Inventory of the Burnett Family Papers
Sara Gunasekara
Department of Special Collections
General Library
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616-5292
Phone: (530) 752-1621
Fax: (530) 754-5758
Email: speccoll@ucdavis.edu
© 2013
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Creator:
Burnett Family
Title: Burnett Family Papers
Date (inclusive): 1825-1918
Extent:
0.8 linear feet
Abstract: Lester Burnett (1804-1870) settled in Yuba County, California in 1850. His son Wellington Burnett (1829-1907) served as city
and county attorney of San Francisco. The collection contains correspondence related to Lester, his wife Olive, and their
son Wellington, as well as other Burnett family members. Also included in the collection are legal and financial documents
connected to the family.
Physical location: Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite.
Repository:
University of California, Davis. Library. Dept. of Special Collections.
Davis, California 95616-5292
Collection number: D-557
Language of Material: Collection materials in English.
Biography
Lester Burnett was born in Hampton, Connecticut on October 29, 1804. On June 1, 1828 he married Olive Browne Cleveland, who
was born in Brooklyn, Connecticut on October 13, 1809.
Circa 1842, Lester Burnett moved with his family to Michigan. In 1850, Burnett came to California and settled at Long Bar,
Yuba County, where he became an orchardist. He was president of the Eureka Mining Company. Lester Burnett passed away on September
6, 1870 and Olive Burnett passed away on December 14, 1876.
Lester and Olive's son, Wellington Cleveland Burnett, was born in Hampton, Connecticut on September 21, 1829. After his service
in the Mexican War, Wellington attended Harvard Law School. In 1855 he was elected to the California State Senate as representative
of the district comprising Yuba and Yolo Counties. After the completion of his state Senate term, he practiced law in San
Francisco. He was later elected city and county attorney of San Francisco.
Wellington married Jane Cromwell Cleveland (d. June 13, 1923) on December 6, 1855. They had eight children including: Edward
Worthington (1842-1895), Isaac Gibson (1856-1928), Charles Cleveland (1861-1863), Lester Grant (1863-1929), Olive (1866-1931),
Gertrude Augusta (1869-1954), and Marius.
Wellington Burnett passed away on February 9, 1907.
Source:
Millard, Bailey.
History of the San Francisco Bay Region. San Francisco: The Ameican Historical Society, Inc., 1924.
Scope and Content
The collection contains correspondence related to Lester, his wife Olive, and their son Wellington, as well as other Burnett
family members. Also included in the collection are legal and financial documents related to the family.
Arrangement of the Collection
The collection is arranged in three series: Correspondence, Legal and Finanical Documents, and Ephemera.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Burnett, Lester--Archives
Burnett, Olive
Burnett, W. C.
Burnett Family--Archives
Yuba County (Calif)--History
Access
Collection is open for research.
Processing Information
Sara Gunasekara processed this collection with assistance from student employee Michelle Xie.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Burnett Family Papers, D-557, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of
California, Davis.
Publication Rights
Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf
of the Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis as the owner of the physical items
and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Series 1.
Correspondence
1825-1918
Physical Description:
92 letters
Scope and Content Note
Contains letters to or from various members of the Burnett family including Lester Burnett, Olive Burnett, Wellington Burnett,
and Jane Cleveland Burnett. The letters are arranged chronologically.
Box 1:1
Ford, Mary to Lester Burnett
1825 September 5
Box 1:2
Allen, Lois to Olive Burnett
1832 September 24
Box 1:3
Lavinia to Olive Burnett
1838 December 23
Box 1:4
Chandler, Louisa R. and Chandler, Lucius to Olive Burnett
1839 January 27
Box 1:5
>Lavinia to Olive Burnett
1839 February 18
Box 1:6
Burnett, David to Lester Burnett
1842 December 10
Box 1:7
Unidentified to Olive Burnett
1843 August 2
Box 1:8
Lavinia to Olive Burnett
1844 February 14
Box 1:9
Lavinia to Olive Burnett
1844 October
Box 1:10
Hyde, Alonzo to Lester Burnett
1846 August 23
Box 1:11
Burnett, David to Chloe Burnett
1846 August 27
Box 1:12
Unidentified to Lester Burnett
1848 June 30
Box 1:13
Curtis, J. to Lester Burnett
1850 April 24
Box 1:14
Dennis G.R. to Olive Burnett
1850 June 17
Box 1:15
Gallup, J. to Olive Burnett
1850 August 31
Box 1:16
Shepperd, Calvin to Olive Burnett
1852
Box 1:17
Unidentified to Jennie [Jane Cleveland Burnett]
18530519
Box 1:18
Maggie to Jennie [Jane] Cleveland Burnett
1853 December 16
Box 1:19
Waterbury, A. to Lester Burnett
1854 February 3
Box 1:20
Vrozlay, Eugene to Wellington Burnett
1854 February 7
Box 1:21
Unidentified to Wellington Burnett
1854 March 23
Box 1:22
Clapp, James to Arthur Johnson
1854 March 25
Box 1:23
Mat to Jennie [Jane Cleveland Burnett]
1854 May 7
Box 1:24
Charlan, Stephen to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1854 October 26
Box 1:25
Unidentified to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1854 October 30
Box 1:26
Cleveland, L. to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1855 July 24
Box 1:27
Taintor, Henry to Lester Burnett
1856 January 5
Box 1:28
Prentice C.C. to Jennie [Jane] Cleveland Burnett
1856 May
Box 1:29
Aitchison, George to Wellington Burnett
1856 September 25
Box 1:30
sheaun, Jacob E. to Wellington Burnett
1857 March 2
Box 1:31
Cleveland, Addie to My Dear Brother
1857 April 12
Box 1:32
Van Welkenburg, M.B. to Olive Burnett
1857 August 5
Box 1:33
Aitchison, George to Wellington Burnett
1857 November
Box 1:34
Lake, Warner to Mrs. Burnett
1858 April 11
Box 1:35
Cleveland, J. and Cleveland, Addie to Brother and Sister
1859 January 16
Box 1:36
Vrozlay, Eugene to Wellington Burnett
1859 February 10
Box 1:37
Gibson, Isaac to Wellington Burnett
1859 August 29
Box 1:38
Gibson, Isaac to Friend Burnett
1859 Dcember 3
Box 1:39
Gibson, J. to Lester Burnett
1860 April 22
Box 1:40
Beach, Hiram to Wellington Burnett
1860 August 3
Box 1:41
Aitchison, George to Wellington Burnett
1860 August 11
Box 1:42
Burnett, E.W. to Parents [Lester Burnett and Olive Burnett]
1861 March 24
Box 1:43
Burnett, E.W. to Parents [Lester Burnett and Olive Burnett]
1861 April 9
Box 1:44
Burnett, Lester to Son
1862 May 28
Box 1:45
Parr, Charles to Unidentified
1862 October 2
Box 1:46
Burnett, R.W. to Lester Burnett
1862 October 8
Box 1:47
Burnett, Wellington to Father [Lester Burnett]
1863 February 3
Box 1:48
Martin, William H. to Wellington Burnett
1864 May 28
Box 1:49
Haskell, Maria to Olive Burnett
1864 July 29
Box 1:50
Jennie [Jane Cleveland Burnett] to Olive Burnett [Mother]
1864 December 15
Box 1:51
Unidentified
1866 April 7
Box 1:52
Dupre, E. to My Dear Burnett
1866 April 23
Box 1:53
Burnett, E.W. to Parents [Lester Burnett and Olive Burnett]
1866 May 11
Box 1:54
Unidenitifed to Olive Burnett
1866 December
Box 1:55
Burnett, Lester to E.W. Burnett
1868 February 24
Box 1:56
Briggs, G. to Lester Burnett
1868 August 20
Box 1:57
Burnett, Lester to Son
1868 October 18
Box 1:58
Burnett, Isaac to Wellington Burnett
1868 December 13
Box 1:59
Burnett, Isaac to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1869
Box 1:60
Crooker, D.C. to Wellington Burnett
1870 August 31
Box 1:61
Telegraphs to Wellington Burnett
1870-1871
Box 1:62
Booth, Newton to Wellington Burnett
1878 April 25
Box 1:63
Crane, L. to Mr. Burnett
1879 September 7
Box 1:64
Machintosh, D. to Wellington Burnett
1881 November 25
Box 1:65
Russell, John to Wellington Burnett
1882 June 15
Box 1:66
Weaver, Thomas to E.W. Burnett
1883 December 1
Box 1:67
McCollum, H.S. to E.W. Burnett
1885 January 20
Box 1:68
Wedekind, George L. to Wellington Burnett
1885 April 2
Box 1:69
Cleveland, E.J. to E.W. Burnett
1885 April 10
Box 1:70
Burnett, G.G. to E.W. Burnett
1885 May 9
Box 1:71
Mitchell, J. to E. Burnett
1888 January 4
Box 1:72
Unidentified to Wellington Burnett
1888 January 20
Box 1:73
Burnett, Harry to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1888 May 4
Box 1:74
Burnett, Harry to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1888 May 9
Box 1:75
County Clerk, San Benito County, California to Wellington Burnett
1890 March 21
Box 1:76
Town Clerk, Goshen, Connecticut to E.W. Burnett
1890 July 3
Box 1:77
Crocker, M.J. to Wellington Burnett
1890 September 19
Box 1:78
Jane Cleveland Burnett to Marius Burnett
1890 October 29
Box 1:79
Ashton, J.M. to Wellington Burnett
1892
Box 1:80
Unidentified to Henry C. Herman
1898 November 19
Box 1:81
Fowler M. to Wellington Burnett
1898?
Box 1:82
Huffman, E. to Friend
1899 August 4
Box 1:83
Middleton, J.D. to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1902 November 22
Box 1:84
Murdock, Mrs. Moores to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1903 November 14
Box 1:85
Sherman, Edwin A. to Wellington Burnett
1906 May 27
Box 1:86
California Academy of Sciences to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1917 July 2
Box 1:87
Phelan, James D. to Jane Cleveland Burnett
1918 August 13
Box 1:88
Stevens, C.C. to Mrs. Burnett
undated
Box 1:89
Cleveland, Elizabeth M. to Olive Burnett
undated
Box 1:90
Hovey, L. to Friend
undated
Box 1:91
Unidentified to Jennie [Jane] Cleveland Burnett
undated
Box 1:92
Unidentified to Pa and Ma
undated
Box 2:1-20
Series 2.
Legal and Financial Documents
1843-1889
Scope and Content Note
Contains deeds, probate documents, and contracts, as well as bills and receipts. Also included are the October 8, 1853 minutes
for the Long Bar Water Co.
Box 2:21-24
Series 3.
Ephemera
1882-1908
Scope and Content Note
Contains one photograph (cyanotype), a clipping on Lester G. Burnett (1908), and printed material.
