Guide to the New San Diego Hotel Registers MS 13
Finding aid prepared by Sean Flores and Stephanie Mirkin
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous
funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
San Diego History Center Document Collection
July 29, 2011
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA, 92101
619-232-6203
Title: New San Diego Hotel Registers
Identifier/Call Number: MS 13
Contributing Institution:
San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1869 January 1-1877 August 31
Abstract: This collection contains two registers from the New San Diego Hotel dated January 1, 1869-October 15, 1875 and October 15,
1875-August, 31, 1877, each listing guest names and residences.
creator:
New San Diego Hotel.
Biographical / Historical Notes
The New San Diego Hotel property was one of the first two residences in New Town (San Diego) built in 1850 by William Heath
Davis and located at the corner of State and F streets – the other property was the Davis residence, known as the Davis House.
Before beginning operations as the New San Diego Hotel, the property was run by Davis as a rental house. In 1867 it was purchased
for $100 by Alonzo Horton, who then sold the property the following year to Captain Samuel Sumner Dunnells for $1000. Dunnells
remodeled the property and began operating it as the New San Diego Hotel in 1868. Dunnells leased the Hotel to G.G. Bradt
and S.S. Gordon one year later, but remained as the Hotel's proprietor for a number of years. The Hotel was touted as a “first-class
house” and continued operations until 1885.
The collection contains two registers from the New San Diego Hotel dated January 1, 1869-October 15, 1875 and October 15,
1875-August, 31, 1877.
The first register (1869-1875), manufactured by Jas. B. Smith and Company, Philadelphia, contains pre-printed pages with columns
for date, names, residence, room, and time of arrival. The time of arrival column is often occupied by a B, L, D, or S, or
sometimes contains the full spelling of Bed, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Supper. This is the same for the second register
in the collection. All entries in this register are in black ink except for some entries in blue ink on November 29 and December
22, 1869.
The second register (1875-1877), manufactured by Hicks and Company, contains pre-printed pages with the name of the hotel
and S.S. Dunnells as proprietor. Each page contains columns individually listing date, name, residence, room, and arrival.
Between each register page is a blotter page that contains the same local advertisements, as well as some from Los Angeles
and San Francisco, including an advertisement for the San Francisco Chronicle. The register also contains an additional loose
blotter page with more advertisements.
Both registers include local prominent guests such as John G. Capron, Couts family, Thomas Hodges, Abraham Klauber, and Frank
Whaley, as well as traveling shows such as the Great Paris Exposition Circus Co., California Minstrels, San Francisco Minstrels,
and the Circus and Animal Show. The jury in the case of "Cal. vs. Daniel Nourian" and a number of judges are also listed as
guests. Many local guests stayed at the Hotel on multiple occassions and are listed on multiple dates. Most of the guests
traveled from towns local to San Diego and throughout California, while others came from as far as Pudget Sound, New York,
Mexico, France, and Norway.
The two registers and pages within each register are arranged chronologically.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Both registers are discolored and the covers are warped. The cloth covers on both registers are torn and receding. Several
register and blotter pages are torn. Some pages are also either detached from binding or removed from registers. Ink splatters
and transfers are on many pages. (July 29, 2011)
New San Diego Hotel Registers, MS 13, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.
This collection is open for research.
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
Collection processed by Sean Flores and Stephanie Mirkin on July 29, 2011.
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous
funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Both registers contain names of both nationally and internationally prominent people including:
Prince of Wales, December 28, 1869
Ulysses S. Grant, June 12, 1876
Sitting Bull and General Custer, August 6, 1876
Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas Hendricks, August 6 and 16, 1876
Rutherford B. Hayes and William A. Wheeler, August 16, 1876
Count von Arnim (Prussian aristocrat), March 12, 1877
Lord Benjamin Disraeli (Earl of Beaconsfield), British Prime Minister, March 16, 1877
Governor (of California) William Irwin, July 7, 1877
As far as we can research, they did not stay at the hotel and their names were possibly added to enhance the register and
reputation of the Hotel.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
California Minstrels.
Capron, John G.
Circus and Animal Show.
Couts family
Davis, William Heath, 1822-1909
Dunnells, Samuel Sumner, Captain
Everheart, Emma
Fletcher, Robert
Fletcher, William, Jr.
Gordon, S. S.
Great Paris Exposition Circus Co..
Hodges, Thomas
Klauber, Abraham, 1831-1911
Le Barr, John
New San Diego Hotel.
Nilsauer, James
San Francisco Minstrels.
Treat, John
Whaley, Francis Hinton
Advertising
Circus
Historic hotels
Hotels -- California
Minstrels
San Diego (Calif.)
Box-folder 1:1
Hotel register, 1869 January 1-1875 October 15
S.S. Dunnells is listed (handwritten) as the proprietor until August 1, 1871 when his name is crossed out and replaced with
John Le Barr. On October 31, 1871 Dunnells' name reappears as the proprietor, followed by James Nilsauer on December 1, 1871,
and then, again, Dunnells on August 5, 1872 and remains unchanged for the remainder of the register.
John Treat from San Diego/Cuyamaca has multiple listings as guest.
John G. Capron from San Diego has multiple listings as guest.
Robert Fletcher from Cajon Ranch has multiple listings as guest ("King" is sometimes included in the line above or below his
name).
William Fletcher Jr. from Cajon Ranch has multiple listings as guest.
Judge Hyde and Judge James each have multiple listings as individual guests.
Great Paris Exposition Circus Co. listed as guest on January 19, 1869.
S.S. Gordon of Prescott, Arizona listed as guest on February 23, 1869.
A. (Abraham) Klauber, Carson Valley, Nevada listed as guest on March 9, 1869.
Thomas Hodges listed as guest on August 17, 1869.
Ms. Couts and Master Couts listed as guests on August 19, 1869.
California Minstrels listed as guest on September 12, 1869.
San Francisco Minstrels listed as guest on September 14, 1869.
"Capron's man" listed as guest on October 28, 1870.
Frank Whaley from Old Town listed as guest on August 1, 1871.
"Winds and rains" listed on January 9, 1872.
"Chinaman, Dish Wash" listed as guest on February 2, 1872.
"First rain for the season" listed on December 23, 1872.
Circus and Animal Show listed as guest on February 1, 1873.
Jury in the case of "Cal. vs. Daniel Nourian" listed as guest on July 16, 1874.
Emma Everhart listed as guest on April 25, 1875.
Notes following the last dated entry in register:
"The Steamer Arizona Will be here the 3 of Feb in San Diego." "Letters kept for [illegible] the 21 of Feb 1874." "Letters
kept for [illegible] the 1 of July 1874."
"San Diego Aug 11, 1873 commensed rain 15 M past 12 o'clock Wind NW at night wind held around and rain all night."
"ME Rundell, Robert Mathers and S.E. Wilson, John More left for San Bernadino the 3 day of April Thursday 1873." "Morton and
Hunter Monroe Bloomington Co Indiana."
Box-folder 1:2
Hotel register, 1875 October 15-1877 August 31
Listed on first page of register: "Monday, November 15, 1875. Earthquake 29 mo [sic] past 2pm. Wind WNW light. Shock from
east to west."
John Treat from Rancho Cuyamaca has multiple listings as guest.
Emma Everhart listed as guest on July 2, 1876, March 16, 1877, and July 2, 1877.
"9 years to day arrived in San Diego S.S. Dunnells and Family" (June 8, 1877)