"Colonel" Ed Fletcher was a real estate developer and U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Republican and Democratic politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from San Diego, California

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

.

Fletcher was born 1872 in Littleton, Massachusetts

Littleton, Massachusetts

Littleton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,924 at the 2010 census....

, son of Charles Kimball Fletcher.
His family moved to Worcester

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....

 and Boston, where he attended school.

In 1888 Fletcher came to San Diego

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

, 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

Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, California

Casa de Oro-Mount Helix is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The CDP encompasses several neighborhoods in unincorporated parts of the county near the cities of El Cajon and La Mesa as well as part of the unincorporated community of Spring Valley...

, and Del Mar

Del Mar, California

Del Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...

.
Fletcher donated land on Mt. Helix where Easter Sunrise services are held.

In 1907, Fletcher was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the California National Guard

United States National Guard

The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...

, 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

Old Plank Road

The Old Plank Road is a plank road in Imperial County, California that was built in 1915 as an east–west route over the Algodones Dunes. It effectively connected the extreme lower section of Southern California to Arizona and provided the last link in a commercial route between San Diego and...

 across the desert to Yuma, Arizona

Yuma, Arizona

Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....

.
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)

Panama-California Exposition (1915)

The Panama-California Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California between March 9, 1915 and January 1, 1917. The exposition celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, and was meant to tout San Diego as the first U.S. port of call for ships traveling north after passing westward...

and
California Pacific International Exposition (1935)

California Pacific International Exposition (1935)

The California Pacific International Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California during May 29, 1935–November 11, 1935 and February 12, 1936–September 9, 1936...

.
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

California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

, and served until 1947. Sometime while in the Senate, he switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic.http://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/english/legislature/history/county54.html
He authored laws creating the San Diego County Water Authority and transerring ownership of Mission Bay

Mission Bay, California

Mission Bay is a saltwater bay or lagoon located south of the Pacific Beach community of San Diego, California. The bay is part of the recreational Mission Bay Park, which is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, consisting of , approximately 46% land and 54% water...

 to the city.

Fletcher married Mary C. Batchelder April 8, 1896 at Ayer, Massachusetts

Ayer, Massachusetts

Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...

.
They had ten children: Catherine, Edward Jr.,
Congressman Charles K. Fletcher

Charles K. Fletcher

Charles Kimball Fletcher was a Republican politician from San Diego, California.Fletcher was born 1902 to "Colonel" Ed Fletcher and Mary C...

,
Lawrence, Willis, Stephen, Ferdinand, Mary Louise, Eugene, and Virginia.

Fletcher died 1955 in San Diego.

Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa

La Mesa, California

La Mesa is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea....

, Fletcher Hills

Fletcher Hills

The Fletcher Hills are a low mountain range in the Peninsular Ranges, in southwestern San Diego County, California.The name Fletcher Hills also refers to a neighborhood near San Diego, California which lies primarily in the city of El Cajon and partially in La Mesa. The area was developed in...

 in El Cajon

El Cajon, California

-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...

, and the Fletcher Chimes of Hardy Memorial Tower

Hardy Memorial Tower

Hardy Memorial Tower at San Diego State University, constructed as a Works Progress Administration project in 1931, is 11 stories tall; it contains the Fletcher Symphonic Carillon , consisting of 204 bells over 6 octaves...

 at San Diego State University

San Diego State University

San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...

are all named for Fletcher.

External links

• Biography (San Diego Historical Society). Based on Heilbron's biography (above)