Finding aid for John C. Orr collection, 1892-2010.
MVC074
Finding aid prepared by Krystell Jimenez, 2021.
This finding aid was made possible in part through funding from the County of Ventura and the Heritage Fund at the Ventura
County Community Foundation.
Museum of Ventura County
September 2021
100 East Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001
library@venturamuseum.org
Contributing Institution:
Museum of Ventura County
Title: John C. Orr collection
Identifier/Call Number: MVC074
Physical Description:
5.13 Cubic Feet
(4 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1892-2010
Abstract: John C. Orr, born in Ventura County, is a fourth-generation lawyer and farmer. His great-grandfather, Orestes Orlando Orr,
opened his law practice in downtown Ventura in 1882. In 1910 Orestes' son Harold Frank Orr joined his father's firm. In 1915
H.F. Orr recruited Erle Stanley Gardner, who would later become the author of the Perry Mason series. Their law firm, Drapeau,
Orr and Gardner, was located on the third floor of the building on the corner of Main and California streets. American lawyer
and author Gardner wrote his first novel
The Case of the Velvet Claws while working with Orr. Gardner left the firm in the mid-1930s to write full time. This collection contains assorted materials
collected by John C. Orr and his grandfather, H.F. Orr. Materials include correspondence between H.F. Orr and Gardner, as
well as correspondence between Gardner and various friends and family, and ephemera that belonged to Gardner. Additional materials
include legal documents and correspondence belonging to H.F. Orr.
Physical Location: Stored off-site and advance notice required for timely retrieval. Please contact the Research Library reference desk prior
to your visit.
Language of Material:
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Open for research. All requests to access materials must be made in advance by contacting the
Research Library staff via email: library@venturamuseum.org.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Property rights to the physical objects belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, are
retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where the museum does not hold the copyright.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], John C. Orr collection, (Collection MVC074), Museum of Ventura County, Research Library, Ventura,
California.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
John C. Orr; gift; 2006.
Processing Information
Processed by Krystell Jimenez, 2021.
Our collections are processed using MPLP methods so that we can prioritize access for users and identify potential priorities
for more detailed processing. If while using our collections you think there is something that should be added or amended
in the finding aid, we welcome your input. You can notify staff in the reading room or send us an email at library@venturamuseum.org
Be sure to include the collection number and name and the box number you were working with in your email.
Biographical / Historical
John C. Orr, born in Ventura County, is a fourth-generation lawyer and farmer. His great-grandfather, Orestes Orlando Orr,
moved to Ventura from Illinois in 1878. In 1882 he opened his law practice in downtown Ventura and was elected district attorney
two years later. In 1910 his son Harold Frank Orr joined his firm. H.F. Orr would later be elected city attorney, a position
he held for 35 years. In 1915 H.F. Orr recruited Erle Stanley Gardner, who later became the author of the Perry Mason series.
Their law firm, Drapeau, Orr and Gardner, was located on the third floor of the building on the corner of Main and California
streets.
American lawyer and author Gardner wrote his first novel
The Case of the Velvet Claws while working with Orr. Born on July 17, 1889, in Malden, Massachusetts, Gardner graduated from Palo Alto High School and
pursued his legal education independently after being suspended from law school. He passed the state Bar exam in 1911. Much
of his fictional writings are based on his experiences as a trial lawyer in Ventura. Gardner often worked with lower-income
clientele, particularly Chinese and Mexican immigrants. This inspired him to establish the Court of Last Resort in the 1940s,
which was an organization that helped support defendants who were imprisoned unfairly or couldn't afford adequate legal representation.
Gardner remained with Sheridan, Orr, Drapeau, and Gardner until 1933 when he published
The Case of the Velvet Claws. Many of the locations in that story are based on the historic Pierpont Inn.
In 1970 Frank E. Orr, John C. Orr's father, joined the firm. Gardner died of cancer on March 11, 1970, at his ranch in Temecula,
California. H.F. Orr died on March 1, 1969.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains assorted materials collected by John C. Orr, grandson of Harold Frank Orr (1888-1969). Materials
include correspondence between Orr and Gardner, as well as correspondence between Gardner and various friends and family,
and ephemera that belonged to Gardner. There are also various notes and articles collected while researching Gardner for exhibits,
and 78 first-edition books that were written by Gardner, including both his fiction and non-fiction works. Additional materials
include various legal documents and correspondence belonging to H.F. Orr and Orestes Orland Orr, John C. Orr's great-grandfather.
Organization and Arrangement
The papers portion of this collection have been processed at the folder level. Previous library staff and volunteers created
detailed, item-level inventories for Box 1, Folders 7-11.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
COLLECTION CONTAINS DIGITAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing. Requests to use
digital materials must be made in advance. Please contact the Research Library at library@venturamuseum.org.
Other Finding Aids
Item-level inventories for Box 1, Folders 7-11 are available in the following
Folders 7-11 Inventory document. Also, a list of titles in Boxes 2-4 is available in this
Book Inventory document.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Legal documents.
Legal stories
Law offices -- Records and correspondence
Correspondence
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Printed ephemera.
Box 1, Folder 1
Cash account (deductions, charges incurred)
1908 June 1- July 1
Box 1, Folder 2
Transcript: Leeland Stanford Junior University
1910 January 4
Box 1, Folder 3
Correspondence: Legal internship
1909 February
Box 1, Folder 4
Exhibit photographs: Cara Mea Keech (courtesy of Orange County Archives)
circa 2007
Box 1, Folder 5
Research on Cara Mea Keech (Orange County Archives)
2007-2010
Scope and Contents
Cara Mea Keech is thought to have been a love interest of Gardner's while he was a high school student in Palo Alto, California.
Box 1, Folder 6
Correspondence: Keech sisters
1910-1911
Box 1, Folder 7
Letters and notes to and from Gardner from family and friends
1908-1913
Box 1, Folder 10
Miscellaneous manuscripts and notes
circa 1908
Box 1, Folder 11
Newspaper clippings
1946, 1983
Scope and Contents
This folder contains copies of
Oxnard Press-Worrier Extra, Volume 38, Number 272 (Oxnard, CA), dated Tuesday, May 21, 1946; and a copy of
Looking Back, Vista dated Sunday, December 4, 1983, pp. 13-14, with headline "Perry Mason creator was local lawyer."
Box 1, Folder 12
Correspondence (Sports)
1943 July - 1950 June
Scope and Contents
This folder was originally labeled "Sports".
Box 1, Folder 13
Correspondence research
undated
Scope and Contents
This folder contains notes on certain correspondence. However, it is unclear if this corresponds with letters that are in
this collection or if it refers to letters held by the Orange County Archives. A page of notes that was created by former
staff and volunteers have been included in the folder for further reference. However, these notes have not been fact-checked
or verified.
Box 1, Folder 14
Research and articles on Gardner
circa 1990
Box 1, Folder 15
Gardner sketch (photocopy)
undated
Box 1, Folder 16
Gardner exhibit pamphlet
2006
Box 1, Folder 17
Correspondence and telegrams to and from Gardner
1911, circa 1941
Box 1, Folder 18
Insurance policy, titles, deeds re: Leopoldo Aonzo and Helen Power Wright
1950-1953
Box 1, Folder 19
Deeds, insurance policies, correspondence re: Milan J. Wright and Helen Power Wright
1928-1949
Box 1, Folder 20
Deeds, titles, and other papers for Milan J. Wright and Helen Power Wright
1916-1951
Box 1, Folder 21
Helen Power Wright correspondence
1929, 1946
Box 1, Folder 22
Milan J. Wright titles, deeds, correspondence
1916-1919
Box 1, Folder 23
George Coffin Power and Helen Power Wright legal documents on Power's estate and will
1942-1943
Box 1, Folder 24
Deeds, titles, and papers for H.J. Comstock and Mrs. A.V. Comstock
1892, 1908-1941
Box 1, Folder 25
Additional papers, titles, receipts for Milan J. Wright and Helen Power Wright
1924-1951
Box 1, Folder 26
Agreement between Chester R. Clover and George C. Power
1924 July 11
Box 1, Folder 27
Mary B. Power estate decree and final account
1924 May 13
Box 1, Folder 28
CD-ROMs
undated
Scope and Contents
Three CD-ROMs. They are labeled "Timeline E.S.G.", "My Dear Boy - E.S.G.", and "John Orr Collection ESG".
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
COLLECTION CONTAINS DIGITAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing. Requests to use
digital materials must be made in advance. Please contact the Research Library at library@venturamuseum.org.
Box 2, Box 3, Box 4
Erle Stanley Gardner books
1933-1972
Scope and Contents
Boxes 2-4 contain copies of Erle Stanley Gardner's work, some of which were published posthumously. Gardner signed and gave
most as copies to friends and family. All are first editions. A list of the titles in these boxes can be found in this PDF.
