Inventory of the City of Davis Collection, 1917-1982
Leigh Johnsen
Department of Special Collections
General Library
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616-5292
Phone: (530) 752-1621
Fax: (530) 754-5758
Email: speccoll@ucdavis.edu
© 2007
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Creator:
Davis (Calif)
Title: City of Davis Collection
Date: 1917-1982
Extent:
10.8 linear feet
Abstract: The City of Davis Collection documents life in a Sacramento Valley community
during the twentieth century as seen through material related to the city's local government. The
collection spans the years 1917-1982, with clusters of material around the periods 1932-1939, 1946-1960,
and 1978-1982. Included are correspondence, property assessment records, legal opinions, bids, receipt
books for business licenses, contracts, newsletters, bulletins, maps, plans, personnel recommendations,
a warrant register, a registry of births, policy statements, regulations, petitions, meeting minutes,
tax returns, court decisions, and election documents. Of special note is the personal correspondence
file of Norman D. Thomas, the city's third clerk and city attorney, serving at the height of the Great
Depression. The collection affords glimpses into local politics, city administration, business activity
and licensing, New Deal programs, Prohibition, tax assessment and collection, and development of the
University Farm, later known as the University of California, Davis.
Physical location: Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections, as
many are stored offsite.
Repository:
University of California, Davis. General Library. Dept. of Special Collections.
Davis, California 95616-5292
Collection number: D-344
Language of Material: Collection materials in English.
Scope and Content
The City of Davis Collection spans the years 1917 to 1982, with the bulk of material clustered in three
main periods: 1932-1939, 1946-1960, and 1978-1982. The collection is arranged in ten series: 1. Norman
D. Thomas Correspondence Files, 2. Financial Management, 3. Administration, 4. Services and Public
Works, 5. Ordinances, 6. Planning and Zoning, 7. Property Valuation, 8. Elections, 9. Business
Licensing, and 10. Oversize.
Much of the material in this collection touches on functions attached to the clerk of the City of Davis,
an appointee who served at the will of the Board of Trustees (later, the City Council) from the city's
incorporation in 1917 until 1950, when it adopted an administrative structure that relied on a city
manager. Among other responsibilities, the city clerk kept notes of trustee and council meetings,
implemented their decisions, published official notices, served as the city's tax assessor, held
ex-officio status as clerk for Davis's Board of Equalization, and administered elections. The city clerk
also served as city attorney from incorporation through the 1930s.
The City of Davis Collection documents local life, politics, and civic affairs in Davis, California, as
seen through a sampling of material related to city government at the height of the Great Depression.
This period overlaps the tenure of Forrest A. Plant (1917-1932) and Norman D. Thomas (1933-1939), two of
Davis's earliest city clerks and city attorneys. Through its property valuation records, the collection
also documents real estate holdings, tax assessments, and building construction in 1933 and during the
post-World War II years. In addition, it documents local election practices during the late 1970s and
early 1980s.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online
public access catalog.
Plant, Forrest A., 1889-1933.
City Planning--California--Davis.
License System--California--Davis.
Local Elections--California Davis.
Local Finance--California--Davis.
Local Government--California--Davis.
Municipal Services--California--Davis--History.
Municipal Bonds--California.
Municipal Finance--California--Davis.
Public Works--California, Northern.
United States--Economic conditions--1918-1945.
United States--Politics and government--1933-1945.
Yolo County (Calif.)--History.
Davis (Calif.)--History.
University of California, Davis--History.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], City of Davis Collection, D-344, Department of Special Collections, General
Library, University of California, Davis.
Publication Rights
Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to
publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections, General Library,
University of California, Davis as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or
imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Series 1
Norman D. Thomas Correspondence Files
1932-1939
Physical Description:
0.4 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
General chronological arrangement within each folder. Contains correspondence focused on official
duties of Davis's third city clerk and attorney.
Box/Folder: 1:1
Correspondence (1 of 2).
1932-1934
Box/Folder: 1:2
Correspondence (2 of 2).
1932-1934
Box/Folder: 1:3
Correspondence.
1934-1937
Box/Folder: 1:4
Correspondence.
1937-1939
Series 2
Financial Management
1928-1939
Physical Description:
0.4 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
General chronological arrangement within each folder. Contains correspondence mainly related to
collection of property taxes, as well as receipts, bids, election instructions and resolutions,
legal opinions, and marketing instructions for sale of bonds.
Box/Folder: 2:1
Bond Sales. Municipal Bonds.
1931-1937
Box/Folder: 2:2
Bond Sales. City Hall Bonds.
1937-1938
Box/Folder: 2:3
Property Tax Collection.
1928
Box/Folder: 2:4
Property Tax Collection.
1933-1934
Box/Folder: 2:5
Property Tax Collection.
1934-1937
Box/Folder: 2:6
Property Tax Collection.
1937-1939
Series 3
Administration
1917-1943
Physical Description:
2.4 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
General chronological arrangement within each folder; wrapped volumes arranged chronologically.
Contains correspondence related to: city's insurance contracts and city personnel; assorted
legal matters; utilities; and supplies; as well as receipts, contracts, and rate schedules. Also
includes correspondence with League of California Municipalities, along with related
newsletters, bulletins, applications, and recommendations. Bound volumes cover vital statistics
for early Davis and list warrants regarding accounts payable.
Box/Folder: 3:1
Insurance Policies and Contracts.
1931-1939
Box/Folder: 3:2
League of California Municipalities.
1936-1938
Box/Folder: 3:3
League of California Municipalities.
1938-1939
Box/Folder: 3:4
Legal Documents.
1931-1937
Wrapped Volume
Register of Births.
1917-1919
Wrapped Volume.
Warrant register.
1937-1943
Series 4
Services and Public Works
1924-1939
Physical Description:
0.6 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
General chronological arrangement within each folder. Contains material related to: fire
department business, a variety of New Deal projects (CWA, ERA, SERA, and WPA); street
construction and maintenance; and water, gas, and electricity procurement and delivery. Also
includes correspondence, invoices, policy statements, minutes of official meetings, contracts,
canceled checks, bids, regulations, reports, bulletins, petitions, and proposals, many of which
cover construction of a city park (1936-1937) and city hall (1938-1939).
Box/Folder: 4:1
City Hall Construction.
1938
Box/Folder: 4:2
City Hall Construction.
1938-1939
Box/Folder: 4:4
City Park Construction.
1936-1937
Box/Folder: 4:5
Fire Department.
1936-1937
Box/Folder: 4:6
Garbage Collection.
1934-1937
Box/Folder: 4:7
Gas and Electricity.
1932-1936
Box/Folder: 4:8
New Deal Projects.
1934-1935
Box/Folder: 4:9
New Deal Projects.
1934-1938
Box/Folder: 4:10
Street Construction and Maintenance.
1924-1933
Box/Folder: 5:1
Street Construction and Maintenance (1 of 2).
1933-1937
Box/Folder: 5:2
Street Construction and Maintenance (2 of 2).
1933-1937
Box/Folder: 5:3
Street Construction and Maintenance.
1937-1938
Box/Folder: 5:4
Water Procurement and Delivery.
1934-1937
Series 5
Ordinances
1917-1960
Physical Description:
1.2 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
General chronological arrangement within each folder; wrapped volume arranged chronologically.
Contains official notices, reprints, and compilation of ordinances beginning with Davis's
incorporation in 1917.
Box/Folder: 5:5
Ordinances "Compiled by the Davis Enterprise," 1917-1925.
1917-1925
Box/Folder: 5:6
"Various Ordinances--Nos. 9-103," 1917-1937.
1917-1937
Wrapped Volume.
Compiled Ordinances.
1917-1960
Series 6
Planning and Zoning
1923-1949
Physical Description:
0.4 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
General chronological arrangement within each folder. Contains correspondence and related
material, including public notices from Planning Commission, petitions from residents, maps,
plans, and minutes of commission meetings.
Box/Folder: 6:1
College Park Association.
1923
Box/Folder: 6:2
Correspondence and Related Material.
1927-1934
Box/Folder: 6:3
Correspondence and Related Material.
1936-1939
Box/Folder: 6:4
Correspondence and Related Material.
1943-1945
Box/Folder: 6:5
Correspondence and Related Material.
1948-1949
Series 7
Property Valuation
1933-1960
Physical Description:
2.8 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
Organized alphabetically or by parcel number within each folder. Contains correspondence and
related material, notably, appraisals of property (1933) and appraisals and building records
(1946-1960). Included also are tax returns, instructions, court decisions, summary statements of
assessments citywide (1935 and 1936), and (as reference material) register of students who
attended Davis branch of the University of California in 1935.
Box/Folder: 7:1
Appraisals of Property, Allen-Clancy, Elizabeth.
1933
Box/Folder: 7:2
Appraisals of Property, Clancy, Elizabeth-Gallagher, J. J.
1933
Box/Folder: 7:3
Appraisals of Property, Gallagher, J. J.-Jensen.
1933
Box/Folder: 7:4
Appraisals of Property, Johnson-Palmer.
1933
Box/Folder: 7:5
Appraisals of Property, Patterson-Slatter, Lillian N.
1933
Box/Folder: 7:6
Appraisals of Property, Slatter, Lillian N.-Zink.
1933
Box/Folder: 8:1
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-01-2 to 1-29-21.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 8:2
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-30-4 to 1-56-6.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 8:3
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-020-1 to 1-031-7.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 8:4
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-032-1 to 1-037-9.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 8:5
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-040-1 to 1-071-14.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 8:6
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-072-1 to 1-095-11.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 8:7
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-101-2 to 1-121-12.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 9:1
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-122-1 to 1-141-2.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 9:2
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-142-1 to 1-171-5.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 9:3
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-171-6 to 1-182-14.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 9:4
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-183-2 to 1-185-18.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 9:5
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-186-1 to 1-194-15.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 10:1
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-201-1 to 1-211-16.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 10:2
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-212-2 to 1-218-9.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 10:3
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-221-4 to 1-234-12.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 10:4
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-235-2 to 1-243-16.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 11:1
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-244-1 to 1-264-4.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 11:2
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-331-1 to 1-361-17.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 11:3
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-362-1 to 1-392-11.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 11:4
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-401-1 to 1-442-8.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 12:1
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-451-1 to 1-492-19.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 12:2
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-501-1 to 1-521-8.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 12:3
Appraisals and Building Records, 1-522-1 to 1-562-8.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 12:4
Appraisals and Building Records, 2-01-2 to 2-036-16.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 12:5
Appraisals and Building Records, 2-037-1 to 5-43-6.
1946-1960
Box/Folder: 13:1
Correspondence and Related Material.
1931-1935
Box/Folder: 13:2
Correspondence and Related Material (1 of 2).
1932-1934
Box/Folder: 13:3
Correspondence and Related Material (2 of 2).
1932-1934
Box/Folder: 13:4
Correspondence and Related Material.
1934-1936
Series 8
Elections
1934-1982
Physical Description:
0.4 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
Arranged by type of document and election, then alphabetically by candidate. Contains synopsis of
election laws, election officers’ digest, notices of appointment to office, campaign statements,
sworn oaths of office, election forms, nomination papers, official election returns,
certificates of correspondence, and related material.
Box/Folder: 14:1
Correspondence and Related Material.
1934-1938
Box/Folder: 14:2
General Municipal Elections, Farrell, Richard.
1980
Box/Folder: 14:3
General Municipal Elections, Hunter, Yvonne.
1982
Box/Folder: 14:4
General Municipal Elections, Larsen, Thomas R.
1978
Box/Folder: 14:5
General Municipal Elections, Lester, Rudolph.
1978
Box/Folder: 14:6
General Municipal Elections, MacMillan, J. David.
1978
Box/Folder: 14:7
General Municipal Elections, Sanders, Steven R.
1978
Box/Folder: 14:8
General Municipal Elections, Spears, Michael P.
1982
Box/Folder: 14:9
General Municipal Elections, Sumida, Wesley K.
1982
Box/Folder: 14:10
General Municipal Elections, Tansey, Thomas.
1980
Box/Folder: 14:11
General Municipal Elections, Thanos, Cynthia B.
1980
Box/Folder: 14:12
General Municipal Elections, Thanos, Cynthia B.
1982
Box/Folder: 14:13
General Municipal Elections, Usherwood, Tom.
1980
Box/Folder: 14:14
Special Municipal Elections, Adler, Gerald J.
1978
Box/Folder: 14:15
Special Municipal Elections, Farrell, Richard.
1978
Box/Folder: 14:16
Special Municipal Elections, Smith, Brian J.
1978
Box/Folder: 14:17
Special Municipal Elections, Usherwood, Tom.
1978
Series 9
Business Licensing
1921-1935
Physical Description:
1.2 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence folder and receipt books generally arranged in chronological order. Contains
receipt books and correspondence that addresses a wide range of topics related to business
licensing.
Box/Folder: 15:1
Correspondence and Related Material.
1933-1934
Series 10
Oversize
1920-1949
Physical Description:
1.0 linear feet
Scope and Content Note
Arranged by type of document. Contains material related to the collection but too large for
inclusion elsewhere.
Box/Folder: 18:1
Charts, Forms, and Official Statements.
[1932]-1935
Box/Folder: 18:3
Plans, Blueprints, and Drawings.
1938-1949
