Description
The bulk of the materials in the B.S. Crittenden Collection are
publications relating to the creation and development of the Central Valley
Project (1923-1949). The collection also contains personal papers, including
correspondence, photographs and business papers relating to Crittenden's San
Joaquin County agricultural properties (1944-1952).
Background
Graduate of the University of the Pacific and a practising attorney,
Bradford Samuel Crittenden (1876-1952) was first elected Assemblyman
(1920-1930), then State Senator (1930-1951) representing San Joaquin County. He
was chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee (1933-1950). Crittenden also
chaired the Joint Legislative Committee on State Water Problems. He and his
wife, Edith MacChesney Crittenden, owned several Central Valley farms. The
Crittendens had two children: Bradford M. (1912-1982) and Edith Eudora. The
former was State Highway Patrol Commissioner during the 1950s. His papers
(Mss238) are also in Holt Atherton Special Collections.
Availability
Collection is open for research.