USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego > City of San Diego and San Diego County : the birthplace of California, Volume I > Part 38
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In the last few years the Chamber of Commerce seems to have built up a closer and more beneficial co-operation by its directing heads and the representatives from San Diego in legislative halls of state and nation. This co-operation, always of the most laudable kind, has been especially exemplified in recent years by the excellent work done at Washington by Congressman William Kettner.
William Kettner went to Washington first in 1913, and it requires no keen analysis of his thoughts or confirmatory statement from any source except the records to support the statement that his principal aims were to serve his country and district to the very best of his ability as a business man. He knew that oratory was less important than the clear-cut presentation of compelling facts. He maintained an armament of facts, largely through the co-operation of the Chamber of Commerce, and he presented those facts to his colleagues in such a tireless manner and convincing array that San Diego soon began to reap the harvest of government recognition to which her natural ad- vantages had for years entitled her.
To record in full what Congressman Kettner did for San Diego in this way would require pages of text-and his fellow workers in Congress will gladly testify that this is no exaggeration. Yet when he returned to San Diego to resume his work as a private citizen and to take care of an insurance business which he felt he could no longer afford to neglect, one of his first utterances was in praise of the man- ner in which the San Diego Chamber of Commerce had assisted him in gathering facts by which he could press his claims.
To William Kettner and the forces working with him San Diego today owes, to a large degree. its naval training station, naval fuel station, naval hospital, marine base and other government establish- ments in or near San Diego.
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That the record may be kept straight, it may be set down here in exact truth that although-to use a homely phrase of the times- Congressman Kettner and his assistants "brought home the bacon," they were not dipping into a dirty pork barrel to get it, but were working day after day to make plain the real, legitimate advantages which San Diego offered as a base of government activity, especially as regards the navy.
The Chamber of Commerce has not always had easy sailing. There have been arguments and a few disputes, some more or less acrimo- nious, regarding some of its policies ; but in the great aggregate it has performed a notable work for San Diego. The boom of 1888 made the task of the Chamber hard ; its slumping aftermath made necessary a reorganization and a campaign to get it out of debt.
After the reorganization following the boom the Chamber made its home in the Tremont House on Third Street, between C and D. A few years later it took rooms on F Street, then removed to Fourth and C streets, and later to the corner of Sixth Street and D (now Broadway). In the spring of 1908 the Chamber took its present home in the basement of the Elks building, at the northwest corner of Second Street and Broadway.
In November, 1915, the Chamber changed its name to "San Diego Chamber of Commerce."
The list of officers is a list of men prominent in the city's progress and is therefore reproduced in full. In the compilation of this list the writer gladly acknowledges his indebtedness to William E. Smythe's history and to the assistance of present officers of the Chamber in filling out that list. It is as follows:
1870-January 20-President, Aaron Pauly ; vice president, G. W. B. McDonald ; secretary, Joseph Nash ; treasurer, A. E. Horton.
1870-March 3-President, Aaron Pauly ; vice president, Dr. D. B.
Hoffman ; secretary, Joseph Nash ; treasurer, J. W. Gale.
May 5-Joseph Nash resigned as secretary and David Felsenheld was elected.
May 30-J. W. Gale resigned as treasurer and Charles Dunham was elected.
1871-President, G. W. B. McDonald ; vice president, J. S. Gordon : secretary, S. W. Craigue : treasurer, C. Dunham.
1872-President, G. W. B. McDonald ; vice president, W. W. Stewart ; secretary, S. W. Craigue : treasurer, C. Dunham.
1873-President, J. S. Gordon ; vice president, J. M. Pierce : secretary, W. W. Stewart ; treasurer, C. Dunham.
1874-President, J. S. Gordon, first vice president, A. H. Gilbert ; second vice president, S. W. Craigue ; secretary, W. W. Stewart ; treasurer, C. Dunham.
1875-President, W. W. Stewart : first vice president, E. W. Morse; second vice president, Jos. Tasker ; secretary, M. A. Luce : treas- urer, C. Dunham.
1876-President, W. W. Stewart ; first vice president, E. W. Morse ; second vice president, W. A. Begole : secretary, W. R. Porter ; treasurer, C. Dunham.
1877-President, J. M. Pierce; first vice president, A. H. Gilbert : second vice president, W. A. Begole ; secretary, W. W| Bowers; treasurer, Jos. Tasker.
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY 303
1878-President, J. M. Pierce; first vice president, W. A. Begole ; second vice president, A. H. Julian ; secretary, George W. Mars- ton ; treasurer, Joseph Tasker.
1879-President, Charles S. Hamilton; first vice president, E. W. Morse ; second vice president, W. L. Williams ; secretary, S. Levi ; treasurer, Joseph Tasker.
1880-President, George W. Hazzard : first vice president, A. Klauber ; second vice president, J. M. Pierce ; secretary, S. Levi ; treasurer, J. S. Gordon.
1881-President, George W. Hazzard; first vice president, E. W. Morse ; second vice president, George W. Marston ; secretary, S. Levi: treasurer, J. S. Gordon. 1
1882-President, S. Levi; first vice president, J. H. Simpson ; second vice president, G. G. Bradt ; secretary, D. Cave ; treasurer, W. S. Jewell.
1883-President, Arnold Wentscher; first vice president, George W. Marston ; second vice president, M. S. Root; secretary, C. H. Silliman : treasurer, George W. Hazzard; Mr. Wentscher re- signed a few weeks after his election and G. G. Bradt was elected president.
1884-President, George W. Marston ; first vice president, J. H. Simp- son : second vice president, John M. Young; secretary, C. H. Silliman ; treasurer, George W. Hazzard.
1885-President, D. Cave ; first vice president, J. H. Simpson ; second vice president, E. W. Morse ; third vice president, Joseph Win- chester ; secretary, J. H. Simpson, Philip Morse ; treasurer, George W. Hazzard.
1886-President, J. H. Simpson ; first vice president, Philip Morse ; second vice president, D. C. Reed ; third vice president, J. S. Gor- don : secretary, L. S. McLure : treasurer, John N. Young.
1887-President, G. G. Bradt : first vice president, Judge George Pu- terbaugh : second vice president, J. W. Burns; secretary, F. R. Wetmore ; treasurer, Theo. Fintzelberg.
In 1888 a new Chamber, called the Chamber of Commerce of San Diego County, was formed, and for a time there were two. They were consolidated in October. G. G. Bradt was president of the old organization, and J. A. McRea of the new one.
1888-President, G. G. Bradt, J. A. McRea : first vice president, Doug- las Gunn ; second vice president, J. W. Burn ; recording secretary, F. R. Wetmore; financial secretary, Theo. Fintzelberg : treasurer, John Ginty.
1889-President. Douglass Gunn (resigned and John C. Fisher suc- ceeded ) ; secretary. J. C. Amendt (later George N. Nolan).
1890-President, John Kastle : vice-president, Frank A. Kimball ; sec- ond vice president. F. H. Cunningham ; secretary, George N. Nolan ; treasurer, C. D. Long.
1891-President, Daniel Stone : vice president, Douglas Gunn ; secre- tary. Benjamin Lake : treasurer, Theo. Fintzelberg.
1892-President. Daniel Stone : vice president. F. A. Kimball : second vice president, H. P. McKoon : secretaries. Conrad Stautz, F. H. Bearne and R. H. Young.
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1893-President, H. P. McKoon; vice president, John Sherman ; sec- ond vice president, Charles S. Hamilton ; secretary, R. H. Young ; treasurer, George W. Dickinson.
1894-President, H. P. McKoon (died August 19, 1894, and was suc- ceeded by John Sherman) ; vice president, John Sherman ; second vice president, George W. Marston; secretary, R. H. Young ; treasurer, George W. Dickinson.
1895-President, R. V. Dodge (acted one month and was succeeded by Philip Morse) ; first vice president, Philip Morse ; second vice president, John N. Young ; secretary, R. H. Young ; treasurer, George W. Dickinson.
1896-President, Philip Morse ; first vice president, R. V. Dodge ; second vice president, U. S. Grant, Jr. ; secretary, V. E. McCon- oughey ; treasurer. J. E. O'Brien.
1897-President, Philip Morse; first vice president, R. V. Dodge ; second vice president. R. M. Powers; secretary, V. E. McCon- oughey treasurer, J. E. O'Brien.
1898-President, R. A. Thomas; first vice president, R. V. Dodge ; second vice president, George W. Marston ; secretary, V. E. Mc- Conoughey ; treasurer, J. E. O'Brien.
1899 -- President, George W. Marston ; first vice president, G. H. Bal- lou ; second vice president, W. L. Frevert ; secretaries, R. V. Dodge, H. P. Wood ; treasurer, J. E. O'Brien.
1900-President, George H. Ballou : first vice president, W. L. Fre- vert ; second vice president, G. W. Jorres ; secretary, H. P. Wood ; treasurer, J. E. O'Brien.
1901-President, George H. Ballou : vice president, W. L. Frevert ; second vice president, G. W. Jorres ; secretary, H. P. Wood ; treas- urer, Nat. R. Titus.
1902-President, W. L. Frevert ; first vice president, W. S. Water- man ; second vice president, M. F. Heller ; secretary, H. P. Wood; treasurer, J. S. Akerman.
1903-President, W. L. Frevert ; first vice president, W. S. Water- man ; second vice president, Dr. Fred R. Burnham; secretary, H. P. Wood : treasurer, J. S. Akerman.
1904-President, Homer H. Peters : first vice president, J. S. Aker- man ; second vice president, E. Strahlmann ; secretary, H. P. Wood, treasurer. G. W. Fishburn.
1905-President, J. S. Akerman; first vice president, Dr. Edward Grove ; second vice president, Melville Klauber : secretary, H. P. Wood (succeeded in October by James A. Jasper) ; treasurer, Rufus Choate.
1906-President, Edward Grove: first vice president, Melville Klau- ber : second vice president, Barker Burnell ; secretary, James A. Jasper ; treasurer, Rufus Choate.
1907-President, D. Gochenauer ; first vice president, Melville Klau- ber ; second vice president, O. W. Cotton ; secretary, John S. Mills : treasurer, Ford A. Carpenter.
1908-President, D. C. Collier; first vice president, R. M. Powers ; second vice president, Grant Conard ; secretary, John S. Mills ; treasurer, G. Aubrey Davidson.
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CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY 305
1909-President. G. Aubrey Davidson ; first vice president, L. S. Mc- Lure : second vice president, George Burnham ; secretary, John S. Mills : treasurer, Philip Morse.
1910-President, George Burnham: first vice president, L. S. Mc- Lure ; second vice president, John F. Forward ; secretary, Rufus Choate ; treasurer, F. J. Belcher.
1911-President, John F. Forward; first vice president, L. S. Mc- Lure ; second vice president. William Kettner : secretary, Rufus Choate : treasurer, F. J. Belcher.
1912-President, F. C. Spalding : first vice president, F. J. Lea ; second vice president, C. W. Fox; secretary, Rufus Choate ; treasurer. F. J. Belcher.
1913-President, F. J. Lea : first vice president. C. W. Fox : second vice president. C. H. Heilbron ; secretary, William Tomkins ; treas- urer, F. J. Belcher.
1914-President, Rufus Choate : first vice president, Carl Heilbron ; second vice president, Edward F. Stahle : secretary, William Tomkins : treasurer, John B. Starkey.
1915-President, Carl Heilbron: first vice president, Edward F. Stahle ; second vice president, E. W. Alexander : secretary, Will- iam Tomkins ; treasurer, F. C. Spalding.
1916-President, John S. Akerman: first vice president, B. W. Mc- Kensie : second vice president, Edward W. Stahle ; secretary, Homer W. Sumption : treasurer, F. C. Spalding.
1917-President, Willet S. Dorland: first vice president, B. W. Mc- Kensie ; executive secretary, Homer W. Sumption : commercial secretary, William Tomkins ; treasurer, F. C. Spalding.
1918-President, Melville Klauber : vice president, William H. Sall- mon ; secretary, William Tomkins : treasurer. B. M. Warner.
1919-President, Melville Klauber ; vice president, A. P. Johnson, Jr. ; secretary, William Tomkins; treasurer. B. M. Warner.
1920-President, A. P. Johnson, Jr. : vice president, J. H. McCorkle ; secretary, William Tomkins ; treasurer, E. K. Hurlbert.
1921-President, A. P. Johnson, Jr. (resigned in April), E. B. Gould. Jr. (fills place) ; vice president. Jack C. Thompson : secretary, William Tomkins ; treasurer, A. D. La Motte.
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CHAPTER XXIX
BANKS OF SAN DIEGO
San Diego's first bank, started when "Father" Horton's new town was beginning to grow, was the Bank of San Diego, organized in June, 1870. Horton was its first president, James M. Pierce vice president, Bryant Howard treasurer and William H. Cleveland at- torney. The impetus of the "Tom Scott boom," built on early hopes of a railroad into San Diego, led to the organization of the second bank, the Commercial Bank of San Diego, in the latter part of 1872; this in- stitution began business in March, 1873, in temporary quarters, moving later to its own building, Fifth and G streets. The first president was Capt. A. H. Wilcox ; E. F. Spence was cashier, and Jose G. Estudillo was his assistant.
The two banks were merged in 1879 under the name of the Con- solidated Bank of San Diego, and this bank was the only one in the city until 1883, when the First National Bank, ever since an important factor in the business life of the community, was formed.
The Consolidated Bank managed to survive the collapse of the boom of 1888, but could not weather the financial storm of 1893 and closed. The Savings Bank of San Diego County, which had started in 1886 as a branch of the Consolidated, went under at the same time.
The Bank of Southern California was organized June 16, 1883, with Jacob Gruendike as president : R. A. Thomas, vice president, and C. E. Thomas, cashier. Other organizers were John Wolfskill, W. L. Park and M. T. Gilmore. A lot was purchased at the northwest corner of Fifth and E streets and a one-story building was erected for the bank. On August 17, 1885, the name of the bank was changed to the First National Bank. In 1886, the building was enlarged to three stories. In 1887 during the first San Diego real estate boom, deposits of the bank grew to two and a half millions, later decreasing to less than one-half million. The million mark was reached again in 1903 and steady progress has been made ever since until now deposits are in excess of eleven million dollars. In 1917 the bank was moved to the northeast corner of Fifth and Broadway, the First National Build- ing being purchased by the bank at that time.
Other San Diego pioneer bankers who were connected with the First National Bank in the early days were J. E. Fishburn and W. D. Woolwine, who are now president and vice president of the Mer- chants' National Bank of Los Angeles: G. A. Garrettson, and D. F. Garrettson, who is still a director of the First National.
Present officers of the First National Bank are F. J. Belcher, Jr., president : G. S. Pickerell, vice president and cashier : E. F. Chase, vice president.
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CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
A second Bank of San Diego was started in 1888, but was soon absorbed by the First National. By 1889 these six banks had been added to San Diego's list : the Savings Bank of San Diego County, the Bank of San Diego, The Bank of Commerce, the California Na- tional Bank, the California Savings Bank and the San Diego Savings Bank. In 1893 the world business depression culminated in a meas- ure of panic and many failures. Five of the eight San Diego banks then doing business were eliminated from the list, leaving three, the First National, the Bank of Commerce and the San Diego Savings Bank. To these were added in 1893 the Merchants National Bank and the Blochman Banking Company, and these five were the only banks in operation during the next decade, or until 1904.
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1
HORTON'S BANK BUILDING
At the southwest corner of Third Street and Broadway, then D Street. It was intended first as an office building for Scott's Texas & Pacific Railroad, which did not materialize. For a time it was the home of the San Diego "Union," whose owner, John D. Spreckels, built on its site the present Union Building. Photograph by Parker & Parker in Chamber of Com- merce booklet of 1874.
The San Diego Savings Bank was organized in April, 1889. and is the oldest savings bank now in business in the city. Its president, M. T. Gilmore, has been identified with the banking institutions of the city for about forty years.
The Bank of Commerce was incorporated under state laws in 1887 and until it was acquired in July, 1917, by the Southern Trust and Savings Bank was a powerful factor in the city's business ad- vancement. For about ten years, from 1893 to 1903. Dr. R. M. Powers was its president. In July of 1903 Julius Wangenheim became presi- dent. and the bank was reincorporated under the national banking laws.
The California National Bank began business just after the height of the boom in 1888, the principal organizers being D. D. Dare and J. W. Collins, newcomers in San Diego. They also were instru- mental in starting the California Savings Bank. Wild speculation is said to have wrecked the two banks. Dare was in Europe when the
308 CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
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crash came in the fall of 1891 and did not return to San Diego. Col- lins was arrested in February, 1892, and ended his life with a bullet. Only a small part of the deposits, more than $1,000,000, was saved from the wreck of the Consolidated, whose failure will long be re- membered by San Diegans of that day.
The Merchants' National Bank of San Diego was organized early in 1893, and, weathering the stress of the times, has maintained steady growth to the present day. The first officers were: M. A. Weir, presi- dent ; Ralph Granger, vice president ; Frank Hilton, cashier. In 1904 Granger and several associates obtained control of the bank, and Gran- ger became president ; he has kept that place ever since.
The Citizens' Savings Bank was organized in 1904. Louis J. Wilde was its first president. I. I. Irwin is the present president. In the same year Wilde started the American National Bank, of which he was first president. That bank was absorbed in May, 1917, by the First National. Another bank started by Wilde is the United States National. He was first president of that institution. The present president is Duncan Mackinnon.
The Southern Trust and Commerce Bank was started in July, 1907, as the Southern Trust and Savings Bank, with temporary head- quarters at Fifth Street and Broadway, its principal organizers being G. A. Davidson, who has been active and prominent in San Diego affairs ever since. In October, 1907, it moved into the U. S. Grant Hotel building. In July, 1917, it acquired the Bank of Commerce and Trust Company and the latter's Coronado branch. The change of the bank's name to its present form was made at that time. Mr. Davidson has been president of the bank since its organization. Three others of the original force are still with the bank. They are E. O. Hodge, who was cashier at the beginning and is now vice president ; P. V. Morgan and Mrs. James L. Buck, who was Miss Gertrude Bowler.
The call of the superintendent of banks for statements as of Sep- tember 6, 1921, brought the following showing of prosperity and soundness from San Diego's banks :
Name
Capital
Surplus
Deposits
Resources
Southern Trust and
Commerce Bank _.
$1,000,000
$250.000 $12,658,873 $14,391,234
First National Bank __
1,000,000
100,000
11,447,157
13,852,434
Merchants Nat'l Bank
250,000
500,000
2,865,886
4,074,974
San Diego Sav. Bank
200,000
400,000
7,070,491
7,896,462
Union National Bank_ Security Commercial
200,000
40,000
1,312,995
1,809,433
and Savings Bank __
165,000
30,000
1,624,143
1,838,552
University Ave. Bank_
110,000
17,000
1,026,779
1,161,700
U. S. National Bank_
100,000
1,499,738
1,955,916
Citizens Savings Bank
100,000
50,000
1,465,308
1,623,610
$3,125.000 $1,387,000 $40,971.370 $48,604,315
CHAPTER XXX
THE CITY'S PARKS
San Diego's parks, especially the great Balboa Park, with its 1,400 acres set like a gem in the very midst of the city, are indeed a rich heritage for any municipality to pass on to the generations which are to come. Yet these large and beautiful breathing spaces, dedicated . to the public use, have been preserved for the people against opposition which at times was derisive on the part of those whose vision was not broad or long enough to embrace the need of the future for such a park as that which now contains the Exposition structures with their exquisite architecture, blending superbly with trees, shrubs and flowers which have been planted in recent years.
From some quarters in the past there has arisen an honest doubt as to whether the city could not better itself financially by chopping off some part of the big park, Balboa Park, and thus opening it up to residential purposes. All of this opposition to the park as it is has been silenced from time to time, and the park remains intact, growing more beautiful year by year under the loving care of its guardians, official and unofficial.
The list of men and women who have helped to make and keep Balboa Park, chief of the expanses under the care of the city's park board, is a long one-too long by far to be printed here; yet a few names stand out boldly in that list. Among them is that of A. E. Horton, planner of the city of San Diego, who, as a bold dreamer, saw that the city would need such a park, and who, with his charac- teristic vigor, started to make his dream into reality. Another, who has given unselfishly of time and effort and money for it is George W. Marston. To quote Smythe, George W. Marston was "one of the few who never lost faith in the possibilities of that large tract of arid land, and he was the man who came forward at the critical moment to employ the finest genius in America to translate the barren wilder- ness into a spot of perennial beauty by means of a well conceived, harmonious, unified design for its artistic development." Smythe here refers to the park development plan submitted in 1903 by Samuel Parsons, Jr. & Company of New York. Smythe's praise of Marston is a deserved tribute. Marston's services for the park, in fact. have extended over a, long period. Yet in recent years there have been many others who have done much for Balboa Park. Among them have been those Exposition workers headed by G. A. Davidson, who not only gave to the park development in general a wonderful impetus. but were instrumental in building there the enchantingly beautiful structures which remain as reminder of those days of exhibition and celebration in 1915 and 1916. And in more recent years such men as
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310 CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Carl I. Ferris, John F. Forward, Jr., Park Superintendent John G. Morley and a host of others who might just as well be named were it not for the fact that there is not space here for all, have worked for the park's beautification and integrity as loyally and hard as if it had been a part of their personal business.
A. E. Horton did not give the great Balboa Park to the city, but he might rightfully be called the father of it, if the evidence of those who still survive that time is to be credited. The records of the board of supervisors do not tell the whole story, but it is said that Horton in 1868 asked the first board, consisting of J. S. Mannassee, Thomas H. Bush and E. W. Morse, to set aside a tract for a large city park. Mr. Horton's widow, who came to San Diego soon after
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FORMAL GARDENS, BALBOA PARK Photograph made by Harold A. Taylor. Used by courtesy of San Diego- California Club.
that and to whom in later years Horton told with natural pride history of his work for San Diego, says that Horton's suggestion did not meet with much enthusiasm. Land in San Diego was very cheap then; if anyone wished to buy property, it cost only a few cents an acre unless it was in the downtown section; and few had the same faith in the city or confidence in its growth as did Horton. Yet the board ap- pointed a committee composed of Morse and Bush to select the park land. Bush, says Mrs. Horton, declined to serve on the committee, or at least refused to do any actual work for it, thinking the plan was "foolish." Morse, according to Mrs. Horton, thereupon got Horton to go out with him on the field work and the two walked all over the outline of the present park. Morse, on February 15, 1868, had pre- sented to the board of trustees a resolution to set aside two of the 160-acre tracts of the city lands "for the purpose of securing to the
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