Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- File contains 7 handwritten letters from Thomas O. Larkin to Edward L. William from 1856, and 3 photocopies of a handwritten letter from Larkin to the Consulate of the United States 1846 (3 copies of same letter).
- Extent:
- 1.0 folder 7 handwritten letters from Larkin to Edward L. William; 3 photocopies of a handwritten letter from Larkin
- Language:
- Preferred citation:
-
Thomas Oliver Larkin Letters. The Society of California Pioneers.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
File contains 7 handwritten letters from Thomas O. Larkin to Edward L. William from 1856, and 3 photocopies of a handwritten letter from Larkin to the Consulate of the United States 1846 (3 copies of same letter).
- Biographical / historical:
-
Thomas Oliver Larkin was bron in Charleston, Massachusetts, September 16, 1802. In 1831, he boarded the Newcastle ship, and landed in San Francisco in April, 1832. He was able to purchase a sawmill in Santa Cruz in 1833, and later that year married his wife, Rachel. In 1835 he built California's first two-story house, which still remains in Monterey. In the 1840s, his political participation gained him recognition from President Tyler, who appointed Larkin the American consul in Alta, California, in 1843. He had a strong role in the Mexican-American war, and later acquired several rancheros. In 1858, he contracted typhoid and died within a week.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Mrs. Chas. L. Pioda, January 1, 1933.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
There are no restrictions on access.
- Preferred citation:
-
Thomas Oliver Larkin Letters. The Society of California Pioneers.
- Location of this collection:
-
300 Fourth StreetSan Francisco, CA 94107, US
- Contact:
- (415) 957-1849 ext. 160