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Description
The De Shield Family Papers document three generations from the De Shields family. The bulk of the papers document the life and businesses of Ivan De Shields.
Background
Benjamin De Shields was born in Camden, New Jersey on July 2, 1834. He married Anna M. H. Williams of Boston on September 1, 1862, and his occupation is listed as gilder on his marriage certificate. All that is evident of his early life from the collection is that he stayed in Boston, Massachusetts after his marriage, where his son Ivan was born. In 1872, a business letter is addressed to him in Fredericksburg, Virginia. However, that same year, a land survey was made in California (presumably for Benjamin), and by 1895 he had bought land in Oakland and Fruitvale. With his wife, Anna, he had two children: Ivan, and a daughter, Bernice.
Extent
.25 linear feet (1 box)
Restrictions
Permission to publish from the De Shields Family Papers must be obtained from the African American Museum and Library at Oakland.
Availability
No access restrictions. Collection is open to the public.