Dr Washington Dodge

[Jan C. Nielsen]

That's very interesting, Mike. For years, his practice was at his residence, on Van Ness Street -- according to phone books that I looked in. I suspect that around 1900 he split up with Alice Lampson Shepard, moved to the Fairmont, and took his practice there, too. As the article states, he divorced her in 1902. By the way, I added a picture of the Anglo London Paris National Bank to the article. This is the bank that Dodge worked at after he returned from the Titanic disaster.

 

[Jennifer Dodge Blanchard]

Jan, I especially was impressesd with the article about W Dodge. There was quite a bit I learned, and the time line of events always befuddled me. About the debate over his death, I always was told, and I remember his son telling me, that Washington killed himself. The word Survivor's guilt was part of my vocabulary since I was achild. Despite all the questions, his son, and grandson were always led to believe he killed himself- and I should think that if that was any different it would have been suggested years ago- because the stigma of a suicide is a lot harder for a family to deal with- yet his family always owned up to that-

 

[Jennifer Dodge Blanchard]

One more note- curiously there was no mention of the ghost reported by Scott Ostler of San Fran Chronicle..Perhaps someone could contact his spirit?

 

[Jan C. Nielsen]

Thanks, Jennifer, for the nice feedback, and interesting comments on the suicide/murder issue. Actually, I did cite to Ostler's article about the "Ghost Of Titanic Survivor" in a footnote. Because we have mostly a conservative, "I'm-From-Missouri" type of membership on this board, other than that, I didn't get into the ghost story hardly at all. I would really like to gain access to the basement of 840 Powell, where the ghost has been seen, and look around.

 

[Jennifer Dodge Blanchard]

Prior to my father's death, he had several convrsations with Ostler- and some contact with the Rodriguez family, last residents to see "the ghost". In fact, my father had planned a trip to San Fran in July to visit same. I would be interested in poking around as well!

 

[Andrew Maheux]

To anyone who is interested,

Mr. Dodge hails from San Fransico where he once held the office of assessor and took an active part in the purification of politicts of that city.

Regards,

Andrew

 

[Jennifer Dodge Blanchard]

Jan, Had you ever come across the obituary of Dr. Dodge's first son, Henry? My details are sketchy- and was curious if anyone had that info?

 

[Jan C. Nielsen]

Yes, Jennifer, when I was looking through the archive in the History Collection at the San Francisco Public Library, I did see a reference to Henry Dodge's obituary --- but I didn't look it up. I can check into getting you a copy of that, the next time I'm there.

 

[Jennifer Dodge Blanchard]

That would be great, Jan, thank you. I am not sure I'd be able to get much information from here!

 

[Jennifer Dodge Blanchard]

Jan, or whomever may have the information, whatever became of Dr. Dodge's first son and then his family??

 

[Jan C. Nielsen]

Henry lived in San Francisco all his life, and I don't think that he had a family, or at least, any kids. I think your father told me in an email that he met Henry, and even went swimming with him at the historic Sutro Baths, near the Cliff House in San Francisco. The Baths were closed in the 1960s, caught fire, and were destroyed. Only the huge foundations remain. But, I'll find out more when I go to the library. I wonder what happened to the sister's family that lived in Stockton?

 

[Jennifer Dodge Blanchard]

The last I understood, the sister had married and lived in the Portland Oregon area- but for the life of me I cannot find that information!

 

[Jan C. Nielsen]

When I visited the Dodge Ranch in Colusa County last year, I noticed that there was a big sign announcing that it was a "Home Rule County." Here's picture of that sign:

I didn't know what this referred to until yesterday. Incredibly, it may be something connected to Dr. Dodge. I was looking over a monthly real estate sales publication from when Dr. Dodge was San Francisco's Assessor. In it, there was a statement or speech by Dr. Dodge. He adovocated "Home Rule." That meant he wanted San Francisco's tax revenues to be received, and re-allocated by local persons. He didn't think that money should go to the State of California, then to be re-distributed at that level -- this local control and re-allocation of money from revenues, Dodge apparently deemed, was "home rule." Incredible as it seems, "Home Rule" in Colusa County, shown on the sign, may be one of Dodge's legacies. Maybe this is part of the reason he bought a ranch for his retirement there -- i.e., it was to be his utopia, a "home rule county."

 

[Jennifer Dodge Blanchard]

That's neat..you are quite the detective! I would love to have the ime to travel to california and investigate all of these places- but it's nice to see the pictures. Does the ranch still exist?

 

[Jan C. Nielsen]

Yes, the ranch is still there, and still referred to as "Dodge Ranch." The local librarian told me her husband works there. Dodge Ranch is located between San Francisco and Sacramento, and to the north, near Chico, on the periphery of a town named "Princeton." Princeton is a sleepy little country village that probably hasn't changed much since the days of Dr. Dodge. Here's a picture of the local country church, and a map of the section of Colusa County where Dodge's ranch was located. If you look closely in the center, you can see where "Dodge Road" is.