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.

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.

3.75 Linear feet (5 boxes)

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials.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

This collection is open for research.