Traver Family Papers, 1873-1972

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Summary

Title:
Traver Family Papers
Dates:
1873-1972
Creators:
Traver family
Abstract:
The collection contains papers relating to the Traver family, their businesses, properties and investments, as well as Walter Traver’s service in the U.S. Army, and his resulting disability.
Extent:
0.25 Linear feet (1 box)
Language:
Preferred citation:

Traver Family Papers, MS 274, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains the genealogical papers and family documents of the Traver family, as well as their business papers, and documents relating to their properties and investments. The majority of the documents pertain to Walter and Letty Traver and their children. The collection includes paperwork relating to Walter’s army service as well as his disability pension. In addition, there are documents regarding Walter’s death and ensuing burial fees, as well as the widow’s pension his wife received. Of particular interest is personal correspondence between R.A. Traver and his son Walter, and later correspondence between Walter and his son Leslie. Another pertinent item is William Traver’s travel log that documents his personal travels across the country between 1938 and 1939.

Biographical / historical:

The Traver family is originally from Illinois but Robert A. Traver (known as R.A. Traver) and his family moved to San Diego in the late 1880s. R.A. Traver was born on August 19, 1837 in Schenectady, NY. In 1987, he opened Traver and Nixon, a broom manufacturing company with his business partner M.C. Nixon in Charleston, Illinois. He had two children with his first wife Nancy, Ida and Norman. R.A. married his second wife Margaret Clark in 1873 in Charleston, Illinois. His wife and children resided in San Diego beginning in the late 1880s while Traver travelled for work. His two sons, Walter A. Traver and Robert E. Traver, grew up in San Diego. Walter A. Traver married Letitia Jane Reynolds in 1899, following his discharge from the army. The couple had two children, Leslie V. Traver and Ethel A. Traver. Walter served as a Private in Company B of the 7th Division of the California Infantry in the Spanish-American War in 1898. He fell ill while on active duty and his illness rendered him permanently disabled, thus earning him a discharge from the army and a disabled veterans pension. Following his discharge from the army, Walter worked as a men’s and women’s clothing tailor briefly in Coquille, Oregon from 1909 to 1910, and later in downtown San Diego. Walter died on July 19, 1942 and was buried in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. After his death, his wife Letty was left to deal with the remaining property and getting together the documentation necessary to obtain widow’s benefits from the army. Their son Leslie married twice and had twin boys, Norman L. Traver and Andrew W. Traver. Ethel (Walter and Letty’s daughter) married Francis Packard Campdora in 1923. Letty Traver died in 1950, eight years after her husband’s death.

Processing information:

Collection processed by Katrina White on May 15, 2012.

Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Arrangement:

Collection is arranged by subject.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Katrina White
Sponsor:
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Date Prepared:
May 15, 2012
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2012-08-30T16:52-0700

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

Preferred citation:

Traver Family Papers, MS 274, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Location of this collection:
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Contact:
(619) 232-6203
Website