George P. Tebbetts
| George P. Tebbetts | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 3rd Mayor of San Diego | |
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In office January 10, 1852 – February 28, 1852 |
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| Preceded by | David B. Kurtz |
| Succeeded by | William J. Hunsaker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1828 Concord, New Hampshire |
| Died | January 9, 1909 San Francisco, California |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth College |
George Parrish Tebbetts (1828 – January 9, 1909) was an American politician from California.
Tebbetts was born in Concord, New Hampshire and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1848, where he studied medicine. With the California gold rush he sailed to San Francisco. While crossing the Isthmus of Panama, he cared for people suffering from yellow fever.
He prospected with a Chinese boy on the American River near Sacramento and they extracted $70,000 in gold. The San Diego History Center describes what followed: They returned to San Francisco. "There the boy expressed a wish to return to China, and Tebbetts settled with him for $3,000. The boy returned to China, and as the years rolled by, nothing was heard from him. Forty-five years later he walked into Tebbett's office in Santa Barbara and introduced himself. The surprise meeting after so many years was an enjoyable occasion, with much reminiscing by the two lucky gold seekers."
Tebbetts arrived in San Diego around 1850 and was co-proprietor of the Exchange Hotel. He was elected Councilman for 1851–1852. In 1852 he became the third mayor of San Diego under U.S. rule. While mayor, a series of murders, horse thievery, and lawlessness caused locals to organize The Vigilantes to keep the peace. When Tebbetts' horse was stolen, the thieves were caught, paraded around town with nooses around their necks, and lynched. Federal officials investigated, but gave up when Tebbetts told them the entire town was involved.
In 1852 the city was bankrupt. The city charter was abolished and city administration was performed by a Board of Trustees with no mayor, operated by the state.
Tebbetts later was member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors during 1854-1864.
During an Indian war at Warner Springs in the early 1850s, Tebbetts served as ensign with Fitzgerald's Volunteers. The uprising was caused by an 1844 Mexican land grant that included Cupa, the village of the Cupeňo people, and surrounding homelands. During the war Tebbetts participated in a "Dual" with Joshua Bean as a practical joke.
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