The papers of Ed Fletcher of San Diego, California, consisting primarily of the business records of Ed Fletcher (1872-1955), a noted San Diego land developer, civic leader, and member of the California State Senate. A native of Massachusetts, Fletcher arrived in San Diego in 1888. By the 1920s he had become one of the most influential men in the county. His financial success resulted in large part from his understanding of the importance of water and highway development for urban expansion in Southern California. As the prime mover behind numerous dam and aqueduct projects he promoted the irrigation of large segments of inland and coastal areas, including the El Cajon valley, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, and Del Mar. As a champion of highway construction he raised money to build local roads and lobbied for transcontinental motor routes. He began his political career as a Progressive Republican. San Diegans elected him to the California State Senate in 1934 and he served there for twelve years. After his death in 1955 his many sons continued the family tradition of business and civic leadership in San Diego. The papers document all aspects of Fletcher's career but are most complete in regard to his water-related enterprises. Included is correspondence, legal documents, blueprints, reports, and photographs. Although the bulk of the collection consists of business records, a large group of the photographs provide a visual record of the Fletcher family. The bulk of the materials date from 1900 to 1950, with the 1920s through the 1940s heavily represented. The accession processed in 1991 is arranged in seven series: 1) GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 2) BUSINESS RECORDS, 3) CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR AND OTHER REPUBLICAN PARTY MATERIALS, 4) WRITINGS AND INTERVIEWS, 5) PERSONAL MEMORABILIA, 6) PHOTOGRAPHS, and 7) SCRAPBOOKS OF NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS. The accession processed in 2003 contains oversized photographs, certificates and ephemera and arranged in three series: 8) PHOTOGRAPHS, 9) CERTIFICATES, and 10) EPHEMERA.

Colonel Edward ("Ed") Fletcher was a noted San Diego businessman, land developer, civic leader, and California State Senator. He worked to develop the county's water resources and highways, and his efforts contributed significantly to the urban development of Southern California.

48.0 lin. ft. 80 archives boxes, 5 card file boxes, 14 flat boxes, 35 mapcase folders, 4 volumes