The Francis T. Underhill papers span 9 linear feet and date from circa 1896 to circa 1925. The collection is composed of scrapbooks containing newspaper and magazine clippings regarding Underhill’s book Driving for Pleasure and hog breeding; Mrs. Underhill’s travel scrapbook; a copy of Underhill’s Driving for Pleasure book; a copy of Underhill’s essay on his hog breeding; his 1918 tax audit; correspondence regarding animal breeding; a letter from President Roosevelt; photographs and negatives of his architectural projects; two flat file folders of architectural drawings and reprographic copies for the Ward and Dibble residences; telegrams regarding horse competitions; and Underhill’s hog breeding lineages and logs.

Francis T. Underhill was born in New York in 1863. Not able to attend university because of poor health, Underhill traveled around Europe with a private tutor studying architecture and landscape architecture. Underhill designed and built his own estate on Long Island, along with the gardens and furnishing. At age 20, he married Henrietta Graham Meyer. In 1884, Underhill made the decision to move his family West. He purchased the Ontare Ranch, chartered several rail cards, and filled them with sheep, Holstein cattle, farm equipment, and supplies. Arriving in Los Angeles, the entire family took wagons and carriages to Santa Barbara.

9.0 Linear feet (3 record storage boxes and 2 flat file folders)

Partially processed collection, open for use by qualified researchers.