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Guide to the Jefferson Wilcoxson papers
MS0019
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Title: Jefferson Wilcoxson papers
Dates: 1860-1917
Collection number: MS0019
Creator:
Wilcoxson, Jefferson
Collection Size:
1.5 linear feet
(441 letters)
Repository:
Center for Sacramento History
Sacramento, California 95811-0229
Abstract: The Jefferson Wilcoxson Collection is a series of business letters that were written primarily to Jefferson Wilcoxson by relatives
and business associates who were involved in the day to day operations of his many business interests in Sacramento, Yolo,
and Colusa counties. The Jefferson Wilcoxson Collection is divided into four series: Incoming, Outgoing, Third Party, and
Family Correspondence. Within these series are correspondence, meeting notices, a supply catalog, financial information including
trial balances and statements of condition, and some photos of relatives that were taken in 1917. The letters date from 1860
to 1917, while the bulk of the letters date from 1870 to 1897.
Physical location: 29B9
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection is open for research use.
All requests to publish or quote from private collections held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted
in writing to csh@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron.
No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.
[Identification of item], Jefferson Wilcoxson papers, MS0019, Center for Sacramento History.
Purchased from Charles Apfelbaum, Rare Manuscripts and Archives, Watchung, NJ, January. 2003 (Accession# 2003-055)
Jefferson Wilcoxson Collection processed by Birdie Boyles and Jim Kay, 2004 - 2007. Finding aid prepared by Jim Kay, 2007.
Biography / Administrative History
Jefferson Wilcoxson was born on February 24, 1809 in Mercer County, Kentucky to Isaac and Priscilla Wilcoxson. In 1819, he
immigrated with his family to Missouri.
In 1849, he moved to Weaverville, California with his brother, Jackson. They remained there until the spring of 1850, when
they moved to Sacramento. Together they set up a wholesale merchant business, Wilcoxson & Co., on J Street in Sacramento.
Wilcoxson & Co. enjoyed a large trade up to 1852, and then closed. After the brothers dissolved their partnership, Jefferson
became a member of the firm of Burton & McCarty.
A few years later, Jefferson engaged in the livestock business and became partners in a land owning company with James Farris.
They purchased a tract of one thousand seven hundred and eighty acres of land, part of the Hardy grant, located four miles
west of Woodland, California
For more than twenty years, Wilcoxson resided on a farm located on the Sacramento River, two miles below Washington (now part
of West Sacramento).
He was at various times involved extensively in merchandising, farming, warehousing, banking, land investment, and the livestock
business in Colusa, El Dorado, Placer, and Yolo counties. Through his business dealings he acquired property which was estimated
to be worth several million dollars in the 1890s.
He died on April 8, 1898.
Scope and Content of Collection
The majority of the collection consists of 405 letters written to Jefferson Wilcoxson between 1870 and 1898. Correspondents
consisted of area ranchers and businessmen, family members, and Yolo County officials. They included George W. Applegate,
George W. Austin, George Wilcoxson, the Bank of Williams, and the Yolo County Treasurer, among others.
George W. Applegate was a resident of Applegate, California which was named after the large land holdings of his family. He
planted a nursery there and cultivated hay and grain. He also organized a vineyard and installed cider mills, wine presses,
tanks, and store houses. He grew many types of fruit including: apples, pears, plums, peaches, quinces, figs, and oranges.
His letters discuss financial arrangements with Wilcoxson, local news, the production of wine and brandy, and mining operations.
George W. Austin, a nephew of Wilcoxson, also resided in Applegate, California. George’s mother, Mary Elizabeth Wilcoxson
Austin, was the daughter of Jefferson's brother Joseph. Austin’s letters discusses management of Wilcoxson’s ranch in Applegate,
including land, cattle, crops, a winery, and the ranch workers. Also detailed in the letters are weather conditions, reports
of area fires, and discussions about the development of a county road.
Letters from the Yolo County Treasurer detail the purchase and sale of warrants for the Yolo County General Fund, Contingent
Fund, Hospital Fund, and Road Fund. Several letters contain information about the collection of county taxes.
Four letters written by Wilcoxson are included in the collection, as are six letters that are to or between individuals other
than Wilcoxson.
The collections also contain several financial documents including one account statement and three receipts.
The collection is arranged into four series:
Series 1. Incoming
Series 2. Outgoing
Series 3. Third Parties
Series 4. Family
Series 1. Incoming
Series 2. Outgoing
Series 3. Third Parties
Series 4. Family
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Agriculture--California--History
Business enterprises--California--Sacramento Metropolitan Area
Ranching--California
Sacramento (Calif.)--History
“Another Pioneer.” Woodland Daily Democrat. April 8, 1898.
History of Placer County, California, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Oakland:
Thompson & West, 1882.
An illustrated history of Sacramento County, California: containing a history of Sacramento County from the earliest period
of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future ... portraits of some of its most eminent
men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also prominent citizens of today. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1890.
The Western shore gazetteer and commercial directory for the state of California ... Yolo County: one volume being devoted
to each county of the state, giving a brief history of each county. Woodland, [Calif.]: C.P. Sprague & H.W. Atwell, 1870.