The Coronado Historical Association was fortunate to welcome back Dr. Sandee Bonura to discuss her latest book, The Sugar King of California: The Life of Claus Spreckels, for the October installment of CHA’s Wine & Lecture Series. While Dr. Bonura is well known for her lectures on John D. Spreckels, this time she spoke about Claus Spreckels, the father of John. Her riveting slide show touched on the building of the elder Spreckels’ Sugar Empire, his role in getting electric lights to Hawaii in 1881, his involvement with the railroad industry, his relationship with the Hawaiian Monarchy, the estrangement of his daughter, and his influence on modern agriculture in California. Dr. Bonura explained how today’s marital property laws are based on the Spreckels vs. Spreckels ruling and shared amusing anecdotes she found through her meticulous research. She even touched on Claus Spreckels’ involvement with the former Anchor Beer Brewing Company in San Francisco. Several of Spreckels descendants were in the audience.
Dr. Bonura’s work has been closely tied to the Coronado Historical Association (CHA), when her time in CHA’s archives became the catalyst for her previous bestselling book, Empire Builder: John D. Spreckels and the Making of San Diego.
Invited to volunteer for a John D. Spreckels exhibit titled “The Man, the Legacy,” she dove headfirst into CHA’s rich collection. Unlike her initial intention of simply lending expertise to the exhibit, Dr. Bonura found herself captivated by the archival treasures surrounding Spreckels.
In collaboration with Vickie Stone, CHA’s Curator of Collections, Dr. Bonura meticulously sifted through historical documents, piecing together Spreckels’ life story. They unearthed forgotten gems – “juicy” newspaper gossip, elusive photographs, and even an original Spreckels signature. These unearthed narratives became the foundation for the John D. Spreckels exhibit.
For Dr. Bonura, the exhibit was just the beginning. The discarded drafts of the exhibit narrative overflowed with details that couldn’t be included due to space. This ignited a new passion: writing a comprehensive biography of John D., meeting dozens of Spreckels family members, and completing the Sugar King book. Dr. Bonura is now working on her seventh book, and we are looking forward to hosting her discussion about that title!
The Coronado Historical Association hosts monthly Wine & Lectures on various historical topics. On October 29, CHA will be hosting the 5th Annual Collections Luncheon. The Luncheon is an opportunity to learn more about CHA’s work to preserve local archives and artifacts, like the material Dr. Bonura utilized in her research. Visit CoronadoHistory.org to find out more about upcoming events and purchase tickets
