Elmer W. Holmes papers

Finding aid prepared by Julianna Gil, Student Processing Assistant.
Special Collections & University Archives
The UCR Library
P.O. Box 5900
University of California
Riverside, California 92517-5900
Phone: 951-827-3233
Fax: 951-827-4673
Email: specialcollections@ucr.edu
URL: http://library.ucr.edu/libraries/special-collections-university-archives
© 2017
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.


Descriptive Summary

Title: Elmer W. Holmes papers
Date (inclusive): 1861-1986, undated
Date (bulk): 1861-1910
Collection Number: MS 254
Creator: Holmes, Elmer Wallace
Extent: 0.42 linear feet (1 box)
Repository: Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Riverside, CA 92517-5900
Abstract: The Elmer W. Holmes papers is a collection of documents about Elmer Wallace Holmes, a Civil War veteran and leading figure in the history of Riverside, California. The papers consists of correspondence between Holmes and his family (noteably his mother and his second wife), a scrapbook, and documents related to Riverside County history. All items contained in this collection are reproductions of originals.
Languages: The collection is in English.

Access

The collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [date if possible]. Elmer W. Holmes papers (MS 254). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Alice H. Addicott.

Processing History

Processed by Julianna Gil, Student Processing Assistant, 2017.
Processing of the Elmer W. Holmes papers was completed by undergraduate students from the University of California, Riverside as part of the Special Collections & University Archives Backlog Processing Project started in 2015. This project was funded by the UCR Library and administered by Jessica Geiser, Collections Management Librarian.

Biographical Note

Elmer Wallace Holmes was born on December 8, 1841, in Brockton, Massachusetts. After his father's death, he left school at the age of thirteen in order to help support his family. At the beginning of the Civil War (1861-1865), Holmes enlisted in the army and became part of the 35th Massachusetts Infantry, but was then discharged in 1863. He later returned as an army recruit for the Second Massachusetts Battery, then transferred to the Sixth Battery in New Orleans.
At the age of twenty-two, he married his first wife, Ruth C. Nickerson, who passed away giving birth to their son, Elmer Elwood. In 1869, Holmes held a foreman's position for the Brockton Gazette's paper trade. In 1871, he married Alice E. Odell and had two daughters (Anna Lucia and Alice Bertha).
He then moved to Southern California, first to Los Angeles followed by Riverside. In Riverside he became part of a small committee of horticultural students, was elected as a school official, held the position of executive office for the school board for about fifteen years, organized the Riverside High School, authored the Union District High School law, was on the board of city trustees, was the principal organizer of the Riverside Library Association, was managing editor of the San Bernardino Weekly-Times Index, was assemblyman for San Bernardino County, and was appointed to the board of county supervisors. Holmes passed away on April 23, 1913 in Riverside, California.

Collection Scope and Contents

The collection contains documents pertaining to Elmer W. Holmes and Riverside County, including correspondence between Holmes and his family concerning his time during the Civil War and exploring Southern California, his scrapbook filled with press clippings and announcements focused on Riverside County, and proposed laws and historical articles from Riverside County. The collection also includes a biography of Holmes written by his family. All items contained in this collection are reproductions of originals.

Collection Arrangement

This collection is arranged topically into folders.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

California, Southern
Riverside County (Calif.)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Genres and Forms of Materials

Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence
Scrapbooks


Box 1, Folder 1

Correspondence with Lucia Morton Foster 1861-1865

Box 1, Folder 2

Correspondence with Alice E. Odell Holmes 1870-1875

Box 1, Folder 3

Correspondence with children 1886-1910

Box 1, Folder 4

Scrapbook 1875-1908

Box 1, Folder 5

Personal documents 1883-1913

Box 1, Folder 6

Historical documents of Riverside County 1876-1906

Box 1, Folder 7

First Congregational Church of Riverside 1897

Box 1, Folder 8

Biography 1986