Collection Guide
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Sutro (Adolph) Papers
mssSUT
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Adolph Sutro papers
Creator:
Sutro, Adolph, 1830-1898
Identifier/Call Number: mssSUT
Physical Description:
10.42 Linear Feet
(17 boxes, 1 folder)
Date (inclusive): 1853-1931
Abstract: A collection of personal and professional letters and documents related to the life and work of Adolph Sutro, German-American
engineer, politician and philanthropist.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. Adolph Sutro papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired from George D. Lyman, March 1943, purchased from Dawson's Book Shop, 1954, gift of Mrs. Aubrey Bullock-Webster, February
1959, purchased from W. P. Wreden, November 1961, purchased from Alta California, June 1963, and purchased from Hannon, 1963-1968.
Adolph Heinrich Joseph Sutro (1830-1898) emigrated from Prussia to the eastern United States in 1850; he soon moved to San
Francisco to sell supplies to miners during the California Gold Rush. The discovery of silver on the Comstock Lode in Nevada
prompted him to establish the Sutro Metallurgical Works in 1861, and in 1862 he had constructed a ten-stamp mill. He conceived
the idea of a tunnel to relieve the problems of floods, high temperatures, and noxious gases in the mines of the Comstock
Lode, and the Sutro Tunnel was completed in 1868. He sold his interest in the tunnel and returned to San Francisco in 1880,
where he increased his land holdings, took part in city affairs, and served as mayor from 1894 to 1896. His book collection
became the foundation of the Sutro Branch of the California State Library in San Francisco. Sutro died in San Francisco on
August 8, 1898.
A collection of 2786 items from 1853 to 1931, it consists of personal and business correspondence, documents, and maps. Subjects
in the collection related to San Francisco include businesses; the Sutro Baths; the Cliff House; land development including
Sutro Heights; street railways; politics; and the Sutro Library. There is also material related to mining in Nevada, including
the Sutro Mill; the Sutro Tunnel; and the Comstock Lode. Persons represented in the collection include: Edward D. Adams, Pelham
W. Ames, Alexander Badlam, Charles A. Clinton, Sarah Brown Ingersoll Cooper, George W. Frink, Carl B. Glasscock, Theodore
Krauss, Frank B. Mercer, Emma Merritt, George Moss, James D. Phelan, R.S. Raw, Charles Walter Sutro, Emil S. Sutro, Hugo Sutro,
Leah Harris Sutro, and Theodore Sutro. Business corporations represented in the collection include the Sutro Baths; Sutro
Library; Sutro Mill; Sutro Tunnel Company; U.S. Department of the Interior; and University of California Regents.
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1970. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy
summary report.
Arranged chronologically.
Individual call numbers in the collection: mssSUT 1-1724.
A collection of Adolph Sutro Lantern Slides (photCL 508) are now part of Photo Archives.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Book collectors -- California -- San Francisco
Businessmen -- California -- San Francisco
Engineers -- California -- San Francisco
Mines and mineral resources -- Nevada -- Comstock Lode
Real property -- California -- San Francisco
Street-railroads -- California -- San Francisco
Comstock Lode (Nev.) -- History -- 19th century
San Francisco (Calif.) -- History
Sutro Heights (San Francisco, Calif.)
Sutro Mill (Nev.) -- History
Sutro Tunnel (Nev.) -- History
Letters (correspondence) -- California -- San Francisco
Letters (correspondence) -- Nevada -- Comstock Lode
Manuscripts (documents) -- California -- San Francisco
Manuscripts (documents) -- Nevada -- Comstock Lode
Maps (documents) -- California -- San Francisco
Maps (documents) -- Nevada -- Comstock Lode
Adams, Edward D.
Ames, Pelham W. (Pelham Warren), 1839-
Badlam, Alexander, 1809-1894
Clinton, Charles A., active 1896-1899
Cooper, Sarah Brown Ingersoll, 1836-1896
Frink, George W.
Glasscock, Carl B. (Carl Burgess), 1884-1942
Krauss, Theodore
Mercer, Frank B.
Merritt, Emma Laura
Moss, George, active 1891-1895
Phelan, James D. (James Duval), 1861-1930
Raw, R. S.
Sutro, Charles Walter
Sutro, Emil S.
Sutro, Hugo
Sutro, Leah Harris
Sutro, Theodore, 1845-1927
Cliff House (San Francisco, Calif.)
Sutro Baths (San Francisco, Calif.)
Sutro Library
Sutro Tunnel Company
United States. Department of the Interior
University of California (System). Regents