Guide to the M.C. Hall Collection

UCSC OAC Unit
The University Library
Special Collections and Archives
University Library
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California, 95064
Email: specoll@library.ucsc.edu
URL: http://library.ucsc.edu/speccoll/
© 2005
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Guide to the M.C. Hall Collection

Collection number: MS 207

The University Library

Special Collections and Archives

University of California, Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
Processed by:
UCSC OAC Unit
Date Completed:
February 2005
Encoded by:
UCSC OAC Unit
© 2005 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: M.C. Hall collection
Dates: 1900-1925, (bulk 1900-1952)
Collection number: MS 207
Creator: Hall, M. C.(Myron Crawford)
Collection Size: 4 flats
Repository: University of California, Santa Cruz. University Library. Special Collections and Archives
Santa Cruz, California 95064
Abstract: Contains photographs and clippings from Hall's career as promoter of automobile rallies and tours to Yosemite and as automobile editor for the San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Call, and the Daily Palo Alto Times.
Physical location: Stored offsite at NRLF: Advance notice is required for access to the papers.
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

Collection open for research.

Publication Rights

Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to publish or to reproduce the material, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

Preferred Citation

M.C. Hall collection. MS 207. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Charles F. Hall and Linda Burman-Hall in 2003.

Biography

M.C. Hall (Myron Crawford Hall) was born May 8, 1897 in Palo Alto. A second generation Californian whose maternal descent was traced to the Earls of Crawford in Scotland, M.C. was the son of the first Palo Alto druggist, Benjamin Fred Hall and Addie S. Crawford. His grandfather was Myron Ward Hall, a Pennsylvanian who came to California during the gold rush in 1853, where he planted the first soft-shelled walnut trees in the San Ramon Valley in 1873 on the site of what was to become Alamo near Walnut Creek.
M.C."Husky" Hall graduated from Stanford University in 1918 with a focus in journalism. He worked his way through college as sports and automobile correspondent to the San Francisco Examiner and other newspapers, and as a summer clerk and publicity manager at Camp Curry, Yosemite. At Stanford, he blonged to Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and served as city editor of the Daily Palo Alto Times (1915) and the Daily Palo Alto (now Stanford Daily, 1916).
During World War I, Hall was stationed in San Diego, Seattle, and Pensacola as a naval aviator, flying the calssic double-winged "jenny" aeroplanes ans also licensed for dirigibles.
As a journalist, Hall worked for the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Call. As publicist, he worked briefly for the Harry Elliott firm before establishing his own agency specializing in automobile accounts, and continued to plan car rallies and motor tours for Yosemite Park.
During the "Roaring Twenties", Hall planned sports tournaments and entertainment as director of events for the Santa Cruz Seaside Company and Casa del Rey (1924-1926), and as promotion manager for Del Monte Properties (1926-1929). During the early 1930's, Hall managed the California Mission Trails Association and the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce in Watsonville. In 1933 he returned to Santa Cruz as manager of the Chamber of Commerce and Convention Bureau.
A thirty-five year career in the real estate and insurance business began in 1942 with an office in Pasatiempo, followed by a move to Pacific Avenue at the head of Cooper Street when Hall purchased the similiar business of Joseph Rutherford Hayes Jacoby. Following World War II, an expanded firm was established at 1545 Pacific Avenue under the name M.C. Hall and Sons. This corporation served as headquarters for branch offices in Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Scotts Valley, Capitola, Soquel, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, and Elsewhere. In parternership with his sons Robert and Charles, M.C. Hall was credited with sub-dividing and developing residential areas of Empire Acres and Vista Mar Monte (near Bonny Doon), Mar Vista and Seacliff (near Aptos), Pasatiempo Orchard, and Rancho Rio (Ben Lomond). Retiring as a broker in 1976, Hall continued activity from a small office on Cooper Street.
Active in service organizations, Hall is remembered as Past President of the Santa Cruz Lions Club and the Santa Cruz Real Estate Board, and as a member of the Santa Cruz Elks, Masons, including Scottish Rite (32nd degree) and Islam Shrine.
M.C. Hall died on September 18, 1990 at his home in Santa Cruz at the age of 93.

Scope and Content of Collection

Contains photographs and clippings from Hall's career as promoter of automobile rallies and tours to Yosemite and as automobile editor for the San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Call and the Daily Palo Alto Times.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Hall, M. C. (Myron Crawford)--Archives
Automobile industry and trade--California
Yosemite National Park (Calif.)

Separated Material

The three glass plates have been removed to the Historical Glass Plate Negative Collection. The images have been scanned and prints of them have been substituted for the plates.

Box 1-3

Photographs ca. 1910-1925

Physical Description: 72 photographs

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains black and white photographs of early automobile race car drivers, races, Yosemite Automotive Tours, and the early automobile life in California.
Captions are from the donor. Information in brackets is a description of the image supplied by the archivist.
Box:Folder 1:1-20

4 x 5 Photographs

Box:Folder 1:1

[Art Klein - car 29] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:2

Joe Boyer - driver in race car ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:3

Art Klein (Pengent) ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:4-6

[Race car #18] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:7

[Race way - car #3 in pit] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:8

[Race car #8 - driver, crew, owner?] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:9

Oldsmobile - Lake Tahoe Tribune map car, summer ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:10

Oldsmobile Lake Tahoe map car in the snow ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:11

[Tribune map car parked in meadow - driver and co-pilot under a tree] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:12

[Tribune map car - getting it out of a rut] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:13

[Tribune map car and 3 men] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:14

[Press car - checking the tires] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:15

[Press car, four men, and a woman] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:16

[Two men and car parked by shoreline?] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:17

[Car parked in front of open window] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:18

[Examiner Scout car, license # 22-356, 1920 Cal.] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:19

[Nick's Cafe "Why not Eat? - map car parked in front] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:20

[Oldsmobile - Lake Tahoe car parked in front of building] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:21-37

5 x 7 Photographs

Box:Folder 1:21

[Oldsmobile-Lake Tahoe car, License #A113, parked in front of portico] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:22

[Oldsmobile on top of mountain river with a bridge and car - double exposure] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:23

[Tribune map car - Lake Tahoe-Oldsmobile parked in front of rock mountain] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:24

[Nick's Cafe - Why not eat? - Tribune map car parked in front] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:25

[Tribune map car parked in front of lodge] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:26

[Tribune map car with driver and passenger on dirt road in mountains] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:27

Tribune map car - drive and passenger in front of water falls] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:28

[Tribune map car with driver and passenger parked next to snow patch] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:29

[Driver and passenger of Tribune map car having a snowball fight] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:30

[Tribune map car overlooking Lake Tahoe] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:31

[Tribune map car parked along shoreline - Lake Tahoe?] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:32

[Tribune map car parked in front of lodge - Lake Tahoe?] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:33

[Car with woman and child parked at vista with Half Dome in background] ca. 1920

Box:Folder 1:34

[Camp Curry Studio - Yosemite] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 1:35

Los Angeles, Camp Curry Economy Run, Oakdale - Camp Curry Sociability Run ca. 1924

Box:Folder 1:36

Sociability Run, Camp Curry, Modesto, CA. 5/13/1924

Box:Folder 1:37

[Mother Curry holding "Loving cup" at rally] ca. 1920

Box:Folder 2:38-52

8 x 10 photographs

Box:Folder 2:38

[Young woman in car - feathered hat] ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 2:39

Miss Estella Quilty, a society girl of San Jose, at the wheel of the 1923 Doble Steam car" 1923

Box:Folder 2:40

[May Pole dance from top of Model A] ca. 1910-1919

Box:Folder 2:41

[Model T perched on granite cliff - Half Dome in distance] ca. 1920s

Box:Folder 2:42

"Beneath spray of Bridal Veil Falls - Charles Mathews, electrical engineer at Camp Curry, Yosemite and his Studebaker, Special Six Roadster are shown here in front of Bridal Veil Falls, most delicately beautiful of all Yosemite's famous waterfalls" ca. 1915-1925

Box:Folder 2:43

"Crossing dangerous bridge covered with snow and ice" ca. 1910-1920

Box:Folder 2:44

"None other in the rear seat wearing the black derby and th smile, than the newly appointed Chief Justice of the U.S., William Howard Taft. The Taft smile is a real one at all times and this elegant new model Roamer seems to please the ex-president immensely." ca. 1921

Box:Folder 2:45

[Touring at the Carmel Mission] ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 2:46

"Ruth Seamon, a very close friend of Mayne's when M.C. Hall and Mayne lived in S.F." ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 2:47

[Officer talking with diplomats - P.P.I.E.?] ca. 1915-1920

Box:Folder 2:48

"Ruth Seaman and M.C. Hall, auto editor of the Call Bulletin" ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 2:49

[Ruth Seaman behind the wheel] ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 2:50

[Ruth Seaman standing alongside car] ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 2:51

"M. C. Hall driving Ruth Seaman" (M.C. was automobile editor for the Call Bulletin) ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 2:52

[Car rally in Yosemite. Thirteen cars, drivers, passengers and friends] ca. 1920-1925

Physical Description: Albumen panorama print in four pieces
Box:Folder 2:53

"The first auto meet held in California, held in 1902. Run was from San Mateo to Crystal Springs Dam, a part of the Spring Valley Water Company." 1902

Physical Description: Scanned print from glass plate negative
Box:Folder 2:54

[Two early cars on the beach below Cliff House, S.F.] ca. 1900-1910

Physical Description: Scanned print from glass plate negative
Box:Folder 2:55

[Two cars, each with two men, parked in front of hotel] ca. 1900-1920

Physical Description: Scanned print from glass plate negative
Box:Folder 3:56-72

11 x 4 Photographs

Box:Folder 3:56

Famous drivers timing Boyer's first lap. Left to Right: Eddie O'Donnell, Eddie Pullen, Art Klein, Eddie Hearne, Roscoe Sarles. ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:57

Art Kelin - Peugot (S.A. Elinord is the mechanic) ca. 1920

Box:Folder 3:58

Tearing around the new speedway at 100 miles per hour. L to R: Roscoe Sarles in Frontenac (#41); Cliff Durant in Chevrolet (#1); Ira Vail in Philbrin Special (#14); Reeve Dutton in Stuty (#8) ca. 1920

Box:Folder 3:59

Starters Frank Lowry congratulating Cliff Durant on the conclusion of an especially satisfactory practice laps made by the famous racer. Managing Young at the left in front of the car. Back of the car is a group of some of the noted drivers who will compete on the new L.A. Speedway February 21st. they are (L to R) Art Klein, Eddie Pullen, Eddie Hearne, Joe Boyer, Eddie O'Donnell, Ken Goodson, Roscoe Sarles. ca. 1920

Box:Folder 3:60

Joe Boyer has taken his Frontenac teammates to the new L.A. Speedway in his "CAD" and is pointing out the 35% bank on the turns of the new Beverly Hills course. (L to R) Ken Cookson, Joe Boyer, Joe Thomas, Roscoe Sarles. ca. 1920

Box:Folder 3:61

U. S. Senator Key Pittman and wife; Mr. McAdoo and wife ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:62

Captain Eddie Rickenbacker who arrives in SF tommorrow on tour of coast is receiving a royal welcome at California cities. Reception committee in Marinori car greet the ace. (L to R) Eleanor Barnes, Richenbacker, Henry and Bert L. Farmer. ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:63

Fat Larne - center; Corbett - left; unknown - right ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:64

From Long Beach to Yosemite in our two cars filled with relations from Iowa and South Dakota. ca. 1910-1920

Box:Folder 3:65

[Man in car with three women, one man standing outside of car offering food to a bear standing on the running board of car] ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:66

[Man and woman in convertible car looking at Half Dome] ca. 1910-1920

Box:Folder 3:67

[Camp Curry entry with car and cartoon characters] ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:68

Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle strikes a pose in his new Don Lee custom built Cadillac Town car ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:69

Manager A.M. Young and Joe Boyer just before Boyer took Young for a spin around the track in his Frontenac ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:70

[Chevrolet 1, race car] ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:71

Roscoe Sarles - Frontenac ca. 1920-1925

Box:Folder 3:72

Eddie Hearne, the National Champion who is starting is 1920 champion with the L.A. Speedway opening races February 21, 1920

Box 5

Glass Plate Negatives ca. 1902-1910

Physical Description: 3 plates

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains three glass plates documenting early cars and the first auto meet in California.
Each plate was scanned, printed and placed in the folders. The glass plates have been removed to the Historical Glass Plate collection for safety.
Box:Folder 2:53

"The first auto meet held in California, held in 1902. Run was from San Mateo to Crystal Springs Dam, a part of the Spring Valley Water Company." 1902

Physical Description: Glass plate negative
Box:Folder 2:54

[Two early cars on the beach below Cliff House, S.F.] ca. 1900-1910

Physical Description: Glass plate negative
Box:Folder 2:55

[Two cars, each with two men, parked in front of hotel] ca. 1900-1920

Physical Description: Glass plate negative
Box 4

Newspapers ca. 1910-1925

Physical Description: 1 flat

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains automotive miscellany, clippings and newspapers.
Box:Folder 4:1

Automotive miscellany

Box:Folder 4:2-4

San Francisco Examiner Automobile Section

Box:Folder 4:2

Panama Pacific International Exposition edition February 20, 1915

Box:Folder 4:3

12/10/1921

Box:Folder 4:4

5/27/1922

Box:Folder 4:5

San Francisco Motor Car Dealers, Yosemite Run, Special Edition of the San Francisco Call Automobile Department

Box:Folder 4:5

v.1:1 8/6/1921

Box:Folder 4:5

v.2:1 5/20/1922

Box:Folder 4:6

Clippings ca. 1921-1925

Box:Folder 4:7

Miscellaneous issues - subjects: Pearl Harbor; U.S. Declaration of War on Japan; Ike elected; Eddie Rickenbacker ca. 1941-1952