Description
The Charles H. Stoddard papers (SAFR 16122, HDC 145) consists of three series of documents. The first series are financial
records that appear to concern Stoddard's personal investments. Series two are notebooks on mechanical engineering, kept while
Stoddard was a student at Lealand Stanford Jr. University. The third series are notebooks kept by Stoddard during the course
of his working career, which provide information on specific construction and shipbuilding projects. These working notebooks
are organized by project types. The research strength of this collection is on the subject of iron and steel shipbuilding
in the San Francisco Bay Area. The bulk of the collection is highly technical in nature, and consists of calculations, tables,
and data on projects with which Stoddard was involved as a mechanical engineer. The collection is fully processed and available
for research use without restriction.
Background
Charles H. Stoddard studied engineering at Leland Stanford Jr. University from 1892 to 1895. In 1901, he was employed as the
chief draftsman at the Fulton Engineering & Shipbuilding Works in San Francisco. In 1903, he is listed as a mechanical engineer
in the city directory. By 1917, he had joined the Moore & Scott Iron Works in Oakland, where he continued to work for many
years. By 1923, he was the superintendent of the shipyard, now known as the Moore Drydock Company. Some of the notebooks in
this collection are stamped "Christy Machine Works," but it is not known if Stoddard ever worked for that company. It is uncertain
when he retired, but he retained a financial interest in Moore Drydock Company as late as 1941. Stoddard lived in San Francisco
until about 1917, when he moved to Burlingame. By 1922, he had moved to Oakland, where he continued to live as late as 1941.
Restrictions
Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other
case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.
Availability
This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted.