Oral History Program

The following are just a few examples of the variety of voice recordings available in the SDHS Oral History Archives. These excerpts have been edited - the original recordings are available at the SDHS Archives. We are in need of interviewers to collect material for our Oral History Archives. If you are interested, call (619) 232-6203.

California Pacific Exposition, Balboa Park, 1935-36

• California Governor Frank Merriam speaking at the Exposition's opening ceremony
• Milton Sessions tells how he landscaped Ford's "Roads of the Pacific" exhibit

Glenn Curtiss makes aviation history in San Diego

• Joseph Jessop, Sr. tells his part in helping Curtiss make the world's first takeoff from water in 1911 at Spanish Bight, North Island

Camp Lockett opens during World War II

• Dallas Clark describes first cavalry movements from Seeley to Camp Lockett near Campo the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor (interviewed Oct. 30, 1991 by Ruth Held)

Kate Sessions

• Frank Antonicelli tells about Kate bringing his father from Italy to work at her Mission Hills Nursery, which she later sold to his father in 1922 (interviewed Nov. 20, 1985 by Craig Carter)
• Milton Sessions recalls his Aunt Kate and his father growing poinsettias at their Mission Hills Nursery

Sam Hinton (interviewed Feb. 1, 1990 by Craig Carter)

• Former Curator of the Scripps Aquarium Museum remembers his early years in San Diego, at Scripps and UCSD, an incident with an uninsured diver, and sings some folk songs.

Dr. Jack Kimbrough (1908-1992)

• Early years in California RA | WMP
• Education at Berkeley, California RA
• Civil rights sit-ins in San Diego Restaurants, 1948 RA | WMP

State Senator James R. Mills describes how Old Town becam a California State Park

• Interviewed 7/23/1992 RA | WMP

Transcriptions only (no audio):

Bert Ritchey (1909-1995)

• Transcription of a 1985 Oral History interview (no audio)

Rufus Choate (1870-1962)

• Transcription of a 1957 Oral History interview (no audio)

Louis Almgren (-1961)

• Transcription of a 1957 Oral History interview (no audio)

MP3 Oral History interviews:

John L. Bacon (1879-1961), Interviewed 1961

In 1916 Bacon was Assistant to Fred Lockwood, the Publics Works Manager for the City. He later was elected Mayor and served 1921-27. Here he talks about Hatfield the Rainmaker and his methods for making rain, the 1916 Flood, the failure of the Lower Otay Dam, Hiram N. Savage, Water Engineer for the City and dam construction.

Charlotte R. Baker (1882-1960), Interviewed 1959

In the 1880s her father was a Constable. Here she recounts how he exposed a spiritualist medium in Old Town. She also describes spiritualist meetings at the First Spiritual Temple in the early twentieth century.

Adelina Leonore Marron Alvarado (1893- ), Interviewed 1961

Adelina’s family, the Marrons, were the original owners of the Agua Hedionda Rancho. Here she talks about her grandfather, Sylvestre Marron, who built the Marron Adobe near Oceanside and her father, also Sylvestre Marron, who was a farmer and costable for San Luis Rey Township. She also recounts going to school at the old Calavera School House.

For information, contact:
Assistant Archivist, Dennis Sharp 619 232-6203, ext. 123
sharp@sandiegohistory.org

You need RealPlayer to hear the RA Oral Histories. Look for the "Free Download" of Real Player. If you don't know how to load a plug-in, try these instructions.

WMP files are for the "Windows Media Player"