Guide to the Edna W. Phelps Collection
Processed by Laura Clark Brown and Lynette J. Stoudt ; machine-readable finding aid created by
Lynette J. Stoudt
Special Collections and Archives
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Phone: (949) 824-3947
Fax: (949) 824-2472
Email: spcoll@uci.edu
URL: http://www.lib.uci.edu/rrsc/speccoll.html
© 2001
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Note
Geographical (By Place)--California--Los Angeles Area
History--California History--Los Angeles Area
Arts and Humanities--Art--Photography
Guide to the Edna W. Phelps Collection
Collection number: MS-R43
Special Collections and Archives
The UCI Libraries
University of California
Irvine, California
Contact Information
- Special Collections and Archives
- The UCI Libraries
- P.O. Box 19557
- University of California
- Irvine, California 92623-9557
- Phone: (949) 824-3947
- Fax: (949) 824-2472
- Email: spcoll@uci.edu
- URL: http://www.lib.uci.edu/rrsc/speccoll.html
- Processed by:
- Laura Clark Brown and Lynette J. Stoudt
- Date Completed:
- 1997 and 1999
- Encoded by:
- Lynette J. Stoudt
© 2001 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Edna W. Phelps collection,
Date (inclusive): ca. 1810-1981 (bulk ca. 1880-ca. 1910)
Collection number: MS-R043
Collector:
Phelps, Edna W., 1905-
Extent:
2.1 linear feet (5 boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Repository:
University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Abstract: The Edna W. Phelps Collection contains photographs, correspondence, diaries, and family documents representing the history
of at least four generations of the Phelps, Gulick, Davidson, Humiston, Gooch, Huntley, Schultz, Willson, and Turner families
from 1847-1978. The bulk of the collection documents the Gulick family from ca. 1880-ca. 1920. Also included are topical
files and biographical/subject research files on other various families and locations in Tustin and the vicinity from ca.
1810-1981.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and
their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation
Edna W. Phelps Collection. MS-R43. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Edna W. Phelps in 1971, 1981, and 1984.
Processing History
Preliminary arrangement by Laura Clark Brown in 1997 included preservation photocopying and discarding of original documents
(photocopies and newspaper clippings). Processed by Lynette J. Stoudt, February 1999.
Biography
Edna W. Phelps collected family photographs, correspondence, diaries, and family documents dating back four generations to
her ancestors in Plainview, Illinois. She also collected materials relating to the history of Tustin and the surrounding
vicinity from ca. 1810-1981.
In addition to these collecting activities, Edna Phelps edited family diaries and writings and wrote a short document, which
is included in this collection, entitled, "One by One the Gulicks Came West." Edna also conducted interviews on early Southern
California history with William Huntley (her distant cousin) and George Bartley, whose family settled in El Modena, California
in 1882. In 1968-1969 she edited an unpublished work by Helen Gulick Huntley and William M. Huntley (distant cousins of hers)
entitled "Tustin Scrapbook," which is located at the California State Library.
Aside from her fascination with family and Orange County history, little else is known about Edna Phelps. She is the great
granddaughter of Martin Nickolas Gulick, who is the earliest member of her family represented in this collection.
Martin Nickolas Gulick (1815-1900) was married three times. His first marriage was in 1841 to Eleanor Welch (Edna Phelps'
great grandmother) and resulted in three children: Mary Jane (Edna Phelps' grandmother), James Harvey and Eleanor Matilda.
This brief marriage ended in 1848 with the death of Eleanor Welch Gulick. Family names of Edna Phelps' aunts, uncles and cousins
by this marriage include: Barrett, Crouch, Davidson, Hewitt, Huntley, Munger, Page, Palmer, Reid, Ruggles, Schultz, Scovil,
Thompson, Wichersham and Willson.
Martin N. Gulick's second marriage took place in 1850 to Jane Vanarsdall. They had no children, and she died in 1857.
His third marriage to Annis C. Phelps occurred in 1860 and resulted in the birth of five daughters: Sadie, Alice, Olive, Hattie
and another who died in early childhood. Only two of their daughters married, and as far as the information in this collection
recounts, no grandchildren survived early childhood. Annis and her daughters, who corresponded through much of the latter
part of the 19th century, generated much of the Gulick correspondence in this collection, with topics ranging from descriptions
of dress patterns to discussions of living conditions.
The marriage of Martin and Annis Gulick resulted in the meeting and courtship of Mary Jane Gulick (Edna Phelps' grandmother)
and Louis Ransom Phelps (half-brother of Annis C. Phelps). Ultimately Mary and Louis were married, at which time Mary was
disowned by her father for unknown reasons. The banished couple lived in Jerseyville, Illinois for many years with very few
ties to the Gulick family. Their first born (of twelve children) was Ernest Phelps, Edna Phelps' father. Edna may have spent
a portion of her childhood in Southern California, as documents in this collection indicate that her grandparents followed
her parents there in 1904, settling in Pasadena. Many photographs of the Phelps family are included in this collection.
Most of the Gulick family began moving West during the railroad rate wars that prompted a boom in ca. 1880, sending many Midwesterners
to California. Work opportunities and a reduced cost of living were just two of the attractions that appealed to the Gulicks.
However, the most attractive aspect of the West seems to have been the weather. As Eleanor Davidson (Edna Phelps' aunt) said
in early 1888 as she arrived in San Bernardino, California, by train from Illinois, "I could hardly believe we were in the
land of summer till the girls went out and seen flowers and oranges in abundance and it was so warm."
Many of the Gulicks settled in Orange County and the surrounding vicinity. Their occupations included orchard fumigation,
walnut production, and preaching. One cousin was known as the jack-of-all-trades, moving his family around as work became
available in various cities.
By the 1920s, the point at which the bulk of the material in this collection ends, a network of Edna Phelps' relatives, all
descendents of the Gulicks, were well established in many areas of Southern California.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
The Edna W. Phelps Collection contains photographs, correspondence, diaries, and family documents representing the history
of at least four generations of the Phelps, Gulick, Davidson, Humiston, Gooch, Huntley, Schultz, Willson, and Turner families
from 1847-1978. The bulk of the collection documents the Gulick family from ca. 1880-ca. 1920. Also included are topical
files and biographical/subject research files on other various families and locations in Tustin and the vicinity from ca.
1810-1981.
Because the originals of these materials reside at other institutions (e.g., Bowers Museum, Tustin Area Museum, Western Association
for the Advancement of Local History) or were obtained from outside research sources, many documents are photocopies of originals.
The locations of originals are noted on the photocopies, when known.
The research files in Series 4 were created by Helen Gulick Huntley. They are made up of both handwritten and typed notes,
many of which were generated in ca. 1960. Also included in Series 3 is a typescript biography on Columbus Tustin by Helen
Gulick Huntley.
The collection is organized in four series:
- Series 1. Photographs, 1855-1967. 0.6 linear ft.
- Series 2. Correspondence, 1852-1978. 0.7 linear ft.
- Series 3. Topical materials, 1847-1972. 0.5 linear ft.
- Series 4. Research files, ca. 1810-1981. 0.3 linear ft.
Separation Note
Two items were removed from this collection and cataloged individually:
-
Orange County Masonic Bulletin, Dedication Edition, October 1931
-
Orange County Masonic Bulletin, August 1932
Related Collections
The following collections in Special Collections at the UCI Libraries contain related materials:
- MS-R24. Alice Gulick Gooch Photographs (Step-great aunt of Edna Phelps by Martin N. Gulick's third marriage)
- MS-R26. Quinn and Jesse Gulick Photographs (Second cousins of Edna Phelps by Martin N. Gulick's first marriage)
- MS-R28. Huntley Collection
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Gulick family--Archives.
Orange County (Calif.)--Archival resources.
Phelps, Edna W., 1905- --Archives.
Phelps family--Archives.
Genres and Forms of Materials
Diaries.
Maps--California--Orange County.
Photographic prints--California.
Photographic prints--California--Orange County.
Tintypes.
Collection Contents
Series 1.
Photographs,
1855-1967.
Physical Description:
0.6 linear ft.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series primarily contains black and white photographs. Other photographic material has been noted on the container list
and includes tintypes and a color slide. This series is organized in two subseries.
The series is organized in 2 subseries:
- Subseries 1.1. People, 1855-1967. 0.4 linear ft.
- Subseries 1.2. Places, 1890-1920. 0.2 linear ft.
Subseries 1.1.
People,
1855-1967.
Physical Description:
0.4 linear ft.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries includes photographs of family members, both individual and groups, school classes and friends of the family.
It is composed primarily of Phelps and Gulick family material and is arranged alphabetically by surname or the name of the
place or institution documented.
Box 1 : 1
Bartley Family, 1882-1905
Box 1 : 4
Chestnutwood, Mrs. A. J., 1870
Box 1 : 6
El Modena Elementary School, ca. 1892-1921
Box 1 : 8-12
Gulick Family, ca. 1875-1967.
Physical Description:
5 folders.
Box 1 : 15
Huntley Family, ca. 1882-1940
Box 1 : 16
Modjeska, Madame Helena, 1894-1904
Box 1 : 18
Olive School, 5th-8th grade, undated
Box 1 : 20-24
Phelps Family, 1855-1960.
Physical Description:
5 folders.
Box 1 : 27
Schultz Family, 1889-1926
Box 1 : 29
Tustin Elementary School, 9th grade, 1899
Box 1 : 30
Tustin Grammar School, 1885-1901
Box 1 : 31
Villa Park School, 1st and 2nd grade, 1934
Box 1 : 32
Willson Family, 1900-1904
Box 1 : 33
Unidentified, undated.
Physical Description:
Includes 2 tintypes.
Subseries 1.2.
Places,
1890-1920.
Physical Description:
0.2 linear ft.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries includes photographs of places in Orange County and other California locations, as well as images of Kansas,
Oklahoma, and Illinois. It is arranged alphabetically by place name within Orange County, then California and the rest of
the United States.
Box 2 : 2
Laguna Beach and San Juan Capistrano Mission, undated
Box 2 : 6
Buena Vista Rancho, undated
Box 2 : 6
East Lake Park, Los Angeles, undated
Box 2 : 6
Henshaw Lake, San Diego, 1927
Box 2 : 6
Santa Barbara earthquake, 1925
Box 2 : 7
Plainview, Illinois, ca. 1890
Series 2.
Correspondence,
1852-1978.
Physical Description:
0.7 linear ft.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series consists of both handwritten original letters and photocopies of originals. Some files also contain typescript
transcriptions of original correspondence, accompanied by notes of Edna Phelps that describe relations of people and places
mentioned in the correspondence. Most of the correspondence in this series was not received by Edna Phelps, but by other
family members. The series is arranged alphabetically by surname of the author, with the exception of postcards, which are
filed together.
Box 3 : 4
Carson, Harlan Page, 1886-1932
Box 3 : 5
Cochran, Winona Barr, 1902
Box 3 : 8
Davidson, Colin, 1888-1891
Box 3 : 9
Davidson, Eleanor (Nell) Gulick, 1897-1900
Box 3 : 10
Davidson, Elizabeth, 1889
Box 3 : 12
First American Title Insurance and Trust Co., Santa Ana, California, 1965
Box 3 : 13
Gooch, Alice Gulick, 1883-1908
Box 3 : 14
Gulick, Annis C., 1883-1904
Box 3 : 15
Gulick, Harriet (Hattie), 1886-1905
Box 3 : 16
Gulick, James Harvey, 1888
Box 3 : 17
Gulick, Martin N., 1859-1894
Box 3 : 19
Humiston, Sadie Gulick, 1889-1935
Box 3 : 20
Huntley, Helen Gulick, 1909-1965
Box 3 : 21
Lindsley, Elisa M. P., 1855
Box 3 : 23
McFadden Lumber Company, Santa Ana, California, 1889
Box 3 : 25
Phelps, Joshua, 1855-1875
Box 4 : 1
Phelps, Louis Ransom, 1912
Box 4 : 2
Phelps, Mary Jane (Mollie) Gulick, 1889-1912
Box 4 : 4
Postcards from various people, 1908-1911 and undated
Box 4 : 8
Welch, Charles, 1885-1886
Box 4 : 12
Willson, Grace, 1970-1974
Box 4 : 13
Willson, Sue Davidson, 1888-1890
Box 4 : 14
Willson, Walter, 1975-1978
Box 4 : 15
University of California, Berkeley, 1891
Box 4 : 16
Utt, C.E. Grower and shipper, Tustin, California, 1904.
Box 4 : 17
Unidentified authors, 1888-1892
Series 3.
Topical material,
1847-1972.
Physical Description:
0.5 linear ft.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains diaries of various family members, historical writings about the Gulick and Tustin families, and ephemera.
Much of this material consists of photocopies of originals; in some instances the legibility of these reproductions is quite
poor. The series is arranged alphabetically by surname of the author when available, otherwise by title or genre of materials.
Box 4 : 18
Bartley, George. Transcripts of interviews by Edna Phelps, 1971-1972
Box 4 : 19
Davidson, Eleanor Gulick. "Short diary of a journey from Plainview, Illinois to Santa Ana, California 1887-1888," transcript
by Edna Phelps, 1971
Box 4 : 20
Davidson, Sue and Laura. "Letters of Sue and Laura Davidson to Aunt Ollie and Aunt Hattie (Gulick)," selected and edited
by Edna Phelps and Ellen Lee, 1981
Box 4 : 21
Deeds and assessment for taxes, Orange County, 1866-1875
Box 4 : 22
Ebell Club Garden Fete, souvenir program, 1910
Box 4 : 23-24
Grabe, Helen. "Tustin family," includes draft, 1963.
Physical Description:
2 folders.
Box 4 : 25
Gulick, Laura Palmer. "Laura Palmer Gulick relates her family's trip by team and wagon from Olive to National City and back
through Corona and Riverside in August and September 1900," transcript by Edna Phelps, undated
Box 4 : 26-27
"Columbus Tustin and his city," includes draft and source material, 1963.
Physical Description:
2 folders.
Box 4 : 29
Huntley, Laura Helen Gulick. "Little girl recalls her life in county in years 1887-1890, being notes written up in 1940-1942
by Laura Helen Gulick Huntley," edited by Edna Phelps, undated
Box 4 : 30
"California desert journey" (1898), transcript of interview by Edna Phelps, 1969
Box 4 : 31
Transcript of interview by Edna Phelps, 1969
Box 4 : 32
Knights of Columbus Arrangement Committee, program, undated
Box 4 : 33
Land sales in Tustin, California and vicinity, 1869-1880
Box 4 : 34
Lockett, Lucy Hill. "My early recollections of Newport Beach, about 1886-1903," undated
Box 4 : 35
Maps of property owners and street addresses from Santa Ana, Tustin, San Joaquin, and an unidentified area, undated
Box 4 : 36
Meadows, Don. "Tustin," undated
Box 4 : 37
"Miscellaneous readings on background material about Orange County," undated
Box 4 : 38
News clippings on Orange County history, 1951-1975
Box 4 : 39
"Short diary of a journey in 1847 from Chicago to St. Louis," annotated by Edna Phelps, 1979
Box 4 : 40
"Story of Grandma Gulick's trip" (ca. 1848), transcript by Edna Phelps, 1984
Box 5 : 1
"One by one the Gulicks came west," including excerpts, undated
Box 5 : 2
"Sadie's account of her visit to Aunt Julia's in 1896," undated
Box 5 : 3
Schultz family Bible, 4-page fragment containing birth, death and marriage information, 1837-1942
Box 5 : 4
Scotland Academy, South Dakota, commencement invitation, 1891
Box 5 : 5
"Silent majority of early Tustin," undated
Box 5 : 6
Spurgeon, Charles. Report cards, Diamond Public School, 1881
Box 5 : 7
Stafford, E. P. "Pioneer days in Santa Ana," undated
Box 5 : 8
Tustin family burial plot description and map, Fairhaven Memorial Park, undated
Box 5 : 9
Tustin, Samuel. Notes, undated
Box 5 : 10
Tustin Women's Christian Temperance Union program, 1906-1907
Box 5 : 11
World's Columbian Commission Citrus Fruit Award, International Exposition, Chicago, 1893.
Note
Awarded to Martin N. Gulick.
Box 5 : 12
Writings, unidentified, undated
Series 4.
Research files,
ca. 1810-1981.
Physical Description:
0.3 linear ft.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series includes historical notes, chiefly those assembled by Helen Gulick Huntley, on residents, locations, and living
conditions in Tustin and the vicinity. It is organized in two subseries.
The series is organized in 2 subseries:
- Subseries 4.1. Biographical notes, ca. 1810-ca. 1960. 0.2 linear ft.
- Subseries 4.2. Subject notes, ca. 1850-1981. 0.1 linear ft.
Subseries 4.1.
Biographical notes,
ca. 1810-ca. 1960.
Physical Description:
0.2 linear ft.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries contains brief historical notes including birth, death and marriage dates, occupations and other information
on past Tustin residents. Other miscellaneous biographical notes from this collection, in addition to those by Helen Gulick
Huntley, have been filed here as well. The subseries is arranged in alphabetical order by surname of the subject individual.
None of the material is dated.
Subseries 4.2.
Subject notes,
ca. 1850-1981.
Physical Description:
0.1 linear ft.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries includes brief historical notes on locations (e.g., banks, churches, houses) and living conditions (e.g., wages,
recreation, real estate, irrigation) in Tustin and vicinity and is arranged alphabetically by subject. Very little of the
material is dated.
Box 5 : 35
African-American residents
Box 5 : 35
Chinese pump (Chiney pump)
Box 5 : 35
Events (e.g., gasoline shortage)
Box 5 : 37
Ranch house, Santa Margarita y Los Flores
