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The Sanborn family has long roots in Oakland's botanical history.

Elizabeth Sanborn (Hutchison)

Elizabeth L. Sanborn (Hutchison) (February 16, 1837 – February 19, 1898) was the 2nd oldest of 10 children of Darius Sanborn and Delina Crossman (Sanborn). Like her siblings, she was born in Crown Point, NY.

James Hutchison (May 4, 1824 – February 13, 1891) came to San Francisco from Scotland. He purchased land in Alameda in 1853, then married Elizabeth Sanborn in 1855. Hutchison established his business in Oakland in 1863, and purchased the land on Telegraph Avenue for a nursery in 1864.

Hutchison's Bay Nursery later became J. Hutchison Nursery, then Hutchison and Sanborn.

In 1891, James died while playing a game of checkers, with Judge Ogden looking on. 3 Elizabeth and James did not have any children, but James' will mentions an adopted daughter, Mrs. William L. Elliott, to whom he left $1,000. His estate was estimated at $115,000. 4 When Elizabeth died, her will specified about $95,000 in bequests, but it was estimated there were only about $85,000 in assets. Elizabeth and James are buried in plot 31 in Mountain View Cemetery.

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Henry Sanborn

1901 1

Henry Millard Sanborn (July 27, 1850 – December 7, 1916) was the 7th oldest of the 10 children, and also born in Crown Point, NY. He came to California in 1867 or 1868. 2,5 The 1870 census lists "J. Hutchingson" (sic) and "Elizabeth S. Hutchingson" living in Oakland, with a 20 year-old "H. Sanborn" living at the same address employed as a gardener.

Henry served on the board of education in the 1880s.

Sarah Ellen Gladding (October 5, 1852 – September 2, 1918) was near the middle of the 8 children of Allen Ingraham Gladding and Abigail Madison Brown (Gladding). A.I. Gladding was in real estate. She married Henry in 1878.

They had two children, Abby Sanborn (Lea) and Edgar Sanborn.

Henry and Sarah are buried in plot 51 in Mountain View Cemetery.

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Abby Sanborn (Lea)

Abby Sanborn
1903 UC Berkeley

Abigail "Abby" Delina Sanborn (Lea) (December 21, 1879 – May 5, 1960) received a bachelor's degree from U.C. Berkeley in 1903.

James Thomas Lea (1892 – 1940) married Abby in 1910. James had worked as an electrician in the diamond mines in South Africa. At the time of his marriage to Abby, he was working for the Great Western Power Company.

They had 4 children, James Millard Lea, Marjorie Sara Lea (McClelland), Helen Abby Lea (McCartney), and Audrey Sanborn Lea.

In 1928, Abby had the Millard Apartments constructed.

At the time of his death, James was working for the Oakland forestry department. Abby and James are buried in plot 51 in Mountain View Cemetery.

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Edgar Sanborn

Edgar Sanborn
1928 5

Edgar Madison Sanborn (December 1, 1883 – June 21, 1967) graduated from high school in 1901, and received a bachelor's degree from U.C. Berkeley in 1906. He worked with his father at the nursery, then took over when Henry died in 1916.

Helen Chandler (Sanborn) (June 14, 1884 – 1971) married Edgar in 1906.

They had 2 children, Nelda Sanborn (Lewis) and Doris Sanborn (Latimer).

Beginning in 1921, Edgar served on the city board of parks for 6 years, 3 years as president of the board. The acreage of city parks was more than doubled during his tenure, including a 176-acre acre redwood grove added to Joaquin Miller Park. 5,6

Sanborn announced he was running for mayor in February 1927 and resigned as park board president. Mayor John Davie was the incumbent, and Frank Colbourn announced his candidacy in March 1927. Davie won the election handily; Sanborn was a distance third. Although it was a narrower margin than some of Davie's other election wins, he still received a large enough percentage of the votes in the primary to win election outright. There was no love lost between Davie and Sanborn. Davie accused the park board of illegal practices when they appointed Walter Chandler (Edgar's brother-in-law) as secretary and Willis Edwards as recreation director, and made those positions exempt from civil service.

Along with D.H. McCorkle, Edgar had the Wesley Arms Apartments constructed in 1928.

In 1932, he joined the city parks department, became city forester in 1937, and was acting parks department superintendent from 1943 to 1946. He also formed the WPA project to have the Woodminster Amphitheater built. He retired in 1954. 6

At the time of Edgar's death in 1967, the Sanborns lived at 3053 Joaquin Miller Drive, a few blocks from Sanborn Drive in the park which was named for him. 6 Edgar and Helen are buried in plot 36 in Mountain View Cemetery.

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Links and References

  1. H.M. Sanborn Oakland Tribune December 21, 1901
  2. H.M. Sanborn, Pioneer Florist, Passes Away Oakland Tribune December 8, 1916
  3. Jas. Hutchinson's Death San Francisco Examiner February 14, 1891
  4. James Hutchinson's Will Oakland Tribune February 18, 1891
  5. History of Alameda County by Frank Clinton Merritt S.J. Clarke Publishing 1928
  6. Edgar M. Sanborn, Park Pioneer, Dies Oakland Tribune June 22, 1967