Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Edwina B. Coffing collection
- Dates:
- 1948 - 1969, bulk 1932 - 1986
- Abstract:
- The collection consists primarily of correspondence between Stuart and Edwina Coffing and Emil Kopac, of Oshkosh, Nebraska, regarding their mutual interest in book collecting, Western history and the town of Julesburg, Colorado.
- Extent:
- .333 Linear Feet 1 half-box
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Edwina B. Coffing Collection, MS 540, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection consists primarily of correspondence between Stuart and Edwina Coffing and Emil Kopac, of Oshkosh, Nebraska, regarding their mutual interest in book collecting, Western history and the town of Julesburg, Colorado. There are several photographs and clippings related to Julesburg, as well as activities and people who were important to its history. The collection also includes a few hand-drawn maps of the town.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Edwina and Stuart Coffing met in Sacramento, California at Sacramento Junior College, now Sacramento City College. They were married on November 13, 1931 in Palo Alto, California and had one child, Gavin, on Jul, 23, 1933. The Coffings lived in various California cities, and for a time in Oregon, but returned to Sacramento in 1958 to make their permanent home.
A college course in California history inspired Mrs. Coffing to read extensively about her native state and inspired her to assemble an extensive library of Western Americana. In 1996, Mrs. Coffing donated her collection of over 1,700 volumes to the California State Railroad Museum Library. Of particular interest to Mrs. Coffing were accounts by early Westward travelers, recorded in diaries and letters home. This may explain her keen interest in Julesburg, since it was a point along several key routes west, including the Pony Express.
Edwina was born to William and Vivien [McCormick] Booth on Aug. 13, 1908 in California. William Booth, born in Iowa, was a farmer in the Florin District of the Sacramento, California area. He passed away on March 25, 1952 and is buried in Elder Creek Cemetery. Vivien Booth was born in 1880 in the Antelope District of Sacramento and passed away in March 1958. She was the daughter of Frank and Clara Justus McCormick. Frank settled in the Antelope area, Sacramento, California, in the 1870's. Edwina passed away on Oct. 7, 2001 and is buried in the Fair Oaks Cemetery, Fair Oaks, California.
Stuart Claude Coffing was born on Jun. 16, 1910 in San Francisco, California. He was an agriculture researcher. He passed away on October 19, 1991 and is buried in the Fair Oaks Cemetery, Fair Oaks, California.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Edwina Coffing, 1996
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged by material type
- Physical location:
- Statewide Museum Collection Center
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-06-05 21:07:49 +0000 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research by appointment. Contact Library Staff.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright has been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. Permission for publication must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Edwina B. Coffing Collection, MS 540, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
111 I StreetSacramento, CA 95814, US
- Contact:
- (916) 323-8073