Collection Guide
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Sutro (Adolph) Papers
JL004
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Adolph Sutro Papers
Identifier/Call Number: JL004
Physical Description:
1 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1861-1899
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.
Adolph Heinrich Sutro was born in Prussia in 1830. He came to the United States in 1850, to California in 1851, and to Nevada
in 1860. Sutro was the mining engineer who planned the Sutro Tunnel, which was constructed through Mount Davidson to reach
the Comstock lode. The tunnel was built between 1869 and 1878 and cost $6,500,00 to build. In 1878 Sutro sold his interest
in the tunnel and invested in San Francisco real estate, most notably the Cliff House and the Sutro Baths. He was elected
mayor of San Francisco in 1894 for one term, and died in 1898.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Sutro family, date unknown. Bank book gift of George D. Lyman of Graduate School of Business.
NOTE: The correspondence on the Sutro Tunnel contains letters written by Pelham Ames and R.S. Raw; many of these are directed
to one another rather than to Sutro himself. Both men were secretaries to Adolph Sutro. With very few exceptions, all other
correspondence is addressed to Sutro himself.
[Identification of item] Adolph Sutro Papers, JL004, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
This collection of Adolph Sutro's business papers includes correspondence dealing with the construction of the Sutro Tunnel
(1869-1896); applications for employment on the tunnel project (1873-1877) and in the Baths (1892-1895); personal bills (1869-1890);
miscellaneous correspondence (1870-1895); miscellaneous papers and printed matter (1865-1889); and a safe book (1861-1899).
The correspondence dealing with the Sutro Tunnel is arranged in alphabetical order by author; with few exceptions all correspondence
is addressed to Sutro. The number in parenthesis following each name indicates the number of letters written by that correspondent;
when only one piece of correspondence is included, there is no such indication. The miscellaneous correspondence is also listed
alphabetically, with each letter listed with date and a brief subject identification. A letter of particular interest in this
group is one written by Cyrus Adler of the Smithsonian Institution; Adler was a Jewish scholar, educator and author, and wrote
to Sutro in 1890 regarding a manuscript that Sutro possessed in his library. Certain personal letters, such as correspondence
to Sutro from the schools that his children attended, are also included.
The large percentage of material pertaining to the Sutro Tunnel makes this collection of his papers particularly valuable
to anyone interested in that important achievement; in addition, certain aspects of his character and personality are given
some light through the varied miscellaneous correspondence.
These materials are believed to be in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use of public domain materials.