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Collection Guide

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Inventory of the Board of State Harbor Commissioners for San Francisco Harbor Records

F3413; 69-303; R292

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Table of contents

Series Descriptions

F3413:1-550

Series 1 Wharf and Pier Books 1863-1919

Physical Description: 550 volumes

Arrangement

Wharf books are arranged alphabetically be name of street and chronologically thereunder; pier books are arranged numerically by pier number and chronologically thereunder; and seawall books are arranged numerically by seawall number and section and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

Records of monthly fees paid by vessels docked at various wharves, piers, and seawalls in San Francisco. Information includes date of arrival, class, name of vessel, tonnage, cargo, date of departure, number of days docked, rate, dockage amount, name of consignee, tolls, wharfage amount, and remarks. Also contains information on uncollected fees with class, name of vessel, and amount due. Several volumes on Oakland Ferries are also included in this series.

See Appendix A in Additional Series Information for an inventory of Wharf and Pier Books.

Additional Series Information

Appendix A: List of Wharf and Pier Books

F3413:600-685

Series 2 President's Correspondence 1863-1915

Physical Description: 86 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date.

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of 86 volumes of bound correspondence of the President of the Board of State Harbor Commissioners. Series includes engineer's reports relating to construction and maintenance, bids relating to construction and maintenance, engineering estimates, and information on the Santa Fe Railroad.

F3413:686-710

Series 3 Secretary's Correspondence 1873-1908

Physical Description: 25 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date.

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of 25 volumes of bound correspondence of the Secretary of the Board of State Harbor Commissioners. Series includes circulars and notes, resolutions on actions taken by the Board, and letters on a wide variety of subjects.

F3413:711-731

Series 4 Engineer's Office Correspondence 1894-1919

Physical Description: 21 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged by type of correspondence and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

Series includes correspondence of the Engineer's office of the Board of State Harbor Commissioners. Includes letters sent from the Engineer's office (1894-1913) correspondence scrapbook papers of Assistant Engineer Carl Uhlig (1903-1919), official letters to Chief Engineer L.D. Norton (1901-1906), Assistant State Engineer communications and reports (1907-1913), and permits granted for repairs (1911-1919).

F3413:732-739

Series 5 Miscellaneous Correspondence 1883-1949

Physical Description: 21 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged by type of correspondence and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

The Miscellaneous Correspondence series contains letters concerning the office of the Toll Collector (1891-1903) and miscellaneous letters (1883-1892, 1895-1897, 1911-1916, 1949).

F3413:800-901

Series 6 President's Unbound Correspondence 1897-1911

Physical Description: 102 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged according to coded classification schedule.

Scope and Content Note

Series includes incoming and outgoing general correspondence and reports from the President of the Board. Specific subjects include assignments and use of facilities, Belt Railroad, switching charges, demurrage, applications for positions, dismissals and resignations, complaints, synopsis of board meetings, accident reports, claims, biennial reports, unsanitary conditions, fleet arrival, personnel, 1908 Report to the Legislature, and property acquisition.

F3413:902-1177

Series 7 Secretary's Unbound Correspondence 1908-1914

Physical Description: 276 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged according to coded classification schedule.

Scope and Content Note

Series includes incoming and outgoing general correspondence and reports from the Secretary of the Board. Specific subjects include construction, bonding, assignments, Belt Railroad, permits, regulations, complaints, dredging reports, employees, harbor facilities, rentals, tolls, and insurance.

F3413:1178-1433

Series 8 Central File. Unbound Correspondence 1912-1963

Physical Description: 256 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically and by coded filing system.

Scope and Content Note

The Chronological Correspondence contains correspondence from 1912-1943. Some of the correspondence is from the Office of the Secretary and discusses administrative issues such as personnel, pay roll, and bids.

The Coded Correspondence contains correspondence from 1915-1963.

F3413:1434-1584

Series 9 Engineering Department. Unbound Correspondence 1908-1915

Physical Description: 151 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date.

Scope and Content Note

Series includes incoming and outgoing general correspondence from the Engineering Department. Specific subjects include payroll, seawalls, piers, buildings, construction, sewers, Belt Railroad, and miscellaneous correspondence.

F3413:1585-1622

Series 10 Foreign Trade Zone Correspondence 1936-1951

Physical Description: 2 volumes and 76 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Scope and Content Note

Series includes incoming and outgoing correspondence from the Board of State Harbor Commissioners for San Francisco Harbor regarding foreign trade zones. Most of the correspondence was either sent to or sent from the federal government. Prominent subjects include applications to create a foreign trade zone in San Francisco and questionnaires sent to import companies.

F3413:2000-2041

Series 11 Construction and Maintenance Files 1870-1931

Physical Description: 37 volumes and 10 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged by type of record and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

Construction and maintenance records for San Francisco Harbor. Includes the following: architect report for Depot and Ferry Building; letters from the superintendent of construction; specifications; inspector's reports; daily construction reports; surveyor's certificates of measurements; repair books; journals; damage bills; damage reports; order book; work orders; electric department correspondence; dredger's records; automobile reports; daily report of tugs.

See Appendix B in Additional Series Information for a list of volumes or folder headings.

Additional Series Information

Appendix B: List of Construction and Maintenance Files

F3413:2042-2055

Series 12 Personnel Files 1890-1899, 1903-1904, 1914-1929, 1932

Physical Description: 13 volumes and 1 file folder

Arrangement

Arranged by type of record and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

The Personnel Records of the Board include invoices (letters of recommendation addressed to the Board of State Harbor Commissioners in regards to appointments or positions with Port Authority, Governor Gillette's and other sate officials signatures are found within), lists of employees, personnel history records, industrial accident register and samples of ID cards, time cards, and vacation records.

See Appendix C in Additional Series Information for a list of volumes or folder headings.

Additional Series Information

Appendix C: List of Personnel Files

F3413:2056-2079

Series 13 Legal Files 1864-1907, 1915-1916, 1930

Physical Description: 24 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged by type of record and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

Includes legal briefs and transcripts for cases involving the Board. Also contains contracts and leases, dockets, reports, abstracts of title, and investigation files.

See Appendix D in Additional Series Information for a list of volumes.

Additional Series Information

Appendix D: List of Legal Files

F3413:2080-2095

Series 14 Belt Railroad Files 1898-1927

Physical Description: 16 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged by type of record and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

Contains financial records, switching reports and bills, switching bill book, and switching charge collections.

See Appendix E in Additional Series Information for a list of volumes.

Additional Series Information

Appendix E: List of Belt Railroad Files

F3413:2096-2178; 69-303

Series 15 Miscellaneous Files 1878-1954

Physical Description: 83 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged by type of record and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

Miscellaneous files include scrapbooks with newspaper clippings concerning the Port of San Francisco; inventories; comparative statistics; records of arrivals and departures concerning the movement of vessels; reports; stock certificate book for the Mission Street Wharf; laws and statutes; tariff charges; and rules, regulations, and rates.

See Appendix F in Additional Series Information for a list of volumes.

Additional Series Information

Appendix F: List of Miscellaneous Files

F3413:2179-2242

Series 16 Reference Books 1868-1943

Physical Description: 64 volumes

Arrangement

Arranged by type of volume then chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

The Reference Books series contains Lloyd's Registers, 1868-1931; San Francisco Business Directories, 1871-1943; and Reports of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (Municipal Reports), 1869-1899. The Municipal Reports include reports for the following city officers: assessor, auditor, board of health, chief of police, city attorney, surveyor, superintendent of schools, coroner, county clerk, county recorder, fire chief, industrial school, justice's court, license collector, park commissioner, pound keeper, public administrator, sheriff, superintendent of public streets, tax collector, and treasurer. Also usually includes appendices relating to elections, utilities, and taxation.

Lloyd’s Registers, 1868-1931 (F3413:2179-2197)

San Francisco Business Directories, 1871-1943 (F3413:2198-2227)

Municipal Reports of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 1869-1899 (F3413:2228-2242)

F3413:2243-2458, 69-303

Series 17 Accounting Records 1863-1952

Physical Description: 275 volumes, 50 file folders, and 1 cubic foot

Arrangement

Arranged by type of record and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

The Accounting Records series contains general accounting and financial records of the Board. Includes account records on tolls, dockage, stores, wharfage, and labor expenses; ledgers and registers relating to accounts receivable, credit toll, rents, repairs, sales and charges, and construction; revenue records for dockage, tolls, bills of collection, rents, and pier receipts; and expenditure records for invoices, vouchers, dredging, construction, payroll, maintenance, and repairs.

See Appendix G in Additional Series Information for a list of volumes and folders.

Additional Series Information

Appendix G: List of Accounting Records

F3413:2459-2472

Series 18 Oversized Photographs 1925, 1943, 1945, 1947-1950

Physical Description: 14 items

Arrangement

Arranged by type of volume then chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Includes an aerial view of San Francisco, undated (F3413:2459); aerial view of San Francisco Harbor and "Line Washington", undated (F3413:2460); ship aground, undated (F3413:2461); Ferry Building, 1925 (F3413:2462); San Francisco waterfront, undated (F3413:2463); Board of Directors for the San Francisco Exposition, undated (F3413:2464); Belt Line switching engine, 1943 (F3413:2465); Piers 29 to 37, undated (F3413:2466); aerial view of San Francisco from 12,000 feet, 1945 (F3413:2467); map of San Francisco and world ports, 1947 (F3413:2468); and four views of Port of San Francisco, 1948-1950 (F3413:2469-2472).

F3413:2474

Series 19 Colored Pen and Ink Sketch of China Basin undated

Physical Description: 1 item

Series Descriptions

Wharf and Pier Books

President's Correspondence

Secretary's Correspondence

Engineer's Office Correspondence

Miscellaneous Correspondence

President's Unbound Correspondence

Secretary's Unbound Correspondence

Central File. Unbound Correspondence

Engineering Department. Unbound Correspondence

Foreign Trade Zone Correspondence

Construction and Maintenance Files

Personnel Files

Legal Files

Belt Railroad Files

Miscellaneous Files

Reference Books

Accounting Records

Oversized Photographs

Colored Pen and Ink Sketch of China Basin