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David B. Kurtz

1819 – 1898

American mayor

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About David B. Kurtz

Lived 1819 – 1898 (aged 78–79). David B. Kurtz was an American politician.

David Brower Kurtz (1819 – March 23, 1898), also known as Daniel Brower Kurtz, was an American Whig and Democratic politician from California.

Kurtz was born in 1819 in Pennsylvania. He came to San Diego in 1850 where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1856. He also was a contractor and constructed several buildings in Old Town San Diego and elsewhere.

Kurtz was the second mayor of San Diego under U.S. rule, from 1851 until 1852. He later was a member of the California State Senate in 1852 and 1855, as a Whig party member, county judge from 1855–1856, and member of the California State Assembly during 1861–1862 and 1865–1866, representing the 1st District.

During the Civil War Kurtz was a Breckinridge Democrat (Southern sympathizer). Kurtz was appointed brigadier-general of the State Militia in 1856. Kurtz was president of San Diego's Board of Trustees in 1862 when San Diego did not have a Mayoral form of government.

In 1866 he moved to San Luis Rey, California, in present Oceanside, California, and died there in 1898. He's buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego.

Kurtz Street, located in the Midway district and Middletown neighborhoods of San Diego, is named for him. The Fire Mountain area of Oceanside also has a Kurtz Street.

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Important facts

Born
1819, Pennsylvania
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Mayor of San Diego, Member of the California State Assembly, Member of the State Senate of California
Also known as
David Brower Kurtz

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped David B. Kurtz's

Frequently asked questions

Who was David B. Kurtz?

American mayor

When was David B. Kurtz born?

David B. Kurtz was born in 1819 in Pennsylvania.

When did David B. Kurtz die?

David B. Kurtz died on 23 March 1898 in San Luis Rey.

What was David B. Kurtz's occupation?

David B. Kurtz was a politician.

What nationality was David B. Kurtz?

David B. Kurtz was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: David B. Kurtz

· Wikidata: Q5230984

· DBpedia: David B. Kurtz

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David B. Kurtz. https://biography.guide/david-b-kurtz/

MLA: "David B. Kurtz." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-b-kurtz/.

Chicago: "David B. Kurtz." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-b-kurtz/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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