Charles Wolter Papers: Finding Aid mssHM 45506-40681
Gayle Richardson
The Huntington Library
January 2021
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Charles Wolter papers
Creator:
Wolter, Charles, 1792-1856
Identifier/Call Number: mssHM 45506-40681
Physical Description:
5 Linear Feet
(4 boxes, 17 volumes)
Date (inclusive): 1792-1970
Date (bulk): 1833-1881
Abstract: A collection of material related to the
life and work of Charles Wolter, Californian ship captain and landowner.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
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]. Charles Wolter papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts of Irene Hogan Wolter, December 1970, February 1971, and August 1976.
Biographical / Historical
Charles Wolter (1792-1856) a native of Germany, was a ship captain and pioneer California
landowner; he sought his fortune in the coastal shipping trade off the coast of South
America. Wolter had business interests in Lima, Peru, and Mazatlan, Mexico, before coming to
Monterey, California, as master of the ship "Lenore" in 1833. In Monterey, he married Josefa
Antonia Gomez (daughter of José Mariano Estrada and widow of Rafael Gomez). Wolter served as
pilot for Commodore Stockton during the Mexican War, and he invested in property in the city
of Monterey and in Rancho Lupyomi in partnership with the artist Edward Vischer. Harry
Meiggs Wolter (1884-1940) was the grandson of Charles Wolter and a professional baseball
player and coach for the Universities of Santa Clara and Stanford. In 1936, he took the
United States Baseball team to Berlin to participate in the Olympic Games.
Scope and Contents
A collection of 448 items from 1792 to 1970, which contains letters, five letter books,
documents, two account books, 11 scrapbooks, and photographs related to the life of Charles
Wolter and the Wolter family. There are materials related to Wolter's land and business
interests in early California including Monterey, Rancho Los Tualrcitos, Rancho El Toro, and
Rancho Lupyomi. Correspondents include William Antonio Richardson, David Spence, and Edward
Vischer. There is also memorabilia related to Harry Meiggs Wolter as a baseball player and
coach. He went with the U.S. baseball team to participate in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and
the collection contains an album from the Olympic Games with autographs of various
participants, including Jesse Owens. The collection also contains genealogical materials for
the Wolter family, including many scrapbooks assembled by Irene Hogan Wolter, wife of Harry
Meiggs Wolter.
Processing Information
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1980. In 2021, Gayle Richardson created the
finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Baseball coaches -- California -- Palo Alto
Baseball players -- California
Education -- California -- History -- 19th century
Land tenure -- California -- Monterey
Real property -- California -- Monterey
Ship captains -- California
Monterey (Calif.) -- History -- 19th century
Rancho El Toro (Calif.)
Rancho Lupyomi (Calif.)
Rancho Los Tularcitos (Calif.)
Account books -- 19th century
Family papers -- California
Letter books -- 19th century
Letters (correspondence)
Scrapbooks
Richardson, William A.,
1795-1856
Spence, David, 1798-1875
Taylor, Alexander S.
(Alexander Smith), 1817-1876
Vischer, Edward
Wolter, Irene Hogan
Wolter, Harry Meiggs, 1884-1940
Wolter (Family)
Olympic Games (11th : 1936)
(Berlin, Germany)
Box 1, Folder 1-68
Correspondence and documents
1792-1854
Box 2, Folder 1-53
Correspondence and documents
1855-1920
Box 4
Irene Hogan Wolter scrapbooks and photographs; miscellaneous receipts and
printed items
Volume 1-17
Irene Hogan Wolter and Harry Meiggs Wolter scrapbooks HM 40681
1911-1970
Scope and Contents
The scrapbooks contain genealogical material about early families and ranchos in the
Monterey, California area and the California Missions; the scrapbooks also contain
material about Harry Meiggs Wolter's career as a professional baseball player, college
and Olympic baseball coach. There are two letter books containing letters addressed to
Harry Meiggs Wolter, including letters in tribute of his coaching at Stanford
University.
