Lura Case Smith correspondence, 1852-1865

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Summary

Creators:
Smith, Lura Case, active 1854-1865
Abstract:
Letters of early California pioneer Lura Case Smith and her family.
Extent:
1.50 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Lura Case Smith correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of letters by Lura Case Smith which describe incidents of daily life in San Francisco, from 1854 to 1865, and the six months stay at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, in 1855. There is also a small amount of information on mining near Columbia, California in 1852. Receiving mention in almost every letter from 1859 to 1865 are Dr. Franklin Tuthill, author of A California history, and his family. Correspondents include: Lura Case Smith, Jesse R. Smith, and Carrie Smith.

Biographical / historical:

Lura Case Smith arrived in California in 1853, joining her husband Jesse R. Smith, who, in 1851, had left their home on Long Island, New York, to engage in mining in California. The family settled in San Francisco where Jesse worked as a contractor until 1855, when they moved to Vallejo, California, where he worked at the U.S. Naval Shipyard at Mare Island. They returned to San Francisco six months later and lived there, where Jesse was employed in the lumber business until 1867.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Edwin Grabhorn, January 1945.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff. In 2022, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

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 necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Lura Case Smith correspondence, 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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