Stanford University Properties records, 1851-1927

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Stanford University and Stanford University. Board of Trustees
Extent:
6.25 Linear Feet
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Ridentification of item], Stanford University Property Records (SC0030). Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of deeds and legal documents relating to property that was owned by Leland and Jane Stanford, or Stanford University. Leland and Jane Stanford owned over 100,000 acres throughout California . Of the fifteen counties in which the Stanfords owned property (Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Tehama, and Yolo), the majority of the deeds cover Butte, Santa Clara , and Tehama counties. Although the deeds span the years 1852 (a deed pertaining to the Bosque Rancho in Butte County) to 1932 (a deed pertaining to Vina Ranch in Tehama County), the bulk of deeds and other legal documents date between the l880s and 1890s. Moreover, many of the deeds included in this collection relate to the history of the ownership of the properties that eventually were owned by the Stanfords or Stanford University. For example, included in the collection are several deeds and other legal documents signed between George Gordon and Delavan Hoag for property located in Rancho Rincon de San Francisco and Rancho San Francisquito in Santa Clara County in the 1860s (long before the Stanfords bought the same property).

Of special interest are the deeds to the Stanford's three primary residences in Sacramento (1861), San Francisco (1875), and Palo Alto (1876).

Arrangement:

The deeds are arranged alphabetically by county name. There is no further ordering, except that we have tried to keep all documents relating to a particular property transaction together. For example, deeds, letters, and maps that relate to the Stanford's purchase of certain property has been stored together in the same folder. Certain property bought by the Stanfords crossed county lines; therefore, certain county names may appear out of sequence with the alphabetical ordering by county name

Physical location:
Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged 36-48 hours in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: http://library.stanford.edu/spc.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/spc/using-collections/permission-publish

Preferred citation:

Ridentification of item], Stanford University Property Records (SC0030). Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:
Stanford University Archives, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6064, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Website