George White Marston (October 22, 1850 May 31, 1946) was an American politician,

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...

owner, and philanthropist. Marston was involved with establishing Balboa Park, the San Diego Public Library System, and San Diego Presidio Park. His contributions to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

earned him the affectionate title of "San Diego's First Citizen."

Early life and career

Marston was born in

Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin Fort Atkinson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. It is on the Rock River, a few miles upstream from Lake Koshkonong. The population was 12,579 at the 2020 census. Fort Atkinson is the largest city located entirely in Jeffers ...

. As a boy, Marston learned to ice skate, which he continued to enjoy throughout his life. His father had a chronic respiratory ailment and wanted to live in a better climate for his health, so the family moved to

in 1870. Marston was initially a clerk in the Horton House Hotel, then entered the mercantile business as a bookkeeper with the firm of Aaron Pauly & Sons general merchandise store and warehouse merchants. Pauly was the founder of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. Marston was its secretary and later its president. In 1872, Marston clerked for storekeeper Joseph Nash. He and partner Charles Hamilton bought Nash out and ran the store. After Marston's marriage, he split the store business with his partner Hamilton, with Hamilton taking the grocery side and Marston taking the dry goods. The Marston Company, at 5th Avenue and C Street in downtown San Diego, became the only major department store in the city. In later years, two additional suburban stores opened. Their success was due to exclusive business arrangements that Marston made with several suppliers. He became quite wealthy and was a generous philanthropist in the city. The stores were sold to

The Broadway The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1896 by English-born Arthur Letts Sr., and named after what was once the city's main shopping street, the Broadway became a dominant reta ...

in 1961. The downtown flagship store has since closed. Marston's business trips took him to major cities such as

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, where he saw great urban parks. This developed a desire to see San Diego's Balboa Park become as great. As a result of his efforts in park development and planning, Marston helped make Balboa Park a local landmark. Marston hired architect

John Nolen John Nolen (June 14, 1869 – February 18, 1937) was an American landscape architect, planning consultant, founding member of the American City Planning Institute and a writer. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nolen was orphaned as a child a ...

to develop the first plan for the park in 1908 and a more-detailed plan in 1926. Marston served as chairman of the Buildings and Grounds Committee for the 1915

Panama–California Exposition The Panama–California Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California, between January 1, 1915, and January 1, 1917. The exposition celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, and was meant to tout San Diego as the first United ...

in Balboa Park. The Exposition established an infrastructure of museums and attractions for the park that still exists today. A statue by Ruth Hayward of Marston with other significant founders of San Diego stands in Balboa Park.

Philanthropy

In 1907, Marston bought Presidio Hill with the intent of preserving the old Presidio of San Diego, the first European settlement in present-day California, which had fallen into ruins. He couldn't get anyone interested in the project, so he built Presidio Park in 1925 with his own funds, hiring Nolen to plan the park. He commissioned the building of the Serra Museum, designed by architect

William Templeton Johnson William Templeton Johnson (1877 – 1957) was a notable San Diego architect. He was a fellow to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1939. Johnson is known for his Spanish Revival buildings, all in San Diego unless otherwise noted: * L ...

, in Presidio Park. He donated the park to the city in 1929. Presidio Park, still a city-owned historic park, is now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Marston served on the first board of trustees for the

San Diego Public Library The San Diego Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Diego, California. History The San Diego Public Library was established on May 19, 1882, by an elected board of library trustees, one of whom was civic leader a ...

in 1882 and founded the San Diego YMCA, serving as its president for 22 years. He was on the

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

from 1887 to 1889. In 1928 he founded the San Diego Historical Society (now the

San Diego History Center The San Diego History Center is a museum showcasing the history of San Diego, located in the city's Balboa Park. Description and history Founded in 1928 by businessman and civic leader George W. Marston, the San Diego Historical Society was h ...

) and served as its first president. Marston also raised funds and donated his own money to buy land for present-day

Torrey Pines State Reserve Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is of coastal state park located in the community of La Jolla, in San Diego, California, off North Torrey Pines Road. Although it is located within San Diego city limits, it remains one of the wildest stretche ...

and

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (, '' AN-zə bə-RAY-goh'') is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and ...

. Marston served as a founding trustee for

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became t ...

and funded a number of the campus's early buildings. He gave $100,000 () to endow the college's central quadrangle, which is named after him. George Marston House

George Marston's Residence at 3525 Seventh Avenue was designed by

Irving Gill Irving John Gill (April 26, 1870 – October 7, 1936), was an American architect. He did most of his work in Southern California, especially in San Diego and Los Angeles. He is considered a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture. Twelve ...

and

William S. Hebbard William Sterling Hebbard (1863–1930) was an American architect most noted for his work in San Diego County, California. Hebbard briefly worked as a draftsman and assistant for the firm, Burnham and Root in Chicago, and in 1888 for Curlett, Eise ...

architects in 1904/1905.McCoy, p. 87. The residence initially was planned to be built in English Tudor style, but was completed in the Arts and Crafts style, which was becoming in vogue. The property, dubbed the George W. Marston House and Gardens, was donated to the City of San Diego by Marston's daughter Mary in 1987 and is now a museum at the northwest corner of Balboa Park. Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) took over operation of the property in July 2009 and is in the process of restoring the gardens and furnishing the home in appropriate period style.

Politics

Marston was active politically and called himself an "independent". He was raised a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, but swung back and forth between

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

and Republican, supporting the party or person most likely to push for reform. He supported California's reform-oriented

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...

in the 1910s and early 1920s. Marston ran for mayor unsuccessfully in 1913 (against Charles F. O'Neall) and again in 1917 (against Louis J. Wilde). The 1917 race, in particular, was a classic growth-vs.-beautification debate. Marston argued for better city planning with more open space and grand boulevards; Wilde argued for more business development. Wilde called his opponent "Geranium George", painting Marston as unfriendly to business. Wilde's campaign slogan was "More Smokestacks", and during the campaign, he drew a great smokestack belching smoke on a truck through the city streets. The phrase "smokestacks vs. geraniums" is still used in San Diego to characterize this type of debate. Local horticulturist Jim Zemcik has produced a "Geranium George" series of geranium varieties in Marston's honor, including one variety named for his wife Anna Gunn Marston, who was an avid gardener.

Personal life

In 1878, he married Anna Lee Gunn (May 20, 1853 October 7, 1940), a teacher. They had five children. Her brother

Douglas Gunn Douglas Gunn (August 31, 1841 – November 26, 1891) was an American scholar, publisher, pioneer and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician from California. Born Lewis Douglas Gunn on August 31, 1841, in Wheelersburg, Ohio, to ...

was the owner and editor of '' San Diego Union'' and served as

Mayor of San Diego The mayor of the City of San Diego is the official head and chief executive officer of the U.S. city of San Diego, California. The mayor has the duty to enforce and execute the laws enacted by the San Diego City Council, the legislative branch. ...

from 1889 to 1891. George Marston died at age 95 at his home in San Diego. He is interred in Mount Hope Cemetery. For the eulogy at his funeral, James A. Blaisdell spoke of Marston's impact on Balboa Park, "Just around the corner lies the central Balboa Park of the city—walks that he laid out—flowers that he planted—trees that he loved—vistas that he foresaw—beautiful buildings that he envisioned. ... This paradise was not here when George Marston came

n 1870 N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...

In this park he speaks to thousands whose lives have been made happier through him."Showley, p. 124.

Quote

:I feel the development of the city's beauty and civic welfare can go along with the industrial development ... I am in favor of all things that make for commerce, manufacturing, for all business activity . . . It is absurd to say that I am not in favor of industrial development. I believe in a Greater San Diego—everything that makes for a bigger city. Let us build a great city on a good foundation. Let us have our industries as large as possible. Let us build a complete city.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * *

External links

*
George White Marston biography

* ttp://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/69summer/index.htm ''The Journal of San Diego History'' 15:3 (Summer 1969)contains articles on Presidio Park, Junípero Serra Museum and Library, including Marston's role: "Part II - A Young Man Comes to Town", by Wilmer Shields, and "Part VII - San Diego Acquires a Park and Museum"
"George White Marston and Conservative Reform in San Diego", ''The Journal of San Diego History'' 32:4 (Fall 1986) by Gregg R. Hennessey

* [http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/97summer/lilla.htm "'My Dear Lilla': Marston Family Letters from 1870s San Diego", ''The Journal of San Diego History'' 47:3 (Summer 1987) by George P. Marston and Harriett Marston]
"Junípero Serra Museum Architectural, Cultural, and Urban Landmark", ''The Journal of San Diego History'' 25:3 (Summer 1979) by Gregg R. Hennessey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marston, George 1850 births 1946 deaths American businesspeople in retailing American philanthropists Politicians from San Diego Businesspeople from San Diego People from Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin Burials in California Balboa Park (San Diego) California Democrats California Progressives (1912) California Republicans Burials at Mount Hope Cemetery (San Diego) Pomona College trustees