HomeMy WebLinkAboutSLO City Seal ►I 1I ► r
HISTORY •~'
S LO CITY SEAL •
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By Joseph A.Carotenud t v' -
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Who are you? •
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How do you prove your answer is correct? City Sal 1856-1876 DMA'(
NIA Piste g .¢LC City Seal 1876 to „•.•,•....•'''�
Imagine the same question asked of a docu-
ment.Since it can't respond.we must depend history or family coat of arms.The familiar Board of Town Trustees.There is little evi-
on its mute authority that it is,indeed,what wax seal impressed by the king's ring was long dente that any municipal document required
it purports to represent.Long before birth ago replaced by cumbersome cast iron - - -
records began to attest to a human's lineage,an presses. While the official seal for the —gm--official seal verified a docurnent's legitimacy. County of San Luis Obispo is an out- 9-
Long a civic imperative.today's notary public standing example of official recognition a
has historical beginnings in the Roman Empire. of our past,not so for the City. •Seals of authenticity mere not only stamped Here's the story. . _ _ . •
on governmental documents but were used - - -• - . .
less formally in times past(and present)for The earliest evidence of a municipal -.
Ls and businesses,and were often seal dates from 1859 when Ordinance
of elaborate design encapsulating some bet of No 7 was passed by the then-called '-,1 Iron Cily Seal
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I MARCH 2011
.- .17117/14719M11 ini i I
a seal before this date.While there had been creating a town,2011 is the Centennial of the Since impressions from both before and after
two previous incorporations of the Town Charter City of San Luis Obispo. this directive are the same,it is assumed any
(1856 and 1858),this was the first official Nat quite another incorporation,the city was erasure was not done or once impressed upon a
notice for a seal.Thus far,the ordinance title designated as being of the"Sixth Class"by the document,a change was written.
is the only clue as to the seal's existence and islature in 1884.The designation was used The heavy,long armed cast iron device has
for small communities under 3000 population given way to a much smaller device used
been found on any document. that had specified duties and obligations differ- today although the older one is still used on
ing from other"classes"of cities and towns... maps.Evidence points to the original seal
Following yet another incorporation as a p p
Town ten years later,Ordinance 23 was pnn �Y in taxation powers.An unusual (and its lack of sharpness)being duplicated
passed and is preserved on a document from notation in the Minutes for March directs the for use on the handier device.
the following year.This may have been in Clerk"to have the date of the charter erased
from the present City Seal"which would then Possibly a newly designed seal would be a
response to yet another legislative incorpora fitting tribute to a centenary celebration?
tion of San Luis Obispo in 1868.The first 'constitute the Corporate Seal"of the city. g Y
impression found is dated May 18,1870 when
Dr.W.W.Hays,warden for St.Stephen's
Episcopal Church,submitted a request for a
church lot in its current location. Calendar of Events
Most likely a stock impression,this seal Free Educational Clinic s
depicts a side view of the biblical Solomon,
1
noted for his wisdom,with Town informa-
tion around the edge.This may well have Saturday,March 5" Saturday,April 9"
been the original seal design_It is highly
unlikely the city fathers would have changed Tomato Clinic Drip Irrigation Clinic v
the municipal seal from ten years previous as San Luis Obispo Store,loam Paso Robles Store,1 am
incorporations over various years still were Saturday, March 5t" San Luis Obispo Store,loam
for the"Town"of San Luis Obispo.Further- Saturday,April 16th
more,a new seal would require expenditure Extreme Gardening
from the town's often precarious"treasury." San Luis Obispo Store,1pm Organic Gardening
Incorporation as a City in 1876 required a new
Saturday,March 12th San Luis Obispo Store, loam
seal. When the newly elected municipal body Chicken 0.8c.A Space is limited!
—now called the Common Council—con- San Luis Obispo Store,loam Call(805)543-3751
vened,it was presided over by a Mayor.Quite or email us at:
different from today's municipal leader,the Saturday,March 26" even f om
Mayor could not vote(except to break a tie) Show Clinics(4-H&FFA)could veto any ordinance decreed by the San Luis Obispo Store
five councilmen.Given the astonishing absen- .
teeism by the elected officials,a mayor voted
quite often and still maintained veto power! '►
This new seal was first preserved on a docu- r
ment dated May 4,1876.This is the seal
used today depicting the personification of lit
justice(holding the scales)and agriculture or i
bounty holding a sheaf of grain and a sickle. .
The verbiage"Chartered May 1st 1876"(the - *�
date of the first meeting of the new city's _ , -f
elected officials)is not quite correct as the . tom -.-.
-ES' '95
Legislature passed the act creating the city X40' •
on March 20,receiving the Governor's signa- FARM SUPPLY
tore a few days later. --- •co M pA N Y
The use of"chartered"has also created its V O/0 A Single l��070 yra,�
own confusion.While today San Luis Obispo V / Nur5e1'y Item
is a Charter City,it became so in 1911 Offer exp,res 3/31.2011.Limit one per customer Excludes
under different state laws conferring certain agr"oftural and ndustrlal cnerr.cars and fert,zes
privileges and responsibilities on a commit-
nity...and not in 1876.The last"incorpora- SAN LUIS OBISPO PASO ROBLES SANTA MARIA ARROYO GRANDE
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tion"in the city's history(there have been at a,
least six)will be detailed in a future article. s SpeING
VG Nile there was official recognition of a
Don't forget about our Annual Spring Sale,April 6-16! SALE'
Sesquicentennial year of the 1856 legislation F `°"'e a fan on FacsQooIt 0 Room,us ors Tr*tar
IM A R C H ser r lournalp