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Wright (William Lawton) Manuscript and Papers
MS.215  
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Description
William "Bill" Lawton Wright (1902 March 23 - 1962 September 2) was a newspaper reporter in San Diego and San Francisco in the 1920s and 1930s. He pursued an interest in San Diego County history and discovered that the location of the Butterfield Stagecoach station on Warner's Ranch was incorrectly identified. Wright's 1961 publication on the topic The Warner's Ranch Butterfield Station Puzzle resulted in a National Historic Landmark designation from the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior in 1962. This collection of papers from 1931-1962 includes Wright's research on the topic, correspondence, and manuscript drafts, as well as a portfolio of evidence Wright constructed for proving his case to any pertinent board or committee.
Background
William "Bill" Lawton Wright was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 1902 March 23. Wright moved to California when he attended Stanford University in San Francisco. At Stanford, Wright met Katherine Frances Capell, and the two were wed in 1926 on Wright's 24th birthday. Wright was the editor of the Stanford Daily before he and Katherine relocated to San Diego in 1929, where Wright was a columnist for the San Diego Union until 1937. While in San Diego, Wright was heavily involved with the San Diego Historical Society and passionately studied the history of San Diego County, specifically the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach station at Warner's Ranch. The Wrights moved to Glendale, California in 1943, and William continued his research on the Butterfield Overland route and San Diego County.
Extent
3.9 Linear Feet (3 boxes; 1 oversized folio)
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Availability
Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit https://theautry.org/research-collections/library-and-archives and fill out the Researcher Application Form.