Guide to the Ray Billingsley Papers
MS.R.013
Finding aid prepared by Carole McEwan
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California, 92623-9557
949-824-3947
spcoll@uci.edu
© 2010
Title: Ray Billingsley papers
Collection number: MS.R.013
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Irvine. Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Language of Material:
English.
Physical Description:
5.2 linear feet
(13 document boxes)
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1886-1900
Date (inclusive): 1870-1928
Abstract: This collection comprises the professional and personal papers of Ray Billingsley, a prominent lawyer in Santa Ana, California
from the late 1800s to early 1900s. Included are records from his legal practice and his business interests in the Villa Park
Orchards.
Creator:
Billingsley, Ray, 1854-
Access
Collection is open for research.
Collection Arrangement
This collection is arranged in 3 series:
- Series 1. Professional papers, law practices 1879-1904, 4.0 linear feet
- Series 2. Personal papers, 1870-1918, 1.0 linear feet
- Series 3. Ephemera, 1886-1918, 0.2 linear feet
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection consists primarily of the professional records from Ray Billingsley's law practices from 1886-1904 in Santa
Ana, California and his personal records from his other business interests, specifically Villa Park Orchards from 1887. Included
are legal forms, handwriten notes and transactions, receipts, correspondence, and ephemera.
Bibliography
For further biographical information, see
History of Orange County California. Los Angeles : Historic Record Company, 1911.
Related Collections
Related archives can be found in the following collection:
Ray Billingsley Papers, ca. 1875-1930, collection number 227, at UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections, Manuscript
Division, Los Angeles, California.
Historical Background
Ray Billingsley, a prominent lawyer and orchardist in Santa Ana, California at the turn of the 20th century, was born in 1854
at Richmond, Iowa. He attended the University of Iowa and in 1879 received his LL.B. and began practicing law in Vinton, Iowa.
He married Eleanor A. Patterson in 1882 and they moved to Orange County, California in the summer of 1886. They settled on
84 acres of land in Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana and named their house "Villa Park". The land was bought at $125 to $225 an
acre and about 2/3rd was eventually planted in orchard oranges, lemons, apricots, and walnuts and olives. The Billingsleys
had seven children: William Patterson, Helen May, Harlowe Ray, Carey Val, Hester Sophia and Maynard John (who died at 12 years).
In 1886, Ray Billingsley opened a law office in Santa Ana, about 9 miles from his home. He had various partners over the years
(Painter and Cooke) and specialized in real estate including mortgages. By 1904, he stepped back from his law practice and
concentrated on his orchard business - Villa Park Orchards - and worked for grower cooperatives for better fruit handling
and prices. He also devoted time to his many civic interests (e.g. Orange County College, Serrano Water District), and business
investments (e.g. Orange Auto Power Company, Mission Film Corporation). He was also instrumental in the foundation of the
First Congregational Church of Villa Park in 1889 and served as an official for 20 years. He was a progressive Democrat and
was a founder of the first Bryan Club in Santa Ana in 1896 to support the Presidential candidacy of William Jennings Bryan.
He was an Orange County delegate to the Democratic State Convention in 1908.
Processing History
Processed by Carole McEwan, 2010. This collection was obtained as part of the Don Meadows Papers, MS-R001 in 2003. It was
incorrectly labeled "Otto" Billingsley papers.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Billingsley, Ray, 1854- -- Archives
First Congregational Church of Villa Park (Calif.) -- Archives. -- History
Meadows, Don -- collector
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana (Calif.). -- History-Sources
Citrus fruit industry -- California -- 19th century
Fruit growers -- California -- Orange County -- 19th century
Fruit growers -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century
Lawyers -- California -- Santa Ana -- 19th century
Orange County (Calif.) -- History -- Sources
Real estate lawyers -- California -- Santa Ana -- 19th century
Professional papers Series 1.
Bulk, 1888-1891
1879-1904
Physical Description:
10.0 linear feet.
(10 boxes)
Series Scope and Content Summary
These records consist primarily of certificates of title, deeds, mortages and foreclosures, indentures and agreements for
sale of real estate and accounts. There are also court transactions, wills and settlements, insurance documents and the firm's
ledger from the late 1880s.
Series Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologicaly.
Box 1, Folder 1
Varis & Billingsley Attorneys at Law records,
1879-1886
Law office of Ray Billingsley records,
Bulk, 1888-1891
1886-1914
Box 2, Folder 1, Box 1, Folder 2-6
Box 2, Folder 2-5, Box 3, Folder 1-2
Box 4, Folder 1-4, Box 3, Folder 3-6
Box 4, Folder 5-6, Box 5, Folder 1-5
Box 5, Folder 6, Box 6, Folder 1-6
Personal papers Series 2.
1870-1918
Physical Description:
3.0 linear feet.
(3 boxes)
Series Scope and Content Summary
Billingsley's personal financial records contain correspondence, receipts, technical information, county tax receipts, handwritten
argeements, checkbooks and titles to his Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana property. There is also a collection of stamped envelopes
to Ray Billingsley from 1889-1913. The records for Villa Park Orchards contain receipts, correspondence, technical information
and handwritten documents regarding grower cooperatives. There are also the founding records for the First Congregational
Church of Villa Park, California which consist of handwritten promises to support the Church financially and the Certificate
of Articles of Incorporation from the State of California. Trustee meeting minutes, reports, resolutions, decisions, Treasurer's
reports, invoices for payment and pastoral correspondence make up the rest of the records. Other personal papers include handwritten
letters from his family.
Series Arrangement
This series is arranged alphabetically.
Box 11, Folder 3-5
Family correspondence,
1870-1922
Box 11, Folder 6
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana: Legal papers,
1876-1915
Villa Park Orchards financial papers and other information,
1887-1922
Box 11, Folder 7, Box 12, Folder 1-2
Financial records
1874-1930
Box 12, Folder 5-6
Financial records,
1874-1930
Box 13, Folder 3
Wiliam Billingsley, Stock ledger,
1908
Box 13, Folder 4
William Billingsley, Check book,
1888-1889
Box 13, Folder 5
Stamped envelopes.
1888-1913
Box 13, Folder 6-7
First Congregational Church of Villa Park, California records
1889-1908
Ephemera Series 3.
1881-1918
Physical Description:
.2 linear feet.
(1 box)
Series Scope and Content Summary
The ephemera consists of handwritten notes, technical information, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, event programs, a citrus
receipe book and blank legal forms.
Series Arrangement
This series is arranged alphabetically.
Box 13, Folder 8
Citrus and fruit industry ephemera,
1886-1900
Box 13, Folder 10
Political ephemera,
1896-1918
Box 13, Folder 11
General ephemera,
1881-1918
Physical Description:
0.2 linear feet.
4 folders
