Descriptive Summary
Important Information for Researchers
Historical Background
Collection Scope and Content Summary
Collection Arrangement
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: Amador, Yorba, López, and Cota families correspondence
Date: 1853-1897
Collection Number: MS-R032
Creator:
Amador family
Creator:
Cota family
Creator:
Yorba family
Creator:
López family
Extent:
0.4 linear feet
(1 box)
Languages: The collection is in Spanish, with some materials in English.
Repository:
University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Abstract: This collection comprises hand-written correspondence among members of the Amador, Yorba, López, and Cota families in the
region of Orange County, San Diego County, and Baja California from 1853 to 1879. Items include personal letters and business
receipts. The collection documents the family matters of several prominent Californio families in the decades following the
Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the admission of California to the Union (1850). The correspondence largely concerns
the health of family members, births, deaths, family events, family visits, and business transactions. Several letters also
contain references to national boundaries, language problems, military movements, and epidemics. Members of the López family
in San Diego are the recipients of more than half of the letters, while members of the Amador family, some of whom were based
in San Juan Capistrano, are the largest group of letter writers, accounting for one-quarter of the collection.
Important Information for Researchers
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. These materials are in the public domain. For permissions to reproduce
or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation
Amador, Yorba, López, and Cota families correspondence. MS-R032. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries,
Irvine, California.
Acquisition Information
Acquired, 1974.
Processing History
Processed by Kurt MacMillan and Audrey Pearson, 2007.
Historical Background
The Amador, Cota, Yorba, and López families were four prominent Californio families who received land grants and settled in
California in the nineteenth century. Bernardo Yorba was granted Rancho Yorba, Jose Antonio Yorba and Juan Pablo Peralta
were granted Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, Francisco Cota inherited Rancho de Ballona in present-day Los Angeles, José María
Amador was granted Rancho San Ramón, and Cornelio López and Bernardo Higuera were granted Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection comprises hand-written correspondence among members of the Amador, Yorba, López, and Cota families in the
region of Orange County, San Diego County, and Baja California from 1853 to 1879. Items include personal letters and business
receipts. The collection documents the family matters of several prominent Californio families in the decades following the
Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the admission of California to the Union (1850). The correspondence largely concerns
the health of family members, births, deaths, family events, family visits, and business transactions. Several letters also
contain references to national boundaries, language problems, military movements, and epidemics. Members of the López family
in San Diego are the recipients of more than half of the letters, while members of the Amador family, some of whom were based
in San Juan Capistrano, are the largest group of letter writers, accounting for one-quarter of the collection.
Collection Arrangement
This collection is arranged first by format, then chronologically.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Amador family -- Correspondence.
Yorba family -- Correspondence.
López family -- Correspondence.
Cota family -- Correspondence.
Mexican American families -- California, Southern -- Correspondence.
Mexican Americans -- California, Southern -- Correspondence.
California, Southern -- Correspondence.
Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula) -- Correspondence
Orange County (Calif.) -- Correspondence.
Genres and Formats of Materials
Letters -- California -- 19th century.
Letters -- Mexico -- Baja California (Peninsula) -- 19th century.
Contributors
Amador family.
Yorba family.
López family.
Cota family.
No online items
