Finding aid of the Spooner Family papers

Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections
University of the Pacific Library
3601 Pacific Ave.
Stockton, CA 95211
Phone: (209) 946-2404
Fax: (209) 946-2942
URL: http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections.html
© 2006
University of the Pacific. All rights reserved.

Finding aid of the Spooner Family papers

Collection number: MSS 270

Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections

University of the Pacific Library

Stockton, California
Encoded by:
Shan Sutton
© 2006 University of the Pacific. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Spooner family papers
Dates: 1857-1963
Collection number: MSS 270
Creator: Spooner, John Pitcher, 1845-1917
Collection Size: .5 linear feet
Repository: University of the Pacific. Library. Holt-Atherton Dept. of Special Collections
Stockton, California 95211
Abstract: Collection consists of family photographs of John Pitcher Spooner family and papers of John Pitcher Spooner and Fred K. Spooner. John Pitcher Spooner's papers include family correspondence, notes, a sea voyage sketchbook and genealogy notes (1857-1917). Fred Spooner's papers include school papers and reminiscences of steamboat crew members and childhood experiences (1920s).
Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

Collection open for research.

Publication Rights

Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections 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.

Preferred Citation

Spooner family papers. MSS 270. Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library.

Biography / Administrative History

John Pitcher Spooner was born in New Bedford, Mass. (1845) and went to sea at an early age. After several voyages he settled in San Francisco, Calif. (1864), where he took a job with Bradley-Rulofson Photographers. After fifteen years with this firm he married one of his models, Sarah Elizabeth Williams, and opened his own studio in Stockton, Calif. (1879). Spooner's glass plate photographs and stereo views of Stockton constitute a valuable record of the city's appearance during the last quarter of the 19th century. Spooner retired in 1901. He had two children, John Jr., a civil engineer, and Susan Spooner White, a teacher.
Fred K. Spooner, who is represented by many items in this collection, is the son of John Pitcher Spooner, Jr. Fred Spooner was an educator, serving for many years as Principal of Stockton Junior High School. His reminiscences describe the colorful steamboat era in Stockton history (1890-1920).

Scope and Content of Collection

Collection consists of family photographs of John Pitcher Spooner family and papers of John Pitcher Spooner and Fred K. Spooner. John Pitcher Spooner's papers include family correspondence, notes, a sea voyage sketchbook and genealogy notes (1857-1917). Fred Spooner's papers include school papers and reminiscences of steamboat crew members and childhood experiences (1920s)

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
John Pitcher Spooner Photography Studio (Stockton, Calif.)
Spooner family
Spooner, Fred K.
Photographers - California - Stockton
River steamers - California - Stockton
Stockton (Calif.) - Social life and customs
Stockton (Calif.) - History

Related Material

Many Stockton photographs by John Pitcher Spooner are located in the general photogrpah collection in the Holt-Atherton Special Collections department.

 

Series I: Family History and John Pitcher Spooner

 

1.1: Geneaology and biographical material.

 

1.2: John Pitcher Spooner sketchbook. 1857

 

1.3: John Pitcher Spooner correspondence.

 

1.4: John Pitcher Spooner correspondence.

 

1.5: John Pitcher Spooner miscellaneous papers.

 

Fred Spooner Papers

 

2.1: Reminiscences and school papers relating to work for a steamship company in Stockton.

 

2.2: School papers, language arts, city government.

 

2.3: Paper on John Pitcher Spooner.

 

2.4: Paper on Bill Blodgett (53 year veteran river boat purser).

 

2.5: Clipping on talk by Fred Spooner on Delta shipping.

 

Series III: Other Related Papers

 

3.1: Post cards and drawing by Sue Mary Bell Spooner.

 

Series IV: Photographs

 

4.1: John Pitcher Spooner

 

4.2: Sarah Williams Spooner

 

4.3: John Pitcher Spooner, Jr. and Sue May Bell Spooner.

 

4.4: Other Spooner family photographs.

 

4.5: Miscellaneous prints and negatives