Ed Fletcher

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"Colonel" Ed Fletcher (December 31, 1872–October 15, 1955) was a real estate developer and U.S. Republican and Democratic politician from San Diego, California.

Fletcher was born 1872 in Littleton, Massachusetts, son of Charles Kimball Fletcher. His family moved to Worcester and Boston, where he attended school.

In 1888 Fletcher came to San Diego, where he sold produce. He was a born salesman and soon had his own business with a partner. In 1901, he entered the real estate business as a land agent, and started a partnership in 1908 with William Gross. That partnership developed Grossmont, Mt. Helix, and Del Mar. Fletcher donated land on Mt. Helix where Easter Sunrise services are held.

In 1907, Fletcher was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the California National Guard, which earned him the title "Colonel", which stuck for the remainder of his life.

Fletcher became interested in road building and saw to it many road projects were completed. With Fred Jackson, Fletcher raised civic interest to building a road to Imperial Valley, thence a plank road across the desert to Yuma, Arizona. Fletcher was later active in having state and U.S. highways built to San Diego.

Fletcher also took an interest in developing projects delivering water to San Diego, including creating Lake Hodges.

Fletcher was a director of the Panama-California Exposition (1915) and California Pacific International Exposition (1935). After the 1915 Expo, he raised funds to save the well-received temporary buildings from destruction. He also raised funds to buy land for the Naval Training Station in San Diego, and for building the YMCA.

In 1934 Fletcher was elected to the California State Senate, and served until 1947. Sometime while in the Senate, he switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic.[1] He auhored laws creating the San Diego County Water Authority and transerring ownership of Mission Bay to the city.

Fletcher married Mary C. Batchelder April 8, 1896 at Ayer, Massachusetts. They had ten children: Catherine, Edward Jr., Congressman Charles K. Fletcher, Lawrence, Willis, Stephen, Ferdinand, Mary Louise, Eugene, and Virginia.

Fletcher died 1955 in San Diego.

Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa, California and Fletcher Hills in El Cajon, California are named for Fletcher.

[edit] See also

Fletcher, Ed (1952). Memoirs of Ed Fletcher.
Black, Samuel T. (1913). San Diego County California. , v. 2, pp. 128-132: "Ed Fletcher"; includes portrait
Heilbron, Carl (1936). History of San Diego County. San Diego Press Club. Biography. Also has biography of his wife