Haugh Transportation Collection, 1886-1969

Printable guide [HTML]

Summary

Title:
Haugh Transportation Collection
Dates:
1886-1969
Creators:
Haugh, Jesse L.
Abstract:
The collection contains materials related to the operation of the San Diego Electric Railway Company (SDERCo) and several subsidiary transportation franchises acquired by John D. Spreckels.
Extent:
3.75 Linear feet (5 boxes)
Language:
Preferred citation:

Haugh Transportation Collection, MS 184, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains administrative and financial materials of the San Diego Electric Railway Company (SDERCo) as well as seven other transportation companies purchased by Spreckels. The materials range from 1892, a year after the SDERCo was founded, to 1950, shortly after the SDERCo (now the San Diego Transit System) was dissolved. The additional franchises present in the collection are the Citizens Traction Company, the electric division of the Coronado Railroad Company, the Point Loma Railroad Company, the San Diego and Coronado Ferry Company, the San Diego Street Car Company (including its subsidiary, the Park Belt Motor Line), and the South Park and East Side Railway Company.

The majority of the materials present are records for the SDERCo and documents related to the purchase and operation of each individual company. This includes a history of each franchise, maps of corresponding rail lines, and ledgers detailing administrative, financial, and construction related matters.

Biographical / historical:

John D. Spreckels formed the San Diego Electric Railway Company (SDERCo) on November 30, 1891. A light rail mass transit system that connected the City of San Diego, the SDERCo comprised 165 miles of track at its peak. Spreckels’ expansion of the SDER lines involved buying up several failed steam and electric rail companies and incorporating them into a unified system. Acquisitions made by Spreckels included the San Diego Street Car Company and the Point Loma Railroad Company. Spreckels even went as far as to purchase the San Diego and Coronado Ferry Company in conjunction with other trolley lines. The SDERCo functioned as a public utility and by 1918 served the areas of East San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, and Coronado, as well as San Diego City proper. In July of 1948, 22 years after Spreckels’ death, the SDERCo was bought by the Western Transit Company, owned by Jesse Haugh, for $5.5 million. The name was changed to the San Diego Transit System (SDTS) that same year. In 1949, San Diego eliminated light rail transportation in favor of an all bus transit system, and the SDTS was dissolved.

Acquisition information:
Accession numbers 860917A and 2003.121.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Lauren Rasmussen on May 23, 2012.

Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged by series:

Series I: San Diego Electric Railway Company

Series II: Citizens Traction Company

Series III: Coronado Railroad Company (Electric Division)

Series IV: Point Loma Railroad Company

Series V: San Diego and Coronado Ferry Company

Series VI: San Diego Street Car Company and Park Belt Motor Line

Series VII: South Park and East Side Railway Company

Items in each series are arranged by subject.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Lauren Rasmussen
Sponsor:
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Date Prepared:
May 23, 2012
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-01-08T14:10-0800

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

Preferred citation:

Haugh Transportation Collection, MS 184, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Location of this collection:
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Contact:
(619) 232-6203
Website