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Los Angeles city water rights collection
mssLos Angeles water rights collection  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Administration Information
  • History
  • Scope and Content
  • Indexing Terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Los Angeles city water rights collection
    Dates: 1775-1974
    Dates: bulk 1966-1967
    Collection Call Number: mssLos Angeles water rights collection
    Extent: 133 items
    Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts Department
    The Huntington Library
    1151 Oxford Road
    San Marino, California 91108
    Phone: (626) 405-2203
    Fax: (626) 449-5720
    Email: reference@huntington.org
    URL: http://www.huntington.org
    Abstract: Research material used by historians in the water rights case of the City of Los Angeles vs. City of San Fernando as well as copies of legal documents from the court case.
    Language of Material: The records are in English, although there are several items in Spanish.

    Administration Information

    Access

    Collection is open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, please go to following web site .

    Publication Rights

    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], Los Angeles city water rights collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

    Acquisition Information

    The collection was a gift of Andrew F. Rolle, April 1985.

    History

    The city of Los Angeles brought a case against San Fernando, Burbank, Glendale and 30 other defendants over use of underground water in September 1955 (the trial took place in 1966-1967). Historians Andrew Rolle, Iris Higbie Wilson Engstrand, John W. Caughey, other others, did research, presented evidence, and testified in the court case on behalf of the defendants.

    Scope and Content

    The collection includes the research material used by Andrew F. Rolle and others to create the evidence used in the water rights case City of Los Angeles vs. City of San Fernando, et al, including copies of original land deeds, journal articles, maps, and original manuscripts by Rolle (including A History of Hispanic-American Rights and Usage with Respect to Land and Water in California). It also includes copies of several of the legal documents from the case including the decision by Judge Edmund M. Moor, the defendants' combined trial brief, the reporters' daily transcripts, as well as the manuscript prepared by Rolle and Engstrand entitled: A Study of Laws and Customs Pertaining to the Use of Water in California and Spain Mexico (3 volumes). There are a few letters between Rolle and the lawyers involved in the case. Many of the items have Andrew F. Rolle's handwritten comments and edits. Subjects in the collection include: history of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, San Fernando, Burbank, Glendale; water rights and sources in the area; the Indians of the area; the missions in California; original land tenure and ranchos.

    Arrangement

    The original order was kept by the cataloger. The collection is housed in six boxes.

    Indexing Terms

    Personal Names

    Caughey, John Walton, 1902-1995
    Engstrand, Iris Wilson
    Rolle, Andrew F.

    Corporate Names

    California. Superior Court (Los Angeles County)
    San Fernando, Rey de España (Mission : San Fernando, Calif.) -- History

    Subjects

    Subjects

    Indians of North America -- California -- Los Angeles County -- History
    Land tenure -- California, Southern
    Missions -- California -- History
    Ranches -- California, Southern -- History
    Water rights -- California -- Los Angeles
    Water rights -- California -- San Fernando
    Water rights -- Cases
    Water-supply -- California -- Los Angeles

    Geographic Areas

    Burbank (Los Angeles County, Calif.) -- History
    California, Southern -- History
    Glendale (Calif.) -- History
    Los Angeles (Calif) -- History -- 18th century
    Los Angeles (Calif) -- History -- 19th century
    San Fernando (Calif.) -- History

    Genre

    Legal documents -- California -- 20th century
    Research (document genres) -- California -- 20th century