Center (John) Papers, 1849-1884

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Summary

Title:
John Center papers
Dates:
1849-1884
Creators:
Center, John, 1817-1908
Abstract:
A collection of material related to the personal and professional life of John Center, San Francisco businessman and civic leader.
Extent:
7.2 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. John Center papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of 362 items which contains letters, documents, and one map (1849-1884) related to the various enterprises of John Center. These include his gardening business, real estate, mining transactions, and civic enterprises in San Francisco from 1849 to 1884. Also included are papers regarding the Center Company, water rights, and mining in the Owens Valley in 1863.

Biographical / historical:

John Center (1817-1908) was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and came to the United States in 1836. Center settled first in Wisconsin then moved to California in 1849 to seek his fortune in gold; however, he decided to engage in the gardening business instead of mining and settled in San Francisco. He became involved in many enterprises, including the nursery business, real estate, and mining speculation. In 1863 he established the Center Company for mining in California's Owens Valley. Center promoted the expansion and civic improvement of San Francisco, especially in the Mission District where he first settled.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Albert Dressler, April 1926.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1930. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy in-house summary report.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Gayle Richardson
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2021-06-01 14:49:59 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. John Center papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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