George S. Patton, Sr. collection, 1888-1968, bulk 1900-1940

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Summary

Creators:
Patton, George S. (George Smith), 1856-1927
Abstract:
The collection contains the personal and business papers of George S. Patton, Sr., and his family.
Extent:
64.41 Linear Feet (77 boxes, 5 volumes and 7 oversize folders)
Language:
The records are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], George S. Patton, Sr. collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

Personal and business papers of George Smith Patton, Sr., and his family including wife Ruth Wilson Patton, son General George S. Patton, and daughter Anne Wilson Patton. The collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, receipts, tax documents, estate papers, maps, photographs, ephemera, etc. There is some General George S. Patton related material in the collection; most of which is in the Anne Wilson Patton series (finance documents). Box 42 contains correspondence by General George S. Patton (photocopies), his wife Beatrice, and their children. There is some information amongst the real estate-related papers about racial restrictions in the San Gabriel Valley.

Also included is material on Arvin Harrington Brown, his family and their property in Arizona. There is a large series of letters written by Arvin Harrington Brown, Jr., to his parents while he was serving in World War II.

The "Miscellaneous" series contains similar material to the first two series including financial documents, abstracts of title, real estate information, deeds, maps, and some information about General George S. Patton. The oversize items contain tract maps of southern California.

The Receipts & Vouchers Binder 11 is missing or was never received, and two boxes of material from the Brown Family series were returned to the family and one photograph album transferred to the Rare Book Department as Album 98, Volume II, April 1976 (Volume I is in the Shorb papers).

Biographical / historical:

George Smith Patton, Sr., was a California attorney, businessman, and political figure. He was the son of George S. Patton, Sr., a Confederate Colonel who fought and died during the American Civil War, and the father of George S. Patton, Jr., the famed General of the U.S. Third Army during World War II. George Smith Patton, Sr., was born in Virginia in 1856. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute and studied law in Lexington, Virginia, and became an attorney. In 1877 he moved to Los Angeles. In 1884 he married Ruth Wilson, daughter of Benjamin Davis Wilson, a wealthy landowner in the San Gabriel Valley, businessman, and political figure; George and Ruth had two children: George S. Patton (1885-1945) and Anne Wilson Patton (1887-1971). Patton was a friend and neighbor of Henry E. Huntington and became the first Mayor of San Marino, the location of the Huntington Library. The Pattons were themselves wealthy landowners as they owned property throughout Los Angeles County and were investors in several oil companies. George S. Patton died in San Marino in 1927.

Acquisition information:
Gifts of David and Peter Patton, November 1970, and George S. Patton, Jr., July 1974.
Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series: 1. George S. Patton, Sr., 2. Anne Wilson Patton, 3. Brown Family, 4. Miscellaneous, 5. Volumes, and 6. Oversize items. Each series is arranged alphabetically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

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 permission rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], George S. Patton, Sr. collection, 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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