Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California Papers, 1875-1893

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Summary

Title:
Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California Papers
Dates:
1875-1893
Creators:
Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California.
Abstract:
This collection contains various correspondence and ephemera associated with The Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California, an organization formed in New York in 1875 for individuals who had been in California at some point prior to its receiving statehood on September 9, 1850 . A large portion of the correspondence is authored by Frank D. Clark, who was the organization's secretary, and one of the primary addressees is Stephen L. Merchant.
Extent:
117 items in 1 box.
Language:
English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The papers consist of various correspondence and ephemera associated with the Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California. The subject matter of the correspondence include the concerns of the organization such as meeting announcements, resolutions, propositions, election of officers, and the organization’s Articles of Association. A large portion of the correspondence is authored by Frank D. Clark, who was the organization’s secretary, and one of the primary addressees is Stephen L. Merchant. Notable correspondence include letters dating when the Articles of Association were adopted (1876, April 3), describing the Society’s badges (1876, May 3), stating resolutions adopted for the Society (1876, May 22), stating fees that were paid for admission into the Society (1878, June 20), planning for a permanent headquarters for the Society as well as a library and museum (1879, Jan. 20), and a letter calling to act in honor of John Sutter (1882, Mar. 1).

The papers also consist of a variety of different ephemera printed by the organization. The majority of ephemera include pamphlets, brochures, and invitations for the organization’s annual meetings and social events. Ephemera include newspaper clippings about individuals such as Stephen L. Merchant, Francis D. Clark, Emperor Norton I of San Francisco, Julius Martin, and they also include newspaper articles about the organization and descriptions of their various social events. Other ephemera include the Society’s ribbon, songbooks, membership applications, a list of the members of the society, a copy of the “Song of the Argonauts” or “The Days of ´Forty-Nine” written by Samuel C. Upham, and brochures about the society. A notable item is a 14th Annual Reunion Meeting booklet that contains firsthand accounts from original Pioneers.

Biographical / historical:

The Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California was formed in New York in September 1875 by General Horatio Gates Gibson (1827-1924) with the assistance of Francis D. Clark. The Society’s objective was “to form a more perfect union of the Pioneers of California, now residents of the Atlantic States, and to cultivate social intercourse between them” (Article 1, Articles of Association). The organization was primarily composed of Mexican War veterans of the Army and Navy, gold hunters, politicians, and businessmen “who were for any period in California prior to the 9th day of September, 1850 (the date of the admission of the State of California into the Union)” (Article 6, Articles of Association). At its inception, the organization was made up of 49 members who were among the elite of the California gold rush and military history. Members included: John A. Sutter, Joseph Hooker, John Fremont, Cornelius Vanderbilt, W.T. Sherman, Stephen L. Merchant, Francis D. Clark, and E. Kemble.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Holabird-Kagin September 24, 2008.
Arrangement:

Arranged in chronological order.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Brian Song, August 27, 2010.
Date Prepared:
© 2010
Date Encoded:
Machine readable finding aid encoded by Diann Benti in July 2017 from PDF finding aid originally in the Huntington Digital Library.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

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]. Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California 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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