Inventory of the Charles L. Stilson 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
© 2012
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.


Creator: Stilson, Charles L.
Title: Charles L. Stilson Papers
Date (inclusive): 1864-1885
Extent: 0.2 linear feet
Abstract: Charles L. Stilson (1844-1922) was a businessman in Chico, California. The collection contains twenty-three letters, the majority of which are written to Stilson by the aunt who raised him, Elizabeth L. Stilson. The letters discuss life in Chico, family news, and Stilson's business dealings.
Physical location: Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite.
Repository: University of California, Davis. General Library. Dept. of Special Collections.
Davis, California 95616-5292
Collection number: MC248
Language of Material: Collection materials in English.

Biography

Charles L. Stilson was born August 10, 1844 in Goshen, Indiana to Abner and Melissa Denham Stilson. After the death of his parents in 1847, Charles and his two brothers went to live with their aunt and uncle, Elizabeth L. Dickerson (b. circa 1824-1825) and James Stancliff Stilson (b. 1811) in Walworth County, Wisconsin.
Stilson arrived in Chico, California in July 1863 and worked for several years in John Bidwell’s store. In 1868, he established his own store with Charles L. Pond on Main Street. In 1886, he was appointed Butte County Clerk and elected to the office for four successive terms. He was admitted to practice law in California in 1894.
He married Emma Dolliver (1848-1940) on November 6, 1871 in San Jose, California. They had two children, Eleanor F. (1879-1938) and Lois W.
Charles Stilson passed away on April 12, 1922 in Chico, California.
Source:
Mansfield, George C. History of Butte County, California: with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present. Chico, CA: Association for Northern California Records and Research, 1996, c1918.

Scope and Content

The collection contains twenty-three letters, the majority of which are written to Stilson by the aunt who raised him, Elizabeth L. Stilson. The letters discuss life in Chico, family news, and Stilson's business dealings.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is arranged in two series: Correspondence 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.
Stilson, Charles L.--Archives
Stilson, Elizabeth L.--Correspondence
Chico (Calif.)--History
Butte County (Calif.)--History

Access

Collection is open for research.

Processing Information

Sara Gunasekara processed this collection.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Charles L. Stilson Papers, MC248, 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 1864-1885

Physical Description: 23 letters

Scope and Content Note

Arranged in three subseries: Outgoing, Incoming, and Third Party.
 

Subseries 1.1 Outgoing 1885

Physical Description: 1 letter

Scope and Content Note

Contains one letter written by Charles.
Box MC248:1

Foye, W. 1885 March 23

 

Subseries 1.2 Incoming 1864-1885

Physical Description: 19 letters

Scope and Content Note

Contains nineteen letters written to Charles Stilson. The majority of the letters are written by E.L. Stilson. Arranged chronologically.
Box MC248:2

Stilson, E.L. 1864 March 13

Box MC248:3

Stilson, E.L. 1873 January 15

Box MC248:4

Stilson, E.L. 1875 January 3

Box MC248:5

Stilson, J.S. 1877 February 23

Box MC248:6

Stilson, J.S. 1877 June 3

Box MC248:7

Stilson, J.S. 1877 September 9

Box MC248:8

Foye, W.R.S. 1881 August 29

Box MC248:9

Huntington, Hopkins & Co. 1881 November 14

Box MC248:10

Foye, W.R.S. 1882 March 4

Box MC248:11

Schaur, William 1883 March 12

Box MC248:12

Huntington, Hopkins & Co. 1885 April 16

Box MC248:13

Nichols, A.L. 1885 April 28

Box MC248:14

Stilson, E.L. undated

Box MC248:15

Stilson, E.L. undated

Box MC248:16

Stilson, E.L. undated

Box MC248:17

Stilson, E.L. undated

Box MC248:18

Stilson, E.L. undated

Box MC248:19

Stilson, E.L. undated

Box MC248:20

Stilson, E.L. undated

 

Subseries 1.3 Third Party undated

Physical Description: 3 letters

Scope and Content Note

Contains three letters written to Stilson's wife, Emma. Arranged chronologically.
Box MC248:21

Black, A.S. to Emma Stilson undated

Box MC248:22

Black, A.S. to Emma Stilson undated

Box MC248:23

Stilson, E.L. to Emma Stilson undated

 

Series 2. Ephemera 1866-1877

Scope and Content Note

Arranged chronologically.
Box MC248:24

Teacher's Certificate for Charles L. Stilson from Butte County 1866 February 24

Box MC248:25

Receipts 1876-1877