Guide to the J.J. Martin Papers, 1880-1972, bulk 1885-1936
Guide written by Alison E. Bridger and Andrea O'Neill
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
© 2006
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Guide to the J.J. Martin Papers, 1880-1972, bulk 1885-1936
Collection Number: BANC MSS C-B 363
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
- Guide Written By:
- Alison E. Bridger and Andrea O'Neill
- Date Completed:
-
January 2006
© 2006 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Collection Summary
Collection Title: J.J. Martin papers
Date (inclusive): 1880-1972,
Date (bulk): , bulk 1885-1936
Collection Number: BANC MSS C-B 363
Creators :
Martin, J. J., (James John), 1845-1938
Extent:
Number of containers: 5 boxes and 4 volumes
Linear feet: 2.2
Repository: The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
Abstract: Contains documents from and relating to the Kaweah Colony, the Hartly Bay Lumber, Trading & Fishing Company, the Tasmania
Colony, as well as information on other cooperatives. The Kaweah Colony records include official documents, correspondence,
legal documents from a case with the U.S. Government, a scrapbook and two histories, including one unpublished manuscript
by Martin. Papers also include a small amount of personal and family papers including an unpublished manuscript, "Religion
and Socialism."
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts
must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft
Library 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 reader.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], J.J. Martin Papers, BANC MSS C-B 363, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Alternate Forms Available
Correspondence from Upton Sinclair is available on microfilm, [BANC FILM X-X film 5].
Related Collections
Kaweah Cooperative Colony Company Records (BANC MSS C-A 303)
Haskell Family Papers (BANC MSS C-B 364)
Joseph Cummings Rowell Papers (BANC MSS C-B 419)
P.N. Kuss Papers (BANC MSS 2002/193 c)
Rodney Sydes Ellsworth Papers: Relating to the Kaweah Cooperative Colony Co. (BANC MSS 81/27 c)
Ruth Krandis Lewis Correspondence (BANC MSS C-B 365)
Scrapbooks of Clippings Regarding Kaweah Cooperative Colony (BANC MSS C-V 24)
Thomas Waters Papers (BANC MSS C-B 983)
Why Kaweah Failed: transcript, by Joseph E. Doctor (BANC MSS 82/143 c:2)
Separated Material
Printed materials have been transferred to the book collection of The Bancroft Library.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Martin, J. J. (James John), 1845-1938--Archives
Martin, J. J. (James John), 1845-1938--Pictorial works
Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968--Correspondence
Kaweah Colony
Hartly Bay Lumber, Trading and Fishing Company
Tasmania Colony
Credit Foncier Company
Bucklands Settlement
Huapai Estate
Hotel Del Monte (Monterey, Calif.)--Correspondence
Tasmania Colony--Pictorial works
Cooperative societies--California
Cooperative societies--Tasmania
Cooperative societies--New Zealand
Cooperative societies--Mexico
Cooperative societies--South Africa
Clippings
Scrapbooks
Manuscripts for publication
Photographs
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The J.J. Martin Papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Daisy Martin Redstone in September, 1941. Additions were made
in 1985 and 1988 by Ellis Redstone.
Accruals
No additions are expected.
Processing Information
Processed by Alison E. Bridger and Andrea O'Neill (SJSU SLIS student) in 2005-2006.
Biographical Information
James John Martin was born in 1845. The early years of his adulthood were spent in railroad endeavors and efforts related
to labor unions. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Coast Seaman's Union of San Francisco in the 1880s.
These efforts were followed by his involvement in the founding of the Kaweah Co-Operative Colony. The Colony was begun with
the filing of land claims in 1885 and the formal purchase of land in 1887. Martin served as the Secretary of the Kaweah Colony
for five years during which time the Colony was constructed, occupied, investigated by Federal agents, prosecuted by the Federal
government and eventually dismantled. After leaving Kaweah, Martin moved to Los Angeles where he continued to fight for compensation
of the colonists by the government. During this time Martin and some colleagues began to explore the possibility of establishing
a cooperative colony in Mexico, but exploration proved fruitless.
At the beginning of the 20th century Martin moved to Victoria, British Columbia where he worked for a short period as a salesman
before becoming involved in a labor dispute on behalf of the Marine Engineer's Association. Following the resolution of that
labor dispute, he was hired as the organizing Secretary and Treasurer of the Merchant Service Guild of Canada. Amidst a dispute
within the organization, Martin resigned in 1909. For the next two years Martin was involved in the establishment of the
entrepreneurial enterprise of the Hartly Bay Lumber, Trading and Fishing Company. This business collapsed in 1911 and Martin
spent the next 4 years working as Special Representative for the Hotel Del Monte in Western Canada.
In 1914 Martin retired from his work with the Hotel Del Monte and spent the next two years working to establish a cooperative
colony similar to the Kaweah Colony in Tasmania. Despite the backing of prominent governmental officials in Tasmania, the
colony failed to secure parliamentary approval for their establishment and in 1915 efforts were abandoned.
Following the failure of the Tasmania Colony, Martin suffered a nervous breakdown and spent several weeks convalescing with
friends in Tasmania. Upon his recuperation he returned to British Columbia and unsuccessfully sought employment again with
the Hotel Del Monte. Martin spent the next 19 years in retirement spending time with his children and grandchildren. He
died on May 10, 1938 in San Luis Obispo.
Scope and Content of Collection
Contains documents from and relating to the Kaweah Colony, the Hartly Bay Lumber, Trading & Fishing Company, the Tasmania
Colony, as well as information on other cooperatives. The Kaweah Colony records include official documents, correspondence,
legal documents from a case with the U.S. Government, a scrapbook and two histories, including one unpublished manuscript
by Martin. Papers also include a small amount of personal and family papers including an unpublished manuscript, "Religion
and Socialism."
The collection is arranged into five series. Series 1: Kaweah Colony; Series 2: Hartly Bay Lumber, Trading & Fishing Company;
Series 3: Tasmania Colony; Series 4: Other Cooperatives; Series 5: Personal and Family Papers.
Series 1
KAWEAH COLONY
1885-1972
Physical Description:
Box 1-3, v. 1-3
Arrangement
Arranged hierarchically.
Scope and Content Note
Contains official documents of the colony, correspondence, documents related to the case between the colony and the U.S. Government,
scrapbook and clippings and writings on the history of the Kaweah Colony including
Curse of Capitalism, by J.J. Martin and
Kaweah: a Saga of the Old Colony, by Will Purdy. Official documents include a state school land grant, taxes, an annual report and stocks. Correspondence includes
correspondence of J.J. Martin concerning the colony after its demise. The documents relating to the court case include correspondence,
legal documents, clippings and a map of the area where the colony was located.
Box 1, Folder 1
Official documents
1887-1889
Box 1, Folder 4-5
Concerning the Kaweah Colony
1889-1938
Kaweah Colony vs. United States Government
Box 1, Folder 8
Legal documents
1891-1898
Curse of Capitalism, by J.J. Martin
Volume 2
Typescript, final
[ca. 1930's]
Box 1, Folder 12-14
Typescript, draft
[ca. 1930's]
Kaweah: a Saga of the Old Colony, by Will Purdy
Volume 3
Typescript, final
undated
Box 1, Folder 15
Typescript, draft
undated
Box 1, Folder 16
Other writings on Kaweah, by various authors
[ca. 1890-1928]
Series 2
HARTLY BAY LUMBER, TRADING AND FISHING COMPANY
1906-1911
Physical Description:
Box 4, folders 1-4
Arrangement
Arranged hierarchically.
Scope and Content Note
Contains official documents, resolutions, accounts and a map of the location of the company. Official documents include a
prospectus, legal agreements, articles of association, meeting minutes, land documents and stocks.
Box 4, Folder 1
Official documents
1906-1911
Series 3
TASMANIA COLONY
1910-1916
Physical Description:
Box 4, folders 5-8, v. 4
Arrangement
Arranged hierarchically.
Scope and Content Note
Contains official documents, correspondence, scrapbook, clippings and photographs. Photographs include pictures of individuals
in the colony and of their arrival. Official documents include articles of association and other legal documents.
Box 4, Folder 5
Official documents
1910-1915
Series 4
OTHER COOPERATIVES
1890-1916
Physical Description:
Box 4, folders 9-11
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by cooperative.
Scope and Content Note
Contains information on the Bucklands Settlement near Douglas, South Africa, the Credit Foncier Company in Sinaloa, Mexico
and the Huapai Estate in New Zealand. The Bucklands Settlement documents include maps and floor plans of the colony and of
Alby's Farm. The Credit Foncier Company documents include a photograph of members.
Box 4, Folder 9
Bucklands Settlement, near Douglas, South Africa
[ca. 1910]
Box 4, Folder 10
Credit Foncier Company, Sinaloa, Mexico
[ca. 1890]
Box 4, Folder 11
Huapai Estate, New Zealand
1916
Series 5
PERSONAL AND FAMILY PAPERS
1880-1942
Physical Description:
Box 4, folders 12-19, Box 5
Arrangement
Arranged hierarchically.
Scope and Content Note
Contains correspondence, legal documents, clippings, photographs and writings. Correspondence includes family letters and
letters to Martin during his tenure at the Hotel Del Monte. Photographs include pictures of Martin's home in Vancouver, B.C.,
some photographs of Nora [Martin's] trip around Cape of Good Hope and other family photographs. Martin's writings include
the unpublished manuscript to
Religion and Socialism. See other series for more of Martin's writings.
Box 4, Folder 15
Hotel Del Monte
1911-1919
Box 4, Folder 16
Martin, A.C. concerning employment in South Africa
1893-1897
Box 4, Folder 17
Legal documents
[ca. 1880-1938]
Box 4, Folder 18
Clippings on J. J. Martin
1936
Box 4, Folder 19
Photographs
[ca. 1907-1936]
Box 5, Folders 1-2
Manuscript, draft
undated
Box 5, Folder 5
Other manuscripts
undated
Box 5, Folder 7
Quotes, notes, poems
undated
Box 5, Folder 8
Miscellaneous clippings
[ca. 1900-1935]
