemento in Sacramento: Progressives

box-folder 6: 2

Progressive Movemento in Sacramento: 1894-1927

box-folder 6: 3

Progressive Movemento in Sacramento:1906-1926

box-folder 6: 4

Progressive Movement in Sacramento: 1912-1926

box-folder 6: 5

Progressive Movement in Sacramento: Progressives and the "Public Interest"

box-folder 6: 6

Public Art

box-folder 6: 7

Pullman Strike

box-folder 6: 8

Racism

box-folder 6: 9

Rancho Del Paso

box-folder 6: 10

Reform Movement in Sacramento: 1894-1912

box-folder 6: 11

Riverboats

box-folder 6: 12

Riverfront, Sacramento

box-folder 6: 13

Roads and Highways

box-folder 6: 14

Sacramento City College and Sacramento Junior College

box-folder 6: 15

Sacramento County

box-folder 6: 16

Sacramento Housing and Redevolopment Agency

box-folder 6: 17

Sacramento: Growth of City

box-folder 6: 18

Sacramento History: General

box-folder 6: 19

Sacramento Municipal Airport

box-folder 6: 20

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)

box-folder 6: 21

Sacramento Problems: New and Old

box-folder 6: 13

Roads and Highways

box-folder 7: 1

Sacramento River Parkway

box-folder 7: 2

Sacramento Southern Railroad

box-folder 7: 3

Stanford Mansion

box-folder 7: 4

Streetcars and Trolleys

box-folder 7: 5

Sutter's Fort

box-folder 7: 6

Sutter Land Grant

box-folder 7: 7

Sutterville, History of

box-folder 7: 8

Taxes

box-folder 7: 9

Transcontinental Railroad

box-folder 7: 10

Washington and Broderick

box-folder 7: 11

Water and Waste Treatment

box-folder 7: 12

William Land Park

box-folder 7: 13

Women in Sacramento

 

Historic organizations Subseries III

box-folder 7: 14

California State Archives

box-folder 7: 15

California State Library

box-folder 7: 16

Center for Sacramento History and Sacramento Archives and Museum Collection Center

box-folder 7: 17

Sacramento Parks and Historic Museums

box-folder 7: 18

Sacramento Room

box-folder 7: 19

Sacramento Valley Museum

 

Historic walks, tours and runs Subseries IV

box-folder 7: 20

10-Mile Hidden History Run

box-folder 7: 21

Sacramento City Cemetary

box-folder 7: 22

Take an Art Walk

box-folder 7: 23

Walk Sac History

box-folder 7: 24

Tour Sacramento's Churches by Bike

box-folder 7: 25

Images and Positives from Church Tour

 

Newspapers Subseries V

box-folder 8: 1

Sacramento Downtowner, On the Win, Poet News, The Express

 

Correspondence Series II

box-folder 8: 2

General Correspondence

box-folder 8: 3

Letters of Recommendation (use restricted until 2067)

box-folder 8: 4

Retired Teachers, Los Rios

 

Writing projects and class notes Series III

box-folder 8: 5

Sacramento History Book

box-folder 8: 6

Religious Art Comes Full Circle

box-folder 8: 7

California Agricultural Article

box-folder 8: 8

Sacramento History Class

 

Photographic slides Series IV

box-folder 8: 9

Slides of European travel and trip to Kandern, Switzerland, in August 1987; Assorted European artists; Works of Ralph Stackpole; Sacramento churches.