The Fred A. Riecker Papers includes correspondence, legal documents, ledgers,
real estate abstracts, photographic prints, negatives, maps, charts, railroad tickets and itineraries,
dated 1858-1967 (bulk 1930-1967) pertaining to Fred A. Riecker and the Riecker family. The bulk of the material
consists of legal and financial documents that relate to the parcel of real estate, otherwise known as Riecker’s
Addition, as well as Fred A. Riecker’s professional career as a railroad surveying engineer and civil advocate
for Tucson.
Collection Number:
MS 493
Language:
Materials in English
Repository:
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections
University of Arizona
PO Box 210055
Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
Phone: 520-621-6423
Fax: 520-621-9733
URL: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/
Biographical Note
Fred A. Riecker was born in San Francisco, California, 1878, but shortly thereafter moved with his mother to Tucson,
Arizona. He later began his professional career as a railroad survey engineer during the early 20th century for various
locomotive companies throughout the American Southwest. In subsequent years, he worked as a civil engineer in Tucson.
Throughout his life, he was intellectually engaged in a number of civil issues concerning Tucson and the greater
Southwest that prompted his extensive writing of letters to various newspaper editors and politicians. In his later
years, Fred A. Riecker published a semi-autobiographical manuscript detailing the pre- and post-railroad Tucson pioneer
life of his family in “Horatio Algebra and Chief One and One.”
His father, Paul Riecker, was a nationally renown civil and mining engineer who drew the first official map of the Arizona
territory which was published in 1879 from his previous topographical survey of California and Arizona as part of the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. He led an early exploration party across the Colorado Plateau and was among the first to make
contact with the Havasupai at the Grand Canyon. Paul Riecker sued for homestead rights, thereby creating the origins of
Riecker’s Addition. He built the first houses north of the railroad tracks in Tucson in 1880. In 1896, Paul Riecker mapped
Pasadena, California, and laid out Inglewood and Redondo Beach, California. He was also involved in the Panama-Nicaragua
Canal controversy as one of the original surveyors of the Nicaragua Canal route.
Scope and Content Note
The Fred A. Riecker Papers includes correspondence, legal documents, ledgers, real estate abstracts, photographic
prints, negatives, maps, charts, railroad tickets and itineraries, dated 1858-1967 (bulk 1930-1967) pertaining to
Fred A. Riecker and the Riecker family. The bulk of the material consists of legal and financial documents that
relate to the parcel of real estate, otherwise known as Riecker’s Addition, as well as Fred A. Riecker’s
professional career as a railroad surveying engineer and civil advocate for Tucson.
Other material in the collection is composed of correspondence belonging to various Riecker family members that
invoke a variety of subjects such as real estate, family estates and financial investments. Many of the
correspondences are between Fred A. Riecker and his family members, but others include letters to politicians,
newspaper editors and personal contacts. The Fred A. Riecker Papers also include a number of photographic
portraits taken of individual members of the Riecker family and photographic prints of Tucson landmarks and the
University of Arizona. Finally, there are several maps and charts created and used both by Fred and Paul Riecker
during their respective professional tenure as civil engineers.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into three series, each containing a variety of subseries.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish
from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record,
the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The
user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the
University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all
claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of
copyright.
Fred A. Riecker’s correspondences are arranged chronologically. The subseries contains
letters relating to his professional career as a railroad-surveying engineer, letters to editors and
officials, and personal correspondence between family members and friends.
box
folder
1
1
Marie Randall 1908
1
2
Professional 1910-1922
1
3
General Correspondence 1919-1959
1
4
General Correspondence 1960-1965
1
5
Annie W. Riecker 1920-1944
1
6
Tucson Air Service 1927-1964
1
7
Colorado River Project 1930-1964
1
8
Medical 1932-1962
1
9
Letters to the editor 1932-1964
1
10
Letters to the editor 1965-1967
1
11
Letters to government officials 1932-1967
1
12
Edna F. Riecker [Sister Mary Winifred] 1938-1945
1
13
Ruth Slattery 1938-1963
1
14
Postcards with photographic background 1939-1960
1
15
Eugene Riecker 1941-1947
1
16
Arizona Pioneer's Historical Society and the National Geographic Society 1942-1962
The personal documents belonging to Fred A. Riecker are arranged
chronologically. The subseries contains documents relevant to Fred A. Riecker’s personal life, such
as documents reflecting his matriculation and medical records, as well as documents relating to his
estate and personal travels.
The professional documents belonging to Fred A. Riecker are arranged chronologically. The
subseries contains documents that shed light on Fred A. Riecker’s career as a survey and civil engineer
for various railroad companies, as well as maps and charts employed by both Paul and Fred Riecker during
their work.
box
folder
2
7
Railroad papers 1894-1917
2
8
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen documents 1898-1900
2
9
Southern Pacific Railroad Company documents 1907-1917
2
10
Charts, diagrams and tables 1914-1920
2
11
Published documents 1917-1919
2
12
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe / Union Pacific Railroad
proposed route 1938
The manuscripts and documents relating to Fred A. Riecker's published work,
"Horatio Algebra and Chief One and One", are arranged chronologically. The subseries contains
documents involving Fred A. Riecker's research and subsequent publishing of his book. The written
work was made as an attempt to document the Riecker family’s early Tucson pioneer
life.
The documents that deal with water reclamation rights are arranged
chronologically. The subseries has documents addressing the water reclamation issues that Fred
A. Riecker advocated for on Tucson’s behalf.
box
folder
2
21
Information pamphlets 1930-1967
2
22
"Suspended Sediment and Chemical Analyses of San Pedro River
at Charleston, Arizona." 1961
The newspaper clippings are arranged chronologically and separated by two of the most
occurring types of newspaper clippings Fred A. Riecker collected throughout his life. “Arizona Album” was
printed in the newspaper featuring early Arizona pioneering families.
The financial documents and records are arranged chronologically. The subseries
contains documents pertaining to Fred A. Riecker’s financial and real estate assets.
box
folder
2
27
Investments and securities documents 1938-1958
2
28
Insurance documents 1945-1956
2
29
State and County Tax Receipts 1950-1967
2
30
Statements of account [Union Bank] 1961-1967
2
31
Statements of account [Southern Arizona Bank and First
Western Bank] 1964-1967
The journals, diaries and ledgers are arranged chronologically. The subseries contains
journals, diaries and ledgers Fred A. Riecker maintained throughout his professional and personal
life.
The railroad tickets and itineraries of Fred A. Riecker from 1950-1957 are arranged
chronologically. The tickets and itineraries from distinct railroad companies display images and
advertising indicative of the 1950s and 1960s.
The correspondence is arranged chronologically and organized by topic. The subseries contains
letters and documents covering a number of financial, civil and familial topics, such as Riecker’s Addition
and the estate of various Riecker family members.
box
folder
4
5
Paul Riecker [German] 1868-1870
4
6
California real estate 1913-1944
4
7
Riecker's Addition 1914-1932
4
8
Riecker's Addition 1941-1946
4
9
Riecker's Addition 1951-1956
4
10
Riecker's Addition -- Office of the County Treasurer 1918-1945
4
11
Stocks and shares 1914-1932
4
12
Tax and Treasury Departments 1929-1932
4
13
Between family members 1929-1939
4
14
Between family members 1943-1965
4
15
Annie W. Riecker's estate 1937-1938
4
16
Annie W. Riecker's estate 1938-1941
4
17
Edna F. Riecker's estate 1945-1946
4
18
Annie W. Riecker's Memorial Lecture Series 1955-1967
The documents belonging to the Riecker family are arranged chronologically. The subseries
contains documents corresponding to the Riecker family and estate, including Paul Riecker’s map created
for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and birth and baptism certificates belonging to various Riecker
family members.
box
folder
4
19
Birth and baptism certificates 1848-1928
4
20
Riecker's Addition real estate 1882-1938
4
21
Lilian E. Austin's estate 1912-1913
4
22
California real estate 1923, 1935-1942, 1944
4
23
Annie W. Riecker's estate 1937-1938
4
24
Annie W. Riecker's estate 1938-1941
4
25
Edna F. Riecker's [Sister Mary Winifred] estate 1937-1938
4
26
Edna F. Riecker's [Sister Mary Winifred] estate 1945-1946
4
27
Myrtle Riecker's estate 1960-1963
4
28
Inglewood, California cemetery family plot 1913-1918
4
29
Edna F. Riecker's [Sister Mary Winifred] U.S.C. commencement
week booklets 1924-1929
4
30
Edna F. Riecker's [Sister Mary Winifred] U.S.C. diploma of
graduation 1924-1929
4
31
Edna F. Riecker's [Sister Mary Winifred] higher education
records 1924-1929
4
32
Annie W. Riecker's Memorial Lecture Series No.2 and No.4
1961-1963
The financial documents and records relevant to the Riecker family are arranged
chronologically and by document type. The subseries contain financial records related to the Riecker
family as well as income tax and investment documents from various Riecker family
members.
box
folder
4
33
Annie W. Riecker's insurance and statement of
accounts 1920-1932
4
34
Stocks and shares notes 1927-1967
4
35
Annie W. Riecker's federal income tax returns 1928-1933
4
36
Insurance and real estate documents 1929-1936
4
37
Edna F. Riecker's [Sister Mary Winifred] individual
income tax returns 1938-1945
The newspaper clippings are arranged chronologically. The subseries
contain published newspaper articles concerning the Riecker family and Riecker’s
Addition.
box
folder
4
38
General 1887-1967
4
39
Riecker's Addition 1922-1931
4
40
Annie W. Riecker's Memorial Lecture Series 1960-1967
The documents and records relating to the Riecker’s Addition are arranged chronologically
and by document type. The subseries contains documents and records relating to Riecker’s Addition, such
as abstracts, indentures, tax receipts, and assessment notes about the real estate
property.
box
folder
5
1
Abstracts copied from Pima County Recorder's Office 1882-1920
5
2
Indentures, abstracts and bargain sale deeds 1890-1912
5
3
Indentures, abstracts and bargain sale deeds 1913-1928
5
4
State, County and City taxes 1891-1924
5
5
State, County and City taxes 1925-1932
5
6
State, County and City taxes 1933-1949
5
7
Drafts of letters and proposals relating to the City
Assessments of Street Improvements 1916-1929
5
8
Drafts of letters and proposals relating to the City
Assessments of Street Improvements 1930-1938
5
9
Notes copied from the U.S. General Surveyor General's
Office 1919
5
10
Sketches, maps and survey notes 1919-1930
5
11
City Assessments of Street Improvements 1919-1962
5
12
Property assessment documents 1920-1946
5
13
Property assessment notes 1928-1931
5
14
Contracts for sale of real estate property 1929-1943
5
15
City of Tucson Resolutions [1181, 1225, 1230] 1930-1931
5
16
City Assessments of Street Improvements notes 1939-1943
box
folder
6
1
Map: Survey by G. J. Roskruge -- Riecker's Addition
to Tucson circa 1890
6
1
Map: Survey by G.J. Roskruge -- Riecker's Addition
to Tucson circa 1890
6
1
Map: Riecker's Addition to Tucson circa 1900
6
1
Blueprint: Plat of Riecker's Addition 1917
6
1
Map: USGS, California and Arizona circa 1940
6
1
Map: Tucson 1956
6
1
Map: Carbon print of Riecker's Addition -- Large undated
6
1
Map: Carbon print of Riecker's Addition -- Small undated
The portraits are arranged chronologically and arranged by individual. The subseries
contains a painted portrait of the Riecker children and various individual and group portraits of the
Riecker family.
The photographs of Fred A. Riecker are arranged chronologically and by subject type.
The subseries contains a collection of photographs Fred A. Riecker made throughout
his life.
box
folder
5
25
Railroad engineer circa 1910
5
26
S.S. Manhattan 1939
5
27
Downtown Tucson 1957-1967
5
28
Greater Tucson 1957-1964
5
29
University of Arizona 1964-1964
box
folder
6
2
"Water for nature's storehouse -- the forest; Apache." 1931
6
2
"Roads are the arteries of the forest; Apache." 1931
6
2
"National forest timber is harvested on a sustained yield basis;
Sitgraves." 1931
6
2
"Head of cattle graze the national forest ranges of Arizona
in 1931; Sitgraves." 1931
