Douglas Gunn
Douglas Gunn was an American scholar, publisher, pioneer and Republican politician from California.
Early life
Born Lewis Douglas Gunn on August 31, 1841, in Wheelersburg, Ohio, to Dr. Lewis Carstairs Gunn and Elizabeth LeBreton Gunn. He was middle-named for Frederick Douglas. His family moved to Sonora, California, in 1852, where his father bought and ran the Sonora Herald. In 1861, his family moved to San Francisco, where his father edited the Times, then they moved again in 1868 to San Diego.Career
Newspaper
During this time Douglas Gunn learned the newspaper trade, working for the The [San Diego Union-Tribune|San Diego Union]. He lived in New Town San Diego and walked daily to Old Town, where the paper was published. In 1871, he bought the paper, moved it to New Town, and made it a daily paper. Gunn ran the paper until about 1886.Politician
Gunn was mayor of San Diego from 1889 until 1891. When he took office, the city government was relatively unstable. Gunn was elected upon the resignation of his predecessor, Will Hunsaker, after less than one year in office due to substantial conflict with a partisan council. Prior to Hunsaker, the formerly bankrupt city had been governed by a state-controlled board of trustees for 35 years. In Gunn's election, the Republican party ran two separate tickets in the mayoral election, with Gunn on the "Citizens' Non-Partisan" ticket.Civic
Gunn's civic works include establishing a metropolitan police department for San Diego, having the Santa Fe Railroad build tracks to San Diego, organizing a company of the National Guard, and publishing an illustrated history of the county, Picturesque San Diego.Death
Gunn died in November 26, 1891, and is buried at Mount [Hope Cemetery (San Diego)|Mount Hope Cemetery] in San Diego, along with his parents.External Links
Category:Mayors of San DiegoCategory:19th-century American newspaper publishers (people)
Category:1841 births
Category:1891 deaths
Category:The [San Diego Union-Tribune people]
Category:California Republicans
Category:19th-century American journalists
Category:American male journalists
Category:19th-century American male writers
Category:19th-century mayors of places in California
Category:People from Wheelersburg, Ohio
Mount Hope Cemetery (San Diego)">Mount Hope Cemetery (San Diego)">Mount Hope Cemetery (San Diego)