Register of the Oullahan Family Papers, 1885-1975

Processed by Holt Atherton staff; rev. by Don Walker; machine-readable finding aid created by Don Walker

Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections

University Library, University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 95211

Phone: (209) 946-2404

URL: https://www.pacific.edu/university-libraries/find/holt-atherton-special-collections

Register of the Oullahan Family Papers, 1885-1975

Collection number: Mss194

Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections

University Library

University of the Pacific

Contact Information

Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections
University Library, University of the Pacific
Stockton, CA 95211
Phone: (209) 946-2404
URL: https://www.pacific.edu/university-libraries/find/holt-atherton-special-collections

Processed by:: Holt Atherton staff; rev. by Don Walker
Date Completed:: November 1998
Encoded by:: Don Walker

Descriptive Summary

Title: Oullahan Family Papers,

Date (inclusive): 1885-1975

Collection number: Mss194

Creator:

Extent: 8.5 linear ft.

Repository: University of the Pacific. Library. Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections

Stockton, CA 95211

Shelf location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.

Language: English.

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Oullahan Family Papers, Mss194, Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

Access Points

personal name

Oullahan, Denis Joseph

Oullahan, Alexander Carruthers (1871-1941)

Oullahan, Katherine River (1873-1955)

Oullahan, Leanore J. (1898-1978)

Phelan, James D. (1861-1930)

Martin, Irving

McAdoo, William Gibbs (1863-1941)

subject

Flood control -California -Stockton

Politicians -California -Stockton

Democratic Party (California)

Harbors -California -Stockton -History

Stockton (Calif.) -Politics and government

Stockton (Calif.) -Social conditions

San Francisco (Calif.) -Politics and government

Women authors, American -California -Stockton

Biography

Alexander C. Oullahan (1871-1941), merchant, politician and Mayor of Stockton (1916-1920), was an important figure in the California Democratic Party from 1915 until his death. Son of Denis Joseph Oullahan, a pioneer Sonora teamster (1850-67), San Francisco real estate salesman (1868-73), liquor merchant and Stockton Democrat (1873-1886), Alexander Oullahan began his career as secretary to J.D. Peters, a leading Stockton grain merchant. In 1897 he married Katherine V. River (1873-1955) of San Francisco. The Oullahans had a daughter, Leanore (1898-1978) who later wrote for the Stockton Record (1930s-40s). Oullahan was elected to the Stockton City Council during the Progressive era as a reform candidate. As Mayor, and later as Secretary-Manager of the Stockton Chamber of Commerce (1921-1925), Oullahan championed the creation of the Stockton Deep Water Channel. He was also instrumental in facilitating the construction of the Stockton Civic Auditorium and in promoting Stockton as the "gateway" to Yosemite National Park. He arranged for Luther Burbank to visit Stockton in conjunction with a major celebration of San Joaquin County's importance as a potato producing region (1924). Oullahan led a flood control movement (1925-1926) that culminated in the passage of a bond issue that made possible the construction of Hogan Dam. He also fostered community support for the College of the Pacific's move from San Jose to Stockton (1924).

Scope and Content

The Oullahan Papers consist primarily of the correspondence, speeches and writings of Alexander C. Oullahan (1890-1930). Among his correspondents were: Grover Cleveland; James P. Phelan; William Gibbs McAdoo; Luther Burbank; and, Franklin D. Roosevelt. There are also letters between Oullahan and his fiancée describing political and social matters in San Francisco and Stockton during the 1890s. The Papers further include: transcripts of Stockton civil suits involving Denis J. Oullahan (1885); correspondence, financial records, writings and notes of free-lance journalist, Leanore J. Oullahan (1930-1970); and, a few family photographs.

BOX 1: FAMILY PAPERS AND GENEALOGICAL DATA

1.1: Leanore J. Oullahan. "Biography of Denis Joseph Oullahan," 1966

1.2: A.C. Oullahan obit., 1941

1.3: Leanore J. Oullahan baptismal certificate, 1898

1.4: Emma Emmington will, 1939

1.5: River Family genealogy

1.6: A.C.O.-Audrey L. Emmington marriage licence, 1934

1.7: Misc. genealogies

1.8: Leanore J. Oullahan notes for biography of A.C. Oullahan

1.9: "Genealogical directory of the River, Lambert and some related families"; notes

1.10: Genealogy clippings

BOX 2: D.J. OULLAHAN STOCKTON LAW SUITS, 1885

2.1: Transcript of D.J. Oullahan, Thomas D. Gaman & Albert J. Lyon vs. Frank T. Baldwin, B.F. Langford & John D. McDougald, 1885 [298 pp.; civil suit in which Oullahan et al. acted as agents for owners of Moss Tract in south Stockton and claim that owners did not honor contract when agents arranged for sale of the land]

2.2: Transcript of D.J. Oullahan vs. James A. Morrissey, 1885 [22 pp.; civil suit in which Oullahan, operator of Stockton liquor store accuses business rival, Morrissey, of trying to put him out of business by publishing a notice in the papers stating that Oullahan's business is in receivership]

BOX 3: CORRESPONDENCE, 1870-1894 [Primarily personal letters between A.C. Oullahan and fiancée, Katherine V. River]

3.1: Robt. Oullahan, Dublin, Ire. to Kate Oullahan, 1870

3.2: 1889 [addressee is A.C. Oullahan; 2 items]

3.3: 1891 [here begins corresp. betw. Kate River & A.C. Oullahan]

3.4: Jan-Mar 1892

3.5: Apr-Jun 1892

3.6: Jul-Sep 1892

3.7: Oct-Dec 1892

3.8: Jan-Mar 1893

3.9: Apr-Jun 1893

3.10: Jul-Sep 1893

3.11: Oct-Dec 1893

3.12: Jan-Mar 1894

3.13: Apr-Jun 1894

3.14: Jul-Sep 1894

3.15: Oct-Dec 1894

BOX 4: CORRESPONDENCE, 1895-1896 [Primarily Oullahan-River Correspondence]

4.1: Jan-Mar 1895

4.2: Apr-Jun 1895

4.3: Jul-Sep 1895

4.4: Oct-Dec 1895

4.5: Jan-Mar 1896

4.6: Apr-Jun 1896

4.7: Jul-Sep 1896

BOX 5 CORRESPONDENCE, 1896-1899. [Primarily Oullahan-River Correspondence]

5.1: Oct-Dec 1896

5.2: Jan-Mar 1897

5.3: Apr-Jun 1897

5.4: Jul-Sep 1897

5.5: Oct-Dec 1897

5.6: Jul-Sep 1898

5.7: Oct-Dec 1898

5.8: 1899

5.9: n.d.

BOX 6: A.C. OULLAHAN CORRESPONDENCE, 1900-1919. [Primarily incoming letters to A.C. Oullahan as Mayor of Stockton, 1916-1919]

6.1: 1900-1909

6.2: 1910-1915

6.3: A-L, 1916

6.4: M-Z, 1916

6.5: Misc., 1916

6.6: 1917

6.7: 1918

6.8: 1919 [149 items; Sen. James D. Phelan a principal correspondent]

BOX 7: A.C. OULLAHAN CORRESPONDENCE, 1920-1940s [Continuation of mayoralty letters, 1920; correspondence as Chamber of Commerce Secretary, 1921-1925; as Oakland Realtor, 1926-1930's; and as Democratic State Committee member living in San Francisco, 1930's]

7.1: 1920

7.2: 1921 [57 items]

7.3: 1922

7.4: 1923

7.5: 1924

7.6: 1925

7.7: 1926 [15 items; chiefly corresp. with politicians in Stockton]

7.8: 1927

7.9: 1928

7.10: 1929

7.11: 1930s

7.12: 1940s

7.13: n.d.

BOX 8: A.C. OULLAHAN WRITINGS & SPEECHES, 1900-1940

8.1: Bret Harte Trail notes #1

8.2: Bret Harte Trail notes #2

8.3: Bret Harte Trail notes #3

8.4: "A whimsical rhapsody of Shakespeare" [145 pp.; mingles Bard with San Joaquin County tales]

8.5: Do. [pp. 146-327]

8.6: Speeches, c1919-1934 [3 items]

8.7: Speeches, 1917

8.8: Speeches, 1918

8.9: Speeches, 1919

8.10: Speeches, 1920

8.11: Speeches, 1920s

8.12: Speeches, n.d. [c1920s; incl. addresses to Women's Relief Corps & GAR]

8.13: Speeches #2, n.d. [c1920s; incl. address on Deep Water Channel]

8.14: Speeches #3, n.d. [c1916-1920s; incl. speeches as Mayor & speech to Rotary]

8.15: Speeches #4, n.d. [c1916-1920s; incl. speech on Influenza epidemic, 1918]

8.16: Speeches #5, n.d. [c1916-1920s; incl. dedication speech, Civic Auditorium, 1925]

8.17: Speeches #6, n.d. [c1916-1920s; incl. speech at luncheon for Wm. Jennings Bryan, 1917]

8.18: Speeches #7, n.d.

8.19: Speeches #8, n.d.

8.20: Speeches #9, n.d. [c1916-1920s; incl. address on Deep Water Channel]

8.21: Proclamations, 1917-1919

BOX 9: LEANORE OULLAHAN CORRESPONDENCE & CLIPPINGS, 1930-1970'S

9.1: Corresp.: 1938-39 [2 items; Stockton Record]

9.2: Corresp.: 1940s [6 items; primarily w/ Stockton Record]

9.3: Corresp.: 1950s [35 items; friends & literary agents]

9.4: Corresp.: 1960s [69 items; friends, Catholic officials, attorney]

9.5: Corresp.: 1970s [3 items]

9.6: Corresp.: n.d. [c40 items; family & friends, Stockton Record]

9.7: unsorted [incl. 19th c. items generated by Robert B. Oullahan]

9.8: Corresp.: Father Alan McCoy, 1957 [incl. materials pertaining to St. Mary's Dining Hall]

9.9: Ladies' Auxiliary to California Pioneers [corresp. & writings on Oullahan Family]

9.10: Corresp.: Robert B. River, Oakland, 1950s-60s

9.11: Clorinda Rossi---clippings

9.12: Religious material

9.13: "On sems [seminarians] who date" [notes]

9.14: "Letters from the people" #1 [Stockton Record letters to editor]

9.15: "Letters from the people" #2

9.16: Corresp.: Andrew William Vachon, 1950s

9.17: Corresp.: George A. Ditz, Stockton Atty., 1960s

9.18: John C. Lilly, City Mgr., 1960 [incl. report on Deep Water Channel]

9.19: Additional civic affairs, 1950s [incl. study on route for State Hwy 5; library]

9.20: Corresp.: Stockton Record, 1940s-50s

9.21: Corresp.: "Night Owl" program, KFI Radio, LA (1961)

BOX 10: LEANORE OULLAHAN FINANCIAL RECORDS [unsorted]

BOX 11: LEANORE OULLAHAN NOTEBOOKS [writer's sketches; also incl. extended excerpts from publ. works]

11.1: [incl. extended notes about Negroes; Cross. "The Novel"]

11.2: [incl. Brandes. "Becoming a writer"]

11.3: "Margaret Fuller notes"

11.4: [incl. Weeks. "The trade of writing"; Widdemer. "Do you want to write?"]

11.5: "Additional notes on M.7; Dorothea Brande notes #1..."

11.6: "Stephen Leacock's How to Write, cont...."

11.7: "Composition book"

11.8: "1960" [incl. excerpts from "Buzz" Magazine, A.C. Oullahan, ed. (1890s)]

11.9: "1960" #2 [more notes from "Buzz"]

11.10: "1963" [chiefly 19th c. Stockton history notes]

11.11: "1963" #2 [incl. notes on Hammond's book on Capt. Charles Weber]

BOX 12: LEANORE OULLAHAN WRITINGS AND NOTES

12.1: Father Julius Gliebe [incl. biogr.; writings of; clippings about]

12.2: Mexican California "from Congressional Library F1346.W85" #1

12.3: Do. #2

12.4: "Municipal ownership" [Stockton's water supply & East Bay MUD]

12.5: "Dan Murphy manuscript for editing"

12.6: "Alex C. Oullahan"

12.7: "Early stories"

12.8: "Leanore Oullahan, 1134 Jackson St., SF" [school essays? & two beginnings of a play about David Terry]

12.9: "Essays & info on early Stockton" [contains reminiscences of Harry T. Fee]

12.10: "Sunlight on a prism"

12.11: "Writing odds & ends"

12.12: Draft fragment of novel, pp. 95-185

12.13: Draft fragment of another novel, pp. 1-97

12.14: Essay on SF Mint [2 copies]

12.15: "16th Prism: The Madonna & the infant w/out a hand"

12.16: Misc. notes #1

12.17: Do. #2

12.18: Do. #3

12.19: Do. #4

12.20: Clippings

BOX 13: OULLAHAN FAMILY PHOTOS [Incl. autographed ports. Grover Cleveland & William Gibbs McAdoo]

BOX 14: OULLAHAN FAMILY PHOTOS

BOX 15: OULLAHAN FAMILY SCRAPS AND MEMORABILIA, CA. 1869-1970. [Incl. oversize photos; report on Stockton Deep Water Channel; family scrapbooks and clippings. Brown "Scrap Album" includes: geneological clippings and "Mad For A Week," an account of journalist Frank A. Peltret's commitment to the Stockton Insane Asylum (a.k.a. Stockton State Hospital) in April 1888]

BOX 16: LEANORE OULLAHAN UNSORTED WRITINGS [incl. chapters from "prisms" novel]