David Charles Collier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Charles "D.C." Collier
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| Born | August 14, 1871 |
| Died | November 13, 1934 (aged 63) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | lawyer, real estate developer |
| Known for | director of 1915-16 Expo in San Diego; developer of many areas of San Diego |
David Charles Collier, often called D. C. Collier or "Charlie," was an important person in San Diego, California. He was a real estate developer, a leader in the community, and someone who gave a lot to charity. He lived in the early 1900s. He is most famous for organizing and directing the Panama California Exposition in San Diego from 1915 to 1916. He also helped build up many parts of San Diego, as well as nearby towns like La Mesa and Ramona. People at the time called him "San Diego's foremost citizen."
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Early Life in San Diego
David Charles Collier was born on August 14, 1871, in Central City, Colorado. His father was also named David Charles Collier and worked as a lawyer, judge, and journalist. His mother was Martha Maria (Johnson) Collier. Young David was usually called "Charlie."
When he was 12 years old, in 1884, Charlie moved to San Diego with his family. They often went on picnics and camped at the beach in Ocean Beach, which was not built up yet. He went to Russ High School, which is now San Diego High School. After school, he worked as a janitor and a bookkeeper. By the time he was 20, he was working as a lawyer in his father's office.
At just 16, he bought some land in Ocean Beach. It was near a spot called "Alligator Rock." He built a small hut there. Over time, he made the hut much bigger. It became a large house with a swimming pool and a Japanese garden. He lived there for many years.
Family Life
David C. Collier married Ella May Copley on January 1, 1896. Ella was the sister of Congressman Ira C. Copley. They had two sons together: David Copley Collier and Ira Clifton Collier. Sadly, David became a military pilot and died in a plane crash during World War I. Ira moved to New York City and worked for newspapers.
David and Ella divorced in 1914. A year later, on November 14, 1915, D. C. Collier married his second wife, Ruth E. Everson. She passed away in 1916. Later, on December 13, 1919, he married his third wife, Clytie B. Lyon.
Building San Diego
After his father died in 1899, D. C. Collier continued working as a lawyer. Many of his clients paid him with land instead of money. Often, this land was undeveloped and thought to be worthless. Because of this, he started spending more and more time developing real estate.
He created several real estate companies over the years. He would divide large pieces of land into smaller lots. Then, he would add important things like water pipes and electricity. He also planted trees and sold the lots to people. He helped develop many areas of San Diego, including Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Pacific Beach, University Heights, Normal Heights, North Park, East San Diego, and Encanto.
In 1909, he built a railroad line to Ocean Beach. This made it much easier for people to get there and helped the area grow very quickly. Some people even call him the "true father of Ocean Beach."
He also bought land in Ramona, including five gold mines. He built a country home on a large ranch there. He owned a home and a chicken farm in La Mesa. He even built the city's first springhouse to bottle and sell water.
As his businesses grew, he became a leader in San Diego's community. He helped the city decide where to get its water. He also convinced Glenn Curtiss to bring his new aviation company to North Island in Coronado. He helped San Diego get control of its tidelands from the state. He was also the president of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce.
From 1907 to 1911, he worked for California Governor James Gillett. It was Governor Gillett who gave him the special title of "Colonel," which people used for him for the rest of his life. He was known for being stylish and for owning new things. He had the first phonograph and the first car in San Diego.
Helping the Community
D. C. Collier was very generous and gave a lot of land for public use. He built Ocean Beach Elementary School, which was a two-room schoolhouse. He also gave 60 acres of land in Ocean Beach "for the children." This land was later used for three parks, all originally named Collier Park. Today, they are William Cleator Park, Dusty Rhodes Park, and a neighborhood park still named Collier Park. Other parts of that land became a junior high school (now Correia Middle School), a YMCA, a church, and Nimitz Boulevard.
He also helped create a park in La Mesa that is still named after him. He donated 10 acres of land in Ramona, which became the first county park in San Diego County.
The Panama-California Exposition
When San Diego decided to host a big event to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, D. C. Collier became the main person in charge. The goal was to show that San Diego was the closest American port to the canal.
He was the Director General of the Panama California Exposition from 1909 to 1912. Then, he was the president of the Exposition from 1912 to 1914. Collier chose the central area of Balboa Park as the location for the event. He also picked the Mission Revival style for the buildings. He hired Bertram Goodhue to be the main architect.
Collier also decided that the Exposition's theme would be "human progress." The main exhibit focused on the history and cultures of the Southwestern United States. This exhibit later became the San Diego Museum of Man, which he helped start.
He worked for the Exposition without pay and even paid for his own travel to Washington D.C. to get support for the event. He also donated $500,000 to the Exposition. By 1914, his own businesses were having problems. He had to step down as president and go back to being a lawyer and selling real estate. However, he stayed involved with the Exposition, helping with public relations. He also helped sell the exotic animals from the closed Wonderland Amusement Park in Ocean Beach to the new San Diego Zoo.
Later Years and Legacy
After the Exposition, D. C. Collier continued his development work, especially in Ocean Beach and Point Loma. He also worked in other cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City, directing other large expositions. In 1930, he returned to San Diego and started practicing law again.
He passed away from a heart attack on November 13, 1934. He was a Freemason, so he was buried in a Masonic section of Mount Hope Cemetery.
In 1936, a plaque honoring him was placed in the California Quadrangle area of Balboa Park. This was during the second San Diego exposition, the California Pacific International Exposition, which used many of the same buildings from the first one.
Several parks are named after him today: Collier Neighborhood Park in Ocean Beach, Collier Park in La Mesa, and Collier County Park in Ramona.
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D.C. Collier
