City of South San Francisco Ledgers
Finding aid created by Megan Nussbaum in 2022.
SSFPL History Room
306 Walnut Ave
South San Francisco, CA 94080
history@ssf.net
Language of Material:
English
Title: City of South San Francisco Ledgers
Collection number: ssf.ms.ooo2
Accession number: 2022.0003
Repository:
South San Francisco Public Library – History Collection
Grand Avenue Library
306 Walnut Ave.
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 877-8530
Physical Description:
20 Volumes
(20 ledgers)
Date (inclusive): 1908-1966
Abstract: Ledgers document proceedings related to South San Francisco's criminal court, small claims court and city ordinances established
by the Police Department.
Physical Location: Collection is located in the SSFPL Grand Avenue Library History Room.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection donated to South San Francisco Grand Avenue Library History Room by City Clerk in 2019.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged chronologically by date in three series. Series 1 contains criminal court dockets. Series 2 contains
non-criminal ledgers, including small claims dockets, ordinance books and general fee books. Series 3 contains general loose
documents from miscellaneous ledgers.
Historical
South San Francisco incorporated as a city in San Mateo County in 1908. Different levels of court and an official police department
were established to maintain social order.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], City of South San Francisco Ledgers, ssf.ms.0002, South San Francisco Public Library History Collection.
Processing Information
Processed by Megan Nussbaum in 2022.
Scope and Contents
Ledgers record interactions within South San Francisco's various court systems. A majority of ledgers record criminal court
operations with related names, dates, charges and verdicts. Other ledgers relate to small claims court, tax and licensing
collections, and South San Francisco Police Department's books of ordinances.
Conditions Governing Use
Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission
of the copyright owners. The reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor
restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially
exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
South San Francisco (Calif.)
Series 1:
Criminal Dockets
1913 November 17 - 1952 August 12
Physical Description: 13 Volumes(13 ledgers)
Contents
This series contains criminal court dockets including names, dates, pleas, verdicts and charges.
Arrangement
Series 1 is arranged chronologically.
object 1
Criminal Recorder's Docket City of South San Francisco ledger0002
1913 November 17-1917 August 27
Physical Description: 1 Volumes41 x 27 cm
Contents
Record of individual appearances in criminal court. Some records include names of complaintants and accused, description of
crimes committed, dates, pleads, and verdicts. Loose papers have been removed and placed in box 1 folder 1-2.
object 2
Criminal Recorder's Docket ledger0003
1919 February 23 - 1922 March 8
Physical Description: 1 Volumes40 x 27 cm
Contents
Includes names, dates, charges, fees, pleas and verdicts for individual criminal court proceedings. Utilizes front index by
criminal name and page number on which charges can be found.
object 3
Recorder's Criminal Docket City of South San Francisco ledger0004
1927 March 4 - 1928 December 24
Physical Description: 1 Volumes42 x 30 cm
Contents
Record of individual criminal court appearances. Most records include names of complaintants and accused parties, description
of charges, dates, pleads and verdicts. Ledger utilizes front index to organize accused names and page numbers on which their
charges can be found.
object 4
City Court Criminal Docket City of South San Francisco ledger0005
1928 December 24 - 1933 July 21
Physical Description: 1 Volumes42 x 28 cm
Contents
Record of individual appearances in criminal court December 1928 - 1933. Most entries include names of complaintants and accused,
description of charges, dates, pleads, verdicts. This ledger utilizes front index to organize criminal names and page numbers
on which their cases can be found.
object 5
City Criminal Docket City of South San Francisco ledger0006
1933 August 8 - 1939 May 8
Physical Description: 1 Volumes48 x 31 cm
Contents
Records criminal court proceeding details including names, dates, charges, fees, pleas and verdicts. Entries are not in chronological
order, likely a re-binding mistake due to pages being removed to enter data via typewriter.
object 6
City Court Docket Criminal ledger0007
1939 May 22 - 1942 March 16
Physical Description: 1 Volumes41 x 27 cm
Contents
Records individual criminal court proceeding details, including names, dates, charges, fines, pleas and verdicts. Some mold
on hardback cover.
object 7
City Court Docket Criminal City of South San Francisco ledger0008
1942 March 16 - 1943 May 14
Physical Description: 1 Volumes41 x 28 cm
Contents
Includes dates, names, fees, charges, pleas and verdicts relating to individual criminal court cases.
object 8
City Court Docket Criminal City of South San Francisco ledger0009
1944 May 8 - 1945 March 8
Physical Description: 1 Volumes41 x 28 cm
Contents
This docket includes names of complaintants and accused, dates, fees, charges, pleas and verdicts relating to individual criminal
court case proceedings.
object 9
City Court Docket Criminal City of South San Francisco ledger0010
1945 March 8 - 1945 December 3
Physical Description: 1 Volumes41 x 28 cm
Contents
Docket includes dates, names of complaintants and accused, charges, fees, pleas and final judgments related to individual
criminal court proceedings from the indicated date range.
object 10
City Court Docket Criminal City of South San Francisco ledger0011
1945 December 3 - 1946 November 19
Physical Description: 1 Volumes41 x 27 cm
Contents
Includes names of plaintiff & defendant, dates, criminal charges, final judgments associated with each case.
object 11
City Court Criminal Docket City of South San Francisco ledger0012
1947 December 11 - 1948 December 1
Physical Description: 1 Volumes41 x 28 cm
Contents
Includes names of plaintiff & defendant, dates, criminal charges, final judgments for each court case. Utilizes front alphabetical
index.
object 12
City Court Criminal Docket City of South San Francisco ledger0013
1948 November 16 - 1950 January 6
Physical Description: 1 Volumes41 x 28 cm
Contents
Includes names of plaintiff & defendant, dates, criminal charges, final judgments for each case. Utilizes front alphabetical
index.
object 13
City Court Docket Criminal City of South San Francisco ledger0014
1951 August 28 - 1952 August 12
Physical Description: 1 Volumes41 x 28 cm
Contents
Includes details from individual court proceedings, such as names of the accused, charges, verdicts, dates and fines.
Series 2:
Other Ledgers
1908 November 30 - 1966 June 20
Physical Description: 7 Volumes(7 ledgers)
Contents
Ledgers from the City of South San Francisco not pertaining to criminal court. Records of general fees, small claims court
proceedings, police department ordinances.
Arrangement
Series 2 is arranged chronologically.
object 14
Police Department Ordinance Book 05 2000.010
1908 November 30 - 1966 June 20
Physical Description: 1 Volumes46 x 33 cm
Contents
Introduces city ordinances with explanations and potential violations. Lists ordinances in alphabetical index, then pages
are filled with newspaper clippings and city council documents relating to each individual ordinance to give primary documentation.
Book titled "Invoices." Book given to SSF History Room by SSFPD Detective Sullivan, April 1985.
object 15
Tax and Licensing Fee Book ledger0019
1909 November 30 - 1918 July 5
Physical Description: 1 Volumes40 x 27 cm
Contents
Tax and licensing fee book records collected fees for liqour, peddlers/merchants, dogs, and business licenses. Also tax collector
account and other misc. fees.
Spine missing from ledger, title unknown.
Loose documents relating to delinquent tax list have been removed and placed in box 1 folder 3.
object 16
Police Department Ordinance Book 05 2000.011
1921 March 21 - 1948 January 7
Physical Description: 1 Volumes42 x 46 cm (wide black scrapbook)
Contents
Introduces city ordinances with explanations and potential violations. Lists ordinances in alphabetical index, then pages
are filled with newspaper clippings and city council documents relating to each individual ordinance to give primary documentation.
Official item title unknown as spine is missing. Some pages very fragile.
object 17
Civil Docket City of South San Francisco ledger0016
1934 December 12 - 1942 May 7
Physical Description: 1 Volumes42 1/2 x 29 1/2 cm
Contents
Docket records some court fee charges from the date range indicated. Majority of pages are blank, unused. Loose documents
pulled from docket and stored in box 1 folder 4.
object 18
Small Claims Court Docket ledger0018
1938 July 26 - 1943 March 10
Physical Description: 1 Volumes36 x 23 cm
Contents
Includes names of plaintiff & defendant, monetary sums owed, brief details of proceedings for each case number. Utilizes alphabetical
index at front of docket.
object 19
General Fee Book Recorder's or City Court ledger0020
1940 December 3 - 1942 March 21
Physical Description: 1 Volumes36 x 22 cm
Contents
Records name associated with each case, docket case and page numbers, dates, monetary amounts under fine category (motor vehicle,
liquor law/replaced with city ordinance, misc. criminal fine).
object 20
Police Record 6 City of South San Francisco ledger0001
1949 June 1 - 1951 April 23
Physical Description: 1 Volumes42 x 35 cm
Contents
General fee book includes names of charged, booking officer, date, criminal charge and monetary disposition.
Series 3:
Loose Documents
1916 - 1943 May 27, undated
Physical Description: .2 Linear Feet(4 legal size folders)
Contents
Contains loose documents pulled from various ledgers, including recorder's court forms and ephemera related to court trials.
Arrangement
Series 3 is arranged chronologically.
box 1, folder 1-2
Recorder's Court Documents
1916, 1918-1919, undated
Contents
Recorder's Court documents containing arrest warrants, criminal complaints, writs of attachment, complaints in assumpsit,
summons, affidavits, and writs of venire. Other documents include physician's notes, correspondence, invoices, business cards,
legal judgment and spare stationery. Documents were removed from ledger Criminal Recorder's Docket City of South San Francisco
(Object 1).
box 1, folder 3
Recorder's Court General Documents
1916 June 24, 1919 June 30
Contents
Documents removed from Untitled (tax and licensing fee book) Object 15. Documents include deliquent list of fees and tax list.
box 1, folder 4
Legal Documents
1940 May 17 - 1943 May 27, undated
Contents
Documents were removed from City Court Criminal Docket City of South San Francisco (Object 12). Documents include lawsuits,
Recorder's Court criminal complaints and Justice Court documents.