This collection contains the papers of the family of Ezra Dane (1828-1921) and Lois Anna Nutting, who settled in California during the Gold Rush period. The bulk of the papers consist of personal Dane family correspondence; some letters discuss the Civil War, and the largest group of letters was written by Ada Nutting Baker in Decatur, Michigan, between 1854 and 1902. The collection also includes business papers, as well as notes and source material used by writer George Ezra Dane (1904-1941).

Ezra Dane (1828-1921) was born in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, on April 12, 1828. He crossed the plains to California in 1852 and engaged in mining in the Tuolomne region. During a visit home to Massachusetts in 1859, he married Lois Anna Nutting, and on their return established a home in Sonora, California, and in 1884 acquired a fruit ranch, "Sunny Ridge," near Pasadena, California. His grandson, George Ezra Dane (1904-1941), born in Pasadena on December 21, 1904, was the son of Beatrice (Jodon) and George Bryant Dane. He was a lawyer and a writer of folklore, western history, and humor.

Approximately 1,030 pieces in 16 boxes plus 1 folder, 1 envelope, and 1 volume.

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