VIPS in California during the 1800s

Chief Wharfinger

Editor's Note: Questions frequently arrive regarding San Francisco's Chief Wharfinger's during the 1800s. As names and dates of term are located, they will be included. The following are culled from San Francisco's newspapers.

The Wharfinger was a person who owned or managed a wharf, the latter being a city appointment beginning in San Francisco's mid-to-late 1800s.

1872	Martin Bulger
1873	Captain James H. Blethen
1887	Martin Cochrane
1889, 1890, 1891	Martin G. Corcoran
1894 to Sept 1895	James Boobar
Sep 1895 to 1898	George W. Root	Resident of Sausalito. Republican. Resigned December 1898 when elected to the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court.
1898?	Holmes
1899 to 1903	Percy L. Henderson	February 1899: Henderson sick with typhoid fever at his home on Point Lobos Avenue. Presented with a diamond Badge of Office, December 1899
1903 to 1906	Richard J. Welch (Dick Welch)	Elected State Senator in 1900, Nineteenth District (Mission, Potrero, part of South San Francisco. Chairman of Commerce adn Navigation.
June 1907 to May 1911	Thomas A. Hender
Jun 3, 1911	H. A. Oser

Daily Alta California,, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. November 14, 1873

Daily Alta California, August 16, 1886, San Francisco, California

HARBOR COMMISSIONERS.

Plans Accepted for a New Office for Chief Wharfinger.

A special meeting of the Harbor Commissioners was held on Saturday, when plans were accepted for the new Wharfinger's office at foot of Clay street. The old one will be removed and a fine structure, two stories high, each story containing two large rooms, will occupy the site. The building will be twenty-eight feet long and nineteen feet wide.

1889: Martin Corcoran, Chief Wharfinger

Daily Alta California , January 3, 1889

Chief Wharfinger Corcoran sports a gold-beaded ebony cane now which has been presented to him by the wharfingers and collectors around the front. The idea of making the chief a present occurred to some of his friends on New Year's eve, and straightway Tim Nunan, Con Bresnihan and James Comfort were appointed a committee to expend the subscriptions in the most suitable manner. They chose a cane. On the gold head is the inscription: "Chief Wharfinger. Presented to Martin Q. Corcoran from the wharfingers and collectors on the water front, January 1,1889." The presentation was made in the wharfinger's office early on New Year's day by Tim Nunan, who made a very telling little speech.

Daily Alta California, San Francisco, California February 3, 1891

The Chief Wharfinger's Place.

A petition is being circulated among the merchants and shipping men of San Francisco, containing an appeal to Governor Markham for the retention in office of Chief Wharfinger Corcoran, whose eight years of service in that position has given universal satisfaction, and rendered him deservedly popular among those he is brought in contact with. The petition has received many signatures, politics not being considered by the many friends of this popular official. Mr. Corcoran 's term expires in May.

March 4, 1891, Daily Alta California With the large number of vessels now in port, shipmasters find it hard work to obtain berths for discharging readily. Chief Wharfinger Corcoran states that every berth on the water front is occupied Besides the many coasters now in the harbor, no less than forty two British ships and two British barks are now in port unloading and taking on cargo.

1894: James Baobar, Chief Wharfinger for the State.

San Francisco Call, July 4, 1894

Entrance to San Francisco Bay through the Golden Gate.

l do not think that the strikers have any grievance that justified them in striking. Business should not be allowed to stagnate, and the Government should force the moving of mail trains. The strike in a great blow to the commercial interests of the country.

James Baobar, Chief Wharfinger for the State I have not made up my mind as yet to express any opinion, but so far as saying what effect the strike has had on the shipping business of the port, I have no hesitation in saying that beyond increasing travel by steamer it has had none. Why do I say this? Because there is no business to speak of on the water front, and hasn't been for some months past. There are no cargo vessels unloading or loading at the city wharves, so I will have to blame the Democrats for uncertain policy and poor form of government rather than the strikers.

San Francisco Call, October 4, 1895, San Francisco, California

CAPTAIN AND MATE TRIED

Officers of the Ship Crofton Hall Disobeyed the Wharfinger

An interesting case was heard in Judge Conlan's court yesterday, involving the right of the chief wharfinger to remove a vessel from one location to another. Captain Raymond Parker of the ship Crofton Hall and his first mate, Robert B. Watts, were charged with a misdemeanor in refusing to move the vessel twenty feet from alongside Fremont-street wharf when ordered to do so by J. G. Boobar, chief wharfinger, on September 28. After hearing the evidence for the prosecution and defense the Judge reserved his decision till to-day, but he intimated that he would convict the defendants.

San Francisco Call, December 1, 1898

FIGHT FOR THE OFFICE OF CHIEF WHARFINGER

The question of appointments is still the all-absorbing topic among politicians. The next few weeks will decide the fate of many who have been promised positions by successful candidates, and it goes without saying that there will be many bitter disappointments, as ante-election promises are not always considered binding.

Attorney General-elect Tlrey L. Ford will make some notable changes In the present personnel of the office, the only one of the present attaches who will retain a place being Charles N. Post of Sacramento. Mr. Ford's first deputy will probably be A. G. Sturtevant of Mendocino County. The place of second deputy will no doubt be given to Fred A. Moore Jr. of Oakland. Other appointments at the disposal of Mr. Ford are third deputy, two clerks and a porter.

The appointment of chief wharfinger on the water front to succeed George Root has provoked a lively contest between ex-State Senator Percy Henderson, Street Superintendent William Ambrose and Harry Scott, the present assistant chief wharfinger. It is admitted that Henderson and Ambrose are the only ones In the running, with the chances In favor of the first-named gentleman.

Supreme Court Clerk-elect Root has already chosen three of his deputies In the persons of A. W. Johnston, William Ward and J. J. Duncan. A controversy has arisen as to the date on which Mr Root will take office. A section of the law governing his election states that the newly elected Clerk shall take office on the fourth day of December. It is held by the best authorities, however, ,that this clause is Inoperative- because he cannot become an officer of the State until his certificate of election has been signed by the Governor. The general law states that an officer of the State shall hold office until his successor has been duly qualified. This seems to dispose of the matter, and it is probable that Mr. Root will go Into office at the same time as the other newly elected officers of the State Government.

Entrance to San Francisco Bay. 1850s.

1901: Percy Henderson, Chief Wharfinger

July 27, 1901: San Francisco Call

MAKE CHARGES AGAINST WHARFINGER HENDERSON

The Baggage Solicitors' Union No. 1975, through its president, Fred W. Ketlerman, will file charges to-day with the Board of Harbor Commissioners against Chief Wharfinger Percy Henderson alleging that he is a member of a transfer company doing business on the water front and that he has discriminated against certain transfer companies in the pursuit of legitimate business. The complaint drawn up by the union alleges that Henderson is a member of the "Oceanic Transfer Company" and that he allows his alleged partners, Curtin, Bailey and Leramen, to seek business on Broadway and Oceanic docks, while in his capacity as Chief Wharfinger he does not allow the complainants or their friends to enter the docks to seek customers. The complainants ask the Harbor Commissioners to make an investigation and to discipline Henderson in the matter.

San Francisco Call, January 29, 1903, San Francisco, California

Must Move Chicken Coops

The Harbor Commissioners yesterday instructed the Chief Wharfinger to take some action toward clearing the ferry depot of chicken coops and crated fruit, about which considerable complaint has been made. The Wells Fargo Express Company will be asked to find some other place for handling their perishable freight.

June 1, 1907: Thomas A. Hender

Thomas A. Hender of Sonora, Tuolumne county, was appointed chief wharfinger at this port (San Francisco) by the board of state harbor commissioners, to succeed State Senator Richard J. Welch, whose term of four years has expired.

January 21, 1910: Joseph Irwin, Chief Wharfinger

(Compensation: $75/month).

San Francisco Call, January 22, 1910

CHIEF WHARFINGER APPOINTED BY BOARD

BERKELEY, Jan 21 - Joseph Irwin, wharfinger of the municipal wharf, was made wharfinger of all the wharves, controlled by the city today with the title of chief wharfinger. He will receive a compensation of $75 a month according to an ordinance finally adopted this morning.

The duties of a Chief Wharfinger today include:

• Get to know about the Roles, Tasks, Duties and Responsibilities of Wharfinger Chief.
• Coordinate with shipping employees and resolve all issues.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with various clients.
• Prepare reports for all dock operations and analyze it on regular basis.
• Analyze operations and recommend improvements if required.
• Manage company facility and recommend changes.
• Administer all incoming ships and assign appropriate docks and berth to all.
• Coordinate with staff and assign appropriate responsibility.
• Develop and enforce various safety regulations.
• Maintain and update tide tables and manage various activities.
• Evaluate all departmental reports and analyze errors and ensure resolution.
• Ensure optimal levels of customer services and design appropriate plans.
• Maintain and manage custody for various goods.
• Supervised everyday activities and resolve various issues.
• Develop and implement various plans to collect slip fees.
• Manage various fees for shipping companies and ensure