San Diego the Seaport of Southern California
A rare early San Diego promotional work issued by the San Diego Chamber of Commerce at a time when the city was promoting itself as a terminus for a transcontinental railroad. The text packs a great amount of information in a small space (using a small typeface) on the possibilities of San Diego, its natural resources, climate, harbor and bay, with a focus on the town's ideal geographical situation to serve as the best seaport in Southern California for international trade. The work was compiled by two of San Diego's great early boosters, attorney-beekeeper Ephraim W. Morse and real estate dealer-postmaster Daniel Choate.
Ephraim W. Morse was a prominent figure in the early development of San Diego, playing a crucial role in the city's early growth and prosperity. Arriving in San Diego in 1850, Morse became a key promoter of the region. In June 1869 Morse moved to Horton's New Town - modern day San Diego's downtown -the brainchild of Connecticut-born merchant Alonzo Horton. Morse advocated for the construction of the transcontinental railroad, which he believed would transform San Diego into a major commercial hub. His efforts extended to the development of local resources, including real estate and agriculture (especially beekeeping, a major industry for the town in those days), and he was instrumental in establishing the first bank in San Diego. Morse's vision and leadership helped lay the foundation for San Diego's future as a thriving city.
Daniel Choate, a native of China, Maine, was one of the early real estate developers in the city, as well as a great promoter of the various efforts to build a railroad to San Diego, from the first "Tom Scott" boom of the Texas Pacific to the final completion of the California Southern.
After a general overview of the history and resources of San Diego, the following specific topics are covered under separate sections:
- The Growth of Two Years: "Two years ago... the settlement was four miles further north [Old Town]... It comprised a few hundred inhabitants, chiefly Mexicans, who relied for their support on the traffic with Mexican stock-raisers of the surrounding country."
- Geographical location
- The Trade of the Orient: "On the completion of the 32d parallel railway, the bulk of the traffic between the States east of the Mississippi and the Asiatic empires, and also the fast freight between European and Asiatic ports, must of necessity pass through San Diego, and make this the Pacific coast port of trans-shipment... The introduction of Chinese labor in the Southern States (as predicted by many far-seeing minds) will add greatly to the traffic which must pass through San Diego between these States and the Orient."
- The Bay
- Agricultural Resources
- Wood and Water
- Inducements for Manufactories
- Climate
Dated at end: May 5, 1870.
Printed by a local job printer: San Diego Bulletin Print.
Rarity
This work is very rare in the market. OCLC locates 7 examples.