A Researcher’s Digest on F. A. Hihn and the Founding of California Polytechnic School at San Luis Obispo 2 A Researcher’s Digest on Printing and Distribution of this publication has been made possible through the financial support of the Louis E. Hihn Endowment Dedicated to support The Hihn-Younger Archive Publications of the Hihn-Younger Archive Published in limited editions, they are available in research libraries prima- rily in Santa Cruz County. Those marked with an asterisk * are also on the Hihn-Younger site: http://libweb.ucsc.edu/hihn/ Louis Edwin Hihn — From Childhood to My Last Hurrah: My Memorable Experiences; An Autobiography. 1992. *Correspondence of Charles B. Younger Sr. and Charles B. Younger Jr., Santa Cruz, Cali- fornia Attorneys and Counsellors at Law. 1996-1998 [13 volumes + Index] Hearing on petition of Charles B. Younger Jr., Esq. for allowance of attorney’s fees In the Matter of the Estate of F. A. Hihn, sometimes called Frederick A. Hihn, Deceased. Reporter’s Transcript. 1997. Inventory of Gift ... from The Estate of Teresa Agnes Hihn Moore. 1997. *A Researcher’s Digest on F. A. Hihn and his Santa Cruz Rail Road Company. 1997. *A Researcher’s Digest on F. A. Hihn and his Santa Cruz County Pioneers. 1998. *Letters of F. A. Hihn & F. A. Hihn Company (November 25, 1901 — March 14, 1902. 1999. *Letters of F. A. Hihn & F. A. Hihn Company (December 26, 1902 — May 26, 1903. 2000. *The Noel Patterson Collection - Appraisals, Correspondence & Maps. 2001. *A Researcher’s Digest on F. A. Hihn and the Founding of California Polytechnic School - San Luis Obispo. 2001. The Hihn-Younger Archive, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz F. A. Hihn and the Founding of California Polytechnic School at San Luis Obispo 3 Description of The Hihn-Younger Archive Special Collection, McHenry Library, University of California at Santa Cruz SUBJECTS A German immigrant to California’s Gold Rush, F. A. Hihn is considered by many as the County’s most influential entrepreneur, from arrival in Santa Cruz (1851) to his death (1913). Charles Bruce Younger Sr. was Hihn’s principal attorney and dean of the legal community, and the two families were united by the marriage of Agnes Hihn, Therese and F.A. Hihn’s youngest daughter, and C. B. Younger Jr. Several collections have been donated, including maps and records of F. A. Hihn, the F. A. Hihn Company, and related corporate enterprises: the Capitola-Hihn Company, the Santa Cruz Rail Road Company, the Santa Cruz Water Co., the Valencia-Hihn Co., artifacts, correspon- dence, documents, memorabilia and photographs of the Hihn and Younger families. DONORS 1976 Estate of Donald Younger by Marion Younger Hihn & Younger letters, mementos 1985- Gloria Hihn Welsh documents, records & maps 1989 Noel Patterson appraisal records & maps 1990-93 Louis Edwin Hihn Endowment & family records 1992- Robert & Helen Hihn Younger Goode family photos & documents 1993- Jane Younger McKenzie family photos & letters 1993- Donald & Mary McKenzie family photos & geneaology 1993- Wilhelmina Hihn Englander books, pictures & documents 1993 Various Donors In Memory of Louis E. Hihn 1997 Estate of Teresa Agnes Hihn Moore by Gordon Benner books & letters SUPPORT The Hihn-Younger Archive Fund, Created by the Descendents of Frederick Augustus Hihn and Charles Bruce Younger to support The Hihn-Younger Archive provides immediate and short-range support for the Archive Coordinator, including but not restricted to: hired assistance, care and restoration of items in the Archive, inventory, description, organization and integration, and re- search travel expense. The Louis Edwin Hihn Endowment was established by a grand-nephew of F. A. Hihn as a bequest in support of the Archive. Income from the endowment supports the acquisition of materials, as well as the compilation, publication, and distribution of publications about F. A. Hihn, the Corre- spondence of Charles Bruce Younger (Senior and Junior), and related subjects. COORDINATION Librarian Emeritus Stanley D. Stevens provides reference assistance, coordinates the receipt of gifts of material and other contributions, and is the compiler-editor of publications related to the subjects of the Archive. Correspondence may be addressed as follows: Stanley D. Stevens website: http://libweb.ucsc.edu/hihn/ McHenry Library, UCSC home phone: 831-475-9172 Santa Cruz, CA 95064 e-mail: [email protected] Compiled by Stanley D. Stevens 4 A Researcher’s Digest on The Hihn-Younger Archive, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz F. A. HihnandtheFoundingofCaliforniaPolytechnicSchoolatSanLuisObispo F. 5 Compiled by StanleyD.Stevens Cal. Polytechnic School, San Luis Obispo Cal. [ca. 1905 ] Aston Photo 242 Image Courtesy of University Archives, California Polytechnic State University 6 A Researcher’s Digest on The Hihn-Younger Archive, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz A Researcher’s Digest on F. A. Hihn and the Founding of California Polytechnic School at San Luis Obispo Compiled by Stanley D. Stevens The Hihn-Younger Archive University Library University of California at Santa Cruz 2001 8 A Researcher’s Digest on The Hihn-Younger Archive, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz F. A. Hihn and the Founding of California Polytechnic School at San Luis Obispo 9 Contents Perspective on the Founders 10 Introduction to F. A. Hihn and The Founding of Cal Poly 11 Biography of F. A. Hihn (as a Trustee; see also Biographies) 15 Hihn’s Appointment as a Trustee 19 Hihn’s Devotion to the Task 20 Hihn’s Election as Vice-President of the Trustees 22 Attendance at Committee Meetings 22 Attendance at Trustees’ Meetings 24 Reimbursement of Expenses for Attendance at Trustees’ Meetings and other Out-of-Pocket Expenses 26 Hihn inter-mixed his Business with Cal Poly Business 26 Bibliographic Notes 29 Other Documents 32 Published Sources 32 Acknowledgments 34 Chronology 35 Biographies (in alphabetical order, starting on page:) 221 Leroy Anderson GeorgeT icknor Gragg BernardD. Murphy Myron Angel William Graves GeorgeCooper Par dee StephenD. Ballou PaulM. Gr egg ChaunceyHatch Phillips JohnHenry Barr ett AmosRiley Hathway Truman Reeves Benjamin Brooks F.A. Hihn RichardM. Shackelfor d JamesKennedy Burnett RobertEdgar Jack Sr . SylvesterClark Smith CharlesForr est Curry WarrenM. John McDowell Reid Venable GeorgeS. Edwar ds CharlesH. Johnson UlyssesS. W ebb ThomasJ. Field F.W . Keller WilliamHenry W eeks HenryT ifft Gage ThomasJ. Kirk EdwardJames W ickson Dawson Lowe VictorH. W oods Index 325-340 Illustrations Cal. Polytechnic School, San Luis Obispo Cal. [ca. 1905 ] 5 Portrait of F.A. Hihn, with signatur e (1892) 10 Letterhead of California Polytechnic School (ca. Sept. 1902) 37 VictorH. W oods’ Survey of Cal Poly property 110 George Story’s Survey of Cal Poly property 111 Compiled by Stanley D. Stevens 10 A Researcher’s Digest on Perspective on the Founders I fear we who have come into the heritage of the Polytechnic School within the last few years, as all of us have who are closely associated with it, do not appreciate the work that was done by the pioneers in its origin and establishment. If we do not appre- ciate this work, it is simply because we do not fully understand regarding it. Leroy Anderson Founding Director, Cal Poly [from letter to Myron Angel on his 79th Birthday, Dec. 5, 1906] Director Anderson reported that since doubt had arisen as to whether the State Board of Examiners would approve the bill for the purchase of the cattle ordered by the Board at its meeting of August 12, he had telegraphed to the eastern breeders to hold the stock until further orders. Since then, as Trustee Hihn had generously made himself personally responsible for the ad- vancement of the funds, he had ordered the shipment to pro- ceed as originally contemplated. — Minutes, Board of Trustees, Oct. 4, 1902 Hihn’s portrait with signature was the frontispiece of E. S. Harrison’s History of Santa Cruz County. San Francisco, Cal.: Pacific Press Publishing Company, 1892 The Hihn-Younger Archive, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz F. A. Hihn and the Founding of California Polytechnic School at San Luis Obispo 11 Introduction to F. A. Hihn and The Founding of Cal Poly This volume, third in a series of my Researcher’s Digests on F. A. Hihn and his life’s activities, is not intended to be a general biography of F. A. Hihn. Rather, it is one piece in the mosaic of his life. Nor is it intended to be a general history of the founding of Cal Poly. That has been ably done by MorrisEugene Smith in his 1958 thesis pr esented for his degree of Doctor of Education from the University of Oregon (A History of California State Polytechnic College, the First Fifty Years, 1901-1951). Nor is it a general history of San Luis Obispo County. That honor goes to Myron Angel in his 1883 masterpiece. Angel is also regarded by Smith as the “Father of California State Polytechnic College.” My objective is to explore and document every aspect of F. A. Hihn’s life, and while I may have missed some comment about him due to the unavailability of material or my choice of focus, I believe that I have captured the essence of his “Cal Poly experience.” I have focused on Hihn from the perspective of his “Paso Robles experience,” since that is the genesis of his appointment as a Trustee. That focus lends an otherwise disproportionate reliance on the Paso Robles newspapers. This Researcher’s Digest is arranged in four parts, a general introduction, the transcription of relevant data from documentary sources in chronological sequence, and a compilation of biographies of those mentioned in the sources (to the extent that information was available). An index ties together references to persons and subjects in the first three parts.