Inventory of the Halleck, Peachy & Billings Collection, 1837-1861
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URL: http://www.huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary.aspx?id=554
© 2000
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the Halleck, Peachy & Billings Collection, 1837-1861
The Huntington Library
San Marino, California
Contact Information
- Manuscripts Department
- The Huntington Library
- 1151 Oxford Road
- San Marino, California 91108
- Phone: (626) 405-2203
- Fax: (626) 449-5720
- Email: lgarcia@huntington.org
- URL: http://www.huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary.aspx?id=554
- Processed by:
- The Huntington Library staff
© 2000 The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Halleck, Peachy & Billings Collection,
Date (inclusive): 1837-1861
Creator:
Halleck, Peachy & Billings
Extent: 80 pieces
Repository: The Huntington Library
San Marino, California 91108
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Provenance
Purchased from the Argonaut Book Shop, December, 1946
Access
Collection is open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information
please go to following
URL .
Publication Rights
In order to quote from, publish, or reproduce any of the manuscripts or visual materials, researchers must obtain formal permission
from the office of the Library Director. In most instances, permission is given by the Huntington as owner of the physical
property rights only, and researchers must also obtain permission from the holder of the literary rights. In some instances,
the Huntington owns the literary rights, as well as the physical property rights. Researchers may contact the appropriate
curator for further information.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Halleck, Peachy & Billings Collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
History
Halleck, Peachy & Billings was one of the most prestigious law firms on the Pacific Coast, headquartered in San Francisco
and specializing in land cases. It was organized by Frederick Billings and Alexander Carey Peachy in 1849, who were joined
soon after by Henry Wager Halleck. In 1853 Halleck built the Montgomery Black in San Francisco, and the partnership became
permanently located there. The firm handled over half of the land claim cases in California immediately following the enaction
of the Land Act of 1851. Although Halleck wrote the land title report that helped draft the Land Act of 1851, he did not support
the Land Commission, and the firm of Halleck, Peachy & Billings defended many land titles against the Commission. It has been
said that Halleck handled the preparation of the briefs for the cases, Peachy the oratory, and that Billings brought in the
business. The firm was dissolved in 1861.
Henry Wager Halleck (1815-1872) was a West Point graduate (1839) and a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He
was sent to California at the beginning of the Mexican War, and was involved in military operations in Lower California and
for a brief time was Lt.-Governor of Mazatlan. In 1847 he was made a captain and sent to Monterey where he became Secretary
of State and Auditor of Revenues to the military governor of California, Colonel Richard B. Mason. In 1848 Halleck wrote a
report on land titles which was based on land grant settlements made by the United States in Florida. After the termination
of the law firm, Halleck became a general in the Civil War. He was a top aide to Abraham Lincoln and was present with those
in the room at the time of Lincoln's death.
Frederick Billings (1823-1890) is supposed to have been the first lawyer to begin practice in San Francisco. He was graduated
from the University of Vermont in 1844, admitted to the bar in 1849, and appointed legal advisor of California Territory under
Governor Mason. At this time he became acquainted with Henry W. Halleck. In 1863 Billings was an important political figure
and was credited by some with saving the state of California for the Union. After returning to Vermont in 1866, Billings reorganized
the troubled Northern Pacific Railroad and was elected its president in 1879.
The third member of the firm, Archibald Carey Peachy (1820-1883) was a native of Virginia who came to California in 1849,
became a member of the California Assembly in 1852 and of the state senate in 1860. It is said that his sympathy with the
cause of the South in the Civil War was a contributing factor in the dissolution of the firm of Halleck, Peachy & Billings.
Subject Matter
The major part of the collection consists of legal documents written chiefly by Henry W. Halleck relating to the California
Land Cases-copies of land titles, drafts of briefs, and opinions used in establishing the legal titles of some 36 different
land grants. There are also notes on Spanish land laws and a few papers relating to other legal cases in California.
Land Cases
HM 42959
Almaden Mines. Case 366
HM 42943
Bolsa de Chamisal Rancho (San Luis Obispo Co.) Case 312
HM 42944-42945
Callayomi Rancho (Sonoma Co.) Case 40
HM 42941 & 43001
Campo de los Franceses (San Joaquin Co.) Case 255
HM 42942
Cañada de los Capitancillos (Santa Clara Co.) Case 744
HM 42961-42962
Cañada de los Osos, Pecho y Islay (San Luis Obispo Co.) Case 218
HM 42963-42966
Cañada de Pogolomé (Marin Co.) Case 19
HM 42943
Chamisal, Bolsa de (San Luis Obispo Co.) Case 312
HM 43005
Los Coches Rancho (Santa Clara Co.) Case 167
HM 42944-42945
Collayomi Rancho (Sonoma Co.) Case 40
HM 42946-42947
Corral de Piedra Rancho (Sacramento Co.) Case 190
HM 42948
Cosumnes Rancho (Sacramento Co.) Case 228
HM 42963
Estero del Americano Rancho (Sonoma Co.) Case 136 (see Cañada de Pogolomé)
HM 42949-42954
Guadalasca Rancho (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 31
HM 42955
Guenoc Rancho (Sonoma Co.) Case 12
HM 42956-42957
Jesús María Rancho (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 528
HM 42958
La Laguna Rancho (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 217
HM 43004
Llano Seco Rancho (Butte Co.) Case 289
HM 42959
New Almaden Mines. Case 366
HM 42960
Ojo de Agua de Figueroa Rancho (San Francisco Co.) Case 310
HM 42961-42962
Osos, Pecho y Islay, Cañada de (San Luis Obispo Co.) Case 218
HM 42963-42966
Pogolomé, Cañada de (Marin Co.) Case 19
HM 42974
Las Posas Rancho (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 296
HM 42967-42971
El Potrero de San Carlos Rancho (Monterey Co.) Case 271
HM 42972-42973
Potrero de Santa Clara Rancho (Santa Clara Co.) Case 8
HM 42974
Las Pozas Rancho (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 296
HM 42975
Rincón de las Salinas Rancho y Potrero Nuevo (San Francisco Co.) Case 30
HM 42976
Rinconada del Zanjón Rancho (Monterey Co.) Case 532
HM 42977-42978
Río de Santa Clara Rancho (Santa Clara Co.) Case 225
HM 42979
San Bernardino Rancho (San Bernardino Co.) Case 316
HM 42980
San Buenaventura Mission (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 51
HM 42981
San Diego Mission (San Diego Co.) Case 175
HM 42982
San Francisco, City of. Case 280
HM 42983
San Julián Rancho (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 13
HM 42984-42986
San Luis Obispo Co. (Calif.) Case 39
HM 42987-42988
San Luis Obispo Mission (San Luis Obispo Co.) Case 224
HM 42989
Santa Ana Rancho (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 494
HM 42990
Santa Barbara (City). Case 543
HM 42991
Santa Clara Mission
HM 42992-42993
Santa Rosa Island (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 117
HM 42994 & 43006
Simi Rancho (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 103
HM 42995
Sotoyomé Rancho (Sonoma and Mendocino Co.) Case 16
HM 42996
Tequepis Rancho (Santa Barbara Co.) Case 88
HM 42997
Los Tularcitos Rancho (Monterey Co.) Case 195
item 12 items
Miscellaneous legal papers
