Finding aid for the Achille Levy papers, 1870-1993 MVC043
Finding aid prepared by Krystell Jimenez, 2020, and updated in November 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
November 2020
100 East Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001
library@venturamuseum.org
Contributing Institution:
Museum of Ventura County
Title: Achille Levy papers
Identifier/Call Number: MVC043
Physical Description:
43.83 Cubic Feet
(5 cartons, 1 small flat box, 1 negative box, 2 oversize folders, 131 ledgers)
Date (inclusive): 1870-1993
Abstract: The collection pertains to Achille Levy's personal and business life. Levy was a businessman, banker, and community leader
in Ventura County. Born in 1853 in Mommenheim, France, he was 18 years old when he immigrated to California. After a two-year
stay in San Francisco, California, he moved to the farming community of Hueneme in Ventura County. He first worked with Moise
Wolff and operated a successful general merchandise business. He returned to France briefly, married his wife, Lucy Meinette
Levy, in 1882 and returned to Hueneme. Levy worked closely with many local farmers and businessmen and in earning their trust
he began to offer banking services, eventually officially incorporating the Bank of A. Levy in 1905. The bank grew and became
central to the local economy, until it was sold to a larger bank in 1995. This collection contains materials related to Levy's
personal and family life, as well as the Bank of A. Levy's day-to-day activities. Materials include newspaper clippings, financial
records, Bank of A. Levy calendars, assorted pamphlets and booklets related to banking, books and diaries that belonged to
the Levy family, negatives and photographs, audio reels for radio advertisements, artwork for logos, a manuscript of A. Levy
and the bank's history, photo albums, contracts, deeds, mortgages, and account registers.
Physical Location: Stored off-site and advance notice required for timely retrieval. Please contact the Research Library reference desk prior
to your visit: library@venturamuseum.org
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Open for research. Collection is minimally processed. 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 object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, have
not been determined. Contact the Research Library for further information: library@venturamuseum.org
CONTAINS AV OR DIGITAL MATERIALS: Advance notice required. Researcher may be required to bear the cost of digitization or
creation of an access copy.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Achilles Levy papers, (MVC043), Museum of Ventura County, Research Library, Ventura, California.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Marshall Milligan; gift; 1995.
Processing Information
Processed by Krystell Jimenez, 2020.
Biographical / Historical
Achille Levy was a businessman, banker, and community leader in Ventura County. Born in 1853 in Mommenheim, France, he was
18 years old when he immigrated to California. After a two-year stay in San Francisco, California, he moved to the farming
community of Hueneme in Ventura County. In 1873, at the age of 20, he partnered with Moise Wolff and opened a successful general
merchandise business. Working at the Wolff and Levy General Store, Levy worked closely with many local farmers and businessmen.
He returned briefly to Europe, where he married Lucy Meinette Levy in Paris. Upon his return, Thomas Bard and Levy, at the
urging of local farmers formed the Bank of Hueneme. Levy was vice-president of the bank. He also started the Agricultural
Brokerage, a new business that served as a middleman between the farmers of the Santa Clara River Valley and markets in San
Francisco. For example, lima beans became a profitable product in the area largely due to Levy's advice and market research.
His brother-in-law Henry Levy also worked for him and was integral to the business. In fact, when Levy took an extended vacation
in Europe in 1900 he left his business affairs in Henry's care. In earning the trust of local farmers, his brokerage business
led to the establishment of the Bank of A. Levy in the 1880s. The bank was incorporated in 1905 in California with Levy as
president. Levy always remained very active in community affairs. He and his wife, Lucy, had four children: Julia Milligan,
Joe Levy, Anna Waterman, and Palmyra Lucie Weil. The family maintained control of the Bank of A. Levy after Levy's death in
1922 through Joe Levy and the Milligan family line. As Oxnard and the Port of Hueneme boomed and became economic centers,
the bank became an economic pillar of the county. Following Levy's death in 1922, his son Joseph was elected president of
the bank. The bank was a central pillar of Ventura County's economy until it was bought by First Interstate Bank in 1995.
By the time it was sold off to First Interstate Bank the Bank of A. Levy had 17 branches in the county and 65,000 customer
accounts. The bank president at the time of the sale was Marshall Milligan, Achille Levy's great-grandson.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains materials related to Achille Levy's personal life and business activities, the Bank of A. Levy's
day-to-day activities, and some items from the Levy family. Materials include newspaper clippings, financial records, Bank
of A. Levy calendars, assorted pamphlets and booklets related to banking, books and diaries that belonged to the Levy family,
negatives and photographs, audio reels for radio advertisements, artwork for logos, a manuscript of A. Levy and the bank's
history, photo albums, contracts, deeds, mortgages, and account registers.
Organization and Arrangement
This collection has been arranged into the following series:
- Series 1: Papers and photographs, 1880-1993
- Series 2: Ledgers, 1892-1967
There are box-level descriptions for items in Series 1 and item-level descriptions for items in Series 2.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
COLLECTION CONTAINS DIGITAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing. Requests to access
digital materials in collections must be made in advance. Please contact the Research Library at library@venturamuseum.org.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Banks and banking
Jewish businesspeople
Ledgers
Series 1: Papers and photographs
1880-1993
Scope and Contents
This series contains the manuscript portion of the collection. All papers are related to either the Levy family, Achille's
Levy's business dealings, or the Bank of A. Levy. This includes correspondence, photographs, daybooks, and various banks records.
Box 1
Papers and photographs
1888-1987
Scope and Contents
This box contains newspaper clippings on the bank's remodeling; records of A. Levy Co.'s profits and losses for 1923-1927;
a stock certificate for J-B Carburetor Corporation, 1915; a blank checkbook and cancelled checks, 1888-1889; the Kings Booklets
on New York Bank Presidents, circa 1904; Home Helps from the Fleur de Lis Rebekah Lodge, Oxnard, undated; unidentified negatives
and photographic slides; photographs of bank celebrations, circa 1970-1980; logo artwork and notes, circa 1970s; miscellaneous
clippings and notes; annual reports and statements, 1905-1982; scripts and notes for radio ads, 1978, 1987; audio tapes, 1986;
a 1929 notice for a county-wide increase in bank service charges; a DVD labeled "Achille Levy Documents"; and a manuscript
of A. Levy's personal and the bank's history, circa 1984.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
COLLECTION CONTAINS DIGITAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing. Requests to access
digital materials in collections must be made in advance. Please contact the Research Library at library@venturamuseum.org.
Box 2
Albums and books
1880-1991
Scope and Contents
This box contains the Levy family album; books on various subjects; a box of Automobile Club of Southern California maps,
1945-1951; an
Index to Precincts Registers, County of Ventura, 1922; memorial book for A. Levy's funeral;
Coffin's Interest Tables by John E. Coffin, 1914; a photo album of a luncheon at Hyatt Westlake Hotel, 1989; "Welcome to A. Levy" artwork; guestbook
for Joseph Levy's funeral, 1955; memorial resolution for A. Levy from International Indemnity Company, 1922; California Bankers'
Association publications, 1990-91; statements and resume of operations for the A and H Levy Company, 1922; and an agreement
with Anselmo Silveria, 1925 November.
Additional materials include papers that were originally in ledgers. This includes the contents of Ledger 1, Ledger 92, and
Ledger 64.
Box 3
Contracts, deeds, and mortgages
1870-1982
Scope and Contents
This box contains account registers, blanks checks, and promotional materials, circa 1970-1980; historical notes and contracts;
broadcaster advertisements, 1975-1978; contracts for construction and furnishings for new building, October 1926; and the
contents of a binder containing pamphlets, historical materials, clippings, and promotional materials, circa 1982.
Box 4
Diaries, memo books, and calendars
1886-1960
Scope and Contents
This box contains Anna Levy's French grammar book, 1893; Levy's prayerbook:
Prayer book for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur, 1886; diaries and memo books, 1871-1904; account books for Camarillo, among others, 1887-1916; banking education booklets;
saving books for Joseph Levy and Achille Arthur Milligan, 1909-43; a birthday book, circa 1950s; various diaries and calendars,
1918-1940.
Box 5, Folder 1
Photographs, clippings, and prints
1926-1993
Scope and Contents
Folder contains photographs, photographic slides, and negatives of bank events and celebrations; newspaper clippings from
1933 reporting on a banking crisis, a merit award from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce dated 1990; aerial photographs
possibly of Ventura Road and Port Hueneme, undated; redevelopment plans for Oxnard that include a new bank branch, 1969; and
a clipping from the Oxnard Courier, October 1926.
Box 5, Folder 2
Loose papers and account sheets
1922, 1926-1927
Scope and Contents
This folder contains loose papers and sheets from account ledgers. They were not attached to any ledger in particular. They
include accounts for shipment and deliveries of beans and grains, circa 1922; correspondence with Southern Pacific Milling
Company, 1926-1972; and Henry Levy's correspondence with the Hueneme Wharf and Warehouse Company and warehouses in Saticoy,
Reseda, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Northern California regarding delivery of and taxes on grains and beans, 1926-1972.
There is also a copy of a will for Marie Francois, dated February 19, 1925.
Box 6
Mortgages, deeds, and other contracts
1912-1924
Scope and Contents
This box contains mortgages, deeds, and other contracts made with the bank with various individuals and companies in the county.
They are housed in their original envelopes and are in original order from the left to right of the box.
Box 7
Term certificates of deposit: Number 18 - 2528
1905 November 11 - 1960 June 14
Series 2: Ledgers
1892-1967
Scope and Contents
This series includes all the ledgers in the collection many of which are either related to the Bank of A. Levy or the A. and
H. Levy Company, as well as a variety of other financial records kept by Achille and Henry Levy. For brevity A and H Levy
Company has been abbreviated to "AHL" and the Bank of A. Levy to "BAL." The ledgers are mostly in alphabetical order. The
ledgers have either the word "Cash" or "Journal" written on their spines, and are grouped and listed accordingly. However,
please note that some ledgers do not fall into either category.
Ledger 1
Accounts (alphabetical order)
circa 1909-1922
Scope and Contents
Papers that were in this ledger have been foldered and are now in Box 2.
Box 8, Ledger 2
BAL: Receipts for valuables
1923-1967
Ledger 3
Bills receivable
1909 June 23 - 1916 May 15
Ledger 4
Bills receivable: No. 1-2776
1905 June 20 - 1911 February 7
Scope and Contents
Papers in this ledger have been foldered. They include certificates and tabulation sheets, dated 1907-1909.
Ledger 5
Bills receivable: No. 2777-65580
1909 October 21 - 1913 November 1
Ledger 6
Bills receivable: No. 15481 - No. 19581
1921 May 9 - 1924 December 1
Ledger 7
Bills receivable: No. 19[?]-2591
1924 January 23 - 1940 October 19
Ledger 8
Cash accounts: 12
1917 November 30 - 1918 November 30
Cash
Scope and Contents
The following ledgers are labeled "Cash" on their spines.
Ledger 9
AHL: Cash No. 1
1905 August 1 - 1908 May 29
Ledger 10
AHL: Cash No. 2
1908 June 1 - 1911 May 31
Ledger 11
AHL: Cash No. 3
1911 June 1 - 1915 March 31
Ledger 12
AHL: Cash No. 4
1915 April 1 - 1918 April 27
Ledger 13
AHL: Unnumbered cash account book
1918 May 1 - 1920 December 28
Scope and Contents
Ledger is unnumbered, but may be number 5 in the sequence.
Ledger 14
A.L. Hueneme: Cash No. 8
1897 December 9 - 1899 September 6
Ledger 15
A.L. Hueneme: Cash No. 9
1899 September 6 - 1900 October 27
Ledger 16
A.L. Hueneme: Cash No. 10
1900 October 27 - 1901 November 6
Ledger 17
A.L. Hueneme: Cash No. 11
1901 November 7 - 1902 July 9
Ledger 18
A.L. Hueneme: Cash No. 12
1902 July 9 - December 17
Ledger 19
A.L. Oxnard: Cash No. 13
1902 December 17 - 1903 June 22
Ledger 20
A.L. Oxnard: Cash No. 14
1903 June 23 - October 24
Ledger 21
A.L. Oxnard: Cash No. 15
1903 October 24 - 1904 March 16
Ledger 22
A.L. Oxnard: Cash No. 16
1904 March 17 - August 20
Ledger 23
A.L. Oxnard: Cash No. 17
1904 August 22 - December 24
Ledger 24
A.L. Oxnard: Cash No. 18
1904 December 24 - 1905 June 6
Ledger 25
A.L. Oxnard: Cash No. 19
1905 June 6 - September 28
Ledger 26
BAL: Cash No. 1 (Oxnard)
1905 September 29 - December 29
Ledger 27
BAL: Cash No. 2 (Oxnard)
1905 December 30 - 1906 May 18
Ledger 28
BAL: Cash No. 3 (Oxnard)
1906 May 19 - September 7
Ledger 29
BAL: Cash No. 4 (Oxnard)
1906 September 8 - November 21
Ledger 30
BAL: Cash No. 5 (Oxnard)
1906 November 22 - 1907 March 29
Ledger 31
BAL: Cash No. 6 (Oxnard)
1907 March 30 - September 3
Ledger 32
BAL: Cash No. 7 (Oxnard)
1907 September 3 - December 24
Ledger 33
BAL: Cash No. 8 (Oxnard)
1907 December 24 - 1908 May 11
Ledger 34
BAL: Cash No. 9 (Oxnard)
1908 May 12 - September 11
Ledger 35
BAL: Cash No. 10 (Oxnard)
1908 September 11 - November 28
Ledger 36
BAL: Cash No. 11 (Oxnard)
1908 November 30 - 1909 March 17
Ledger 37
BAL: Cash No. 12 (Oxnard)
1909 March 18 - July 3
Ledger 38
BAL: Cash No. 13 (Oxnard)
1909 July 6 - September 28
Ledger 39
BAL: Cash No. 14 (Oxnard)
1909 September 28 - December 7
Ledger 40
BAL: Cash No. 15 (Oxnard)
1909 December 8 - 1910 March 12
Ledger 41
BAL: Cash No. 16 (Oxnard)
1910 March 14 - June 14
Ledger 42
BAL: Cash No. 17 (Oxnard)
1910 June 15 - September 6
Ledger 43
BAL: Cash No. 18 (Oxnard)
1910 September 7 - November 9
Ledger 44
BAL: Cash No. 19 (Oxnard)
1910 November 10 - 1911 January 20
Ledger 45
BAL: Cash No. 20 (Oxnard)
1911 January 20 - April 10
Ledger 46
BAL: Cash No. 21 (Oxnard)
1911 April 19 - July 10
Ledger 47
BAL: Cash No. 22 (Oxnard)
1911 July 10 - September 16
Ledger 48
BAL: Cash No. 23 (Oxnard)
1911 September 18 - November 11
Ledger 49
BAL: Cash No. 24 (Oxnard)
1911 November 13 - 1912 January 15
Ledger 50
BAL: Cash No. 25 (Oxnard)
1912 January 15 - April 6
Scope and Contents
There are 2 copies of this ledger.
Ledger 51
BAL: Cash No. 26 (Oxnard)
1912 April 6 - June 21
Ledger 52
BAL: Cash No. 27 (Oxnard)
1912 June 21 - August 30
Ledger 53
BAL: Cash No. 28 (Oxnard)
1912 August 31 - October 28
Ledger 54
BAL: Cash No. 29 (Oxnard)
1912 October 29 - December 30
Ledger 55
BAL: Cash No. 30 (Oxnard)
1912 December 30 - 1913 March 13
Ledger 56
BAL: Cash No. 31 (Oxnard)
1913 March 14 - May 23
Ledger 57
BAL: Cash No. 32 (Oxnard)
1913 May 24 - July 30
Ledger 58
BAL: Cash No. 33 (Oxnard)
1913 July 31 - September 29
Ledger 59
BAL: Cash No. 34 (Oxnard)
1913 September 30 - November 20
Ledger 60
BAL: Cash No. 35 (Oxnard)
1913 November 21 - 1914 January 22
Ledger 61
BAL: Cash No. 36 (Oxnard)
1914 January 23 - April 7
Ledger 62
BAL: Cash No. 37 (Oxnard)
1914 April 7 - June 9
Ledger 63
BAL: Cash No. 38 (Oxnard)
1914 June 10 - August 6
Ledger 64
BAL: Cash No. 39 (Oxnard)
1914 August 6 - October 3
Scope and Contents
Typed list of accounts and amounts of money. Papers have been foldered and are in Box 2.
Ledger 65
BAL: Cash No. 40 (Oxnard)
1914 October 8 - November 5
Ledger 66
BAL: Cash No. 41 (Oxnard)
1914 November 6 - December 22
Ledger 67
BAL: Cash No. 42 (Oxnard)
1914 December 22 - 1915 February 16
Ledger 68
BAL: Cash No. 43 (Oxnard)
1915 February 16 - April 16
Ledger 69
BAL: Cash No. 44 (Oxnard)
1915 April 16 - June 14
Ledger 70
BAL: Cash No. 45 (Oxnard)
1915 June 15 - August 7
Ledger 71
BAL: Cash No. 46 (Oxnard)
1915 August 7 - October 1
Ledger 72
BAL: Cash No. 47 (Oxnard)
1915 October 1 - November 12
Ledger 73
BAL: Cash No. 48 (Oxnard)
1915 November 12 - 1916 January 3
Ledger 74
Cash accounts book: A.L. (Oxnard)
1902 September 24 - 1903 September 23
Box 8, Ledger 75
Collection register
1957-1963
Ledger 76
Escrow register
1927 April 14 - 1963 April 9
Ledger 77
Individual ledger (Bank of A. Levy, Oxnard)
circa 1927
Journal
Scope and Contents
The following ledgers all labeled "Journal" on their spine.
Ledger 78
AHL: Journal No. 1
1905 August - 1907 October
Ledger 79
AHL: Journal No. 2
1907 November - 1909 November
Ledger 80
AHL: Journal No. 3
1909 December - 1911 October
Ledger 81
AHL: Journal (unnumbered)
1918 March 1 - 1929 December
Ledger 82
BAL: Journal No. 2
1923 December 27 - 1926 March 11
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 83
BAL: Journal No. 3
1926 March 12 - 1928 June 7
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 84
BAL: Journal No. 1
1905 August 1 - 1906 June 22
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts, assets, and liabilities. Papers that were in book have been foldered and are inside the front cover.
Ledger 85
BAL: Journal 2
1906 June - 1907 July
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 86
BAL: Journal 3
1907 July 15 - 1908 August 1
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 87
BAL: Journal 4
1908 August 3 - 1909 August 21
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 88
BAL: Journal 5
1909 August 15 - 1910 August 13
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 89
BAL: Journal 6
1910 August 15 - 1911 August 14
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 90
BAL: Journal 7
1911 August 15 - 1912 September 20
Ledger 91
BAL: Journal 8
1912 September 21 - 1913 October 4
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 92
BAL: Journal 8
1913 October 6 - 1914 October 14
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts. Memorandums and notes that were in the book have been foldered and are in Box 2.
Ledger 93
BAL: Journal 9
1914 October 16 - 1915 October 22
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 94
BAL: Journal 10
1915 October 23 - 1916 December 15
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 95
BAL: Journal 11
1916 November 16 - 1917 November 28
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 96
BAL: Journal 13
1918 December 2 - 1919 November 22
Ledger 97
BAL: Journal 14
1919 November 25 - 1920 November 20
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 98
BAL: Journal 15
1920 November 22 - 1921 November 15
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 99
BAL: Journal 16
1921 November 16 - 1922 November 10
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 100
BAL: Journal 17
1922 November 13 - 1923 November 6
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 101
BAL: Journal 18
1922 November 7 - 1924 August 27
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 102
BAL: Journal 19
1924 August 28 - 1925 June 24
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 103
BAL: Journal 20
1925 June 20 - 1926 April 20
Ledger 104
BAL: Journal 21
1926 April 21 - 1927 February 8
Ledger 105
BAL: Journal 22
1927 February 9 - 1927 December 2
Ledger 106
Journal
1911 November - 1913 October
Ledger 107
Journal
1913 December 31 - 1916 March 9
Scope and Contents
Cash, deposits, and interests dividend record.
Ledger 108
Journal
1913 November 1 - 1915 December 30
Ledger 109
Journal
1916 March 1 - 1917 December 31
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts and balance forward.
Ledger 110
Journal
1916 January 1 - 1918 February
Ledger 111
Journal
1918 January 19 - 1920 December 29
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 112
Journal
1920 December 30 - 1923 December 26
Scope and Contents
Cash accounts.
Ledger 113
Journal 5 (A.L. Hueneme)
1899 January - 1902 September 23
Ledger 114
Journal No. 6 (A. Levy, Oxnard)
1902 September 23 - 1904 September 30
Ledger 115
Journal No. 7 (Bank of A. Levy, Oxnard)
1904 October - 1905 July
Ledger 116
Ledger: Accounts in alphabetical order
1916 December 31 - 1928 January 1
Scope and Contents
Records include accounts payable, bank, invested capital, cash, petty cash, office furniture, real estate, and salaries, among
numerous other entries.
Ledger 117
Ledger: Petty cash
1896-1899
Scope and Contents
Entries are alphabetized by name. Index of names in front of ledger.
Ledger 118
Ledger 4: Bills paid and receivable
1915 January 2 - 1918
Scope and Contents
This ledger was stored and processed with the rest of the Levy ledgers; however, users are advised that this may not be a
Levy ledger.
Ledger 120
Ledger No. 5 (A.L., Hueneme)
1900-1902
Ledger 121
Ledger No. 6 (A.L., Hueneme)
1901 November 1 - 1902 December 31
Scope and Contents
Entries are alphabetized by name.
Ledger 122
Ledger No. 7 (A. Levy, Oxnard)
1903 January 1 - December 5
Ledger 123
Ledger No. 8 (A. Levy, Oxnard)
1903 December 14 - 1904 September 30
Scope and Contents
Entries are alphabetized by name.
Ledger 124
Index to Ledger No. 8
undated
Scope and Contents
Undated, but Ledger No. 8 is dated 1903-1904.
Ledger 125
Ledger No. 9: Bank of A. Levy, Oxnard
1905 January 1 - July 31
Ledger 126
Index to Ledger No. 9 (Bank of A. Levy, Oxnard)
1905
Ledger 127
Notes and Bills: Payable
1894 September 26 - 1904 September 2
Ledger 128
Notes and Bills: Receivable
1892 August 8 - 1894 October 11
Ledger 129
Order book
1902 March 18 - 1903 October
Scope and Contents
Records sales and new crops. This book is likely part of the Levy collection; however, researchers are advised that it may
not be.
Ledger 130
Unlabeled index
undated
Scope and Contents
Has names of individuals and businesses in alphabetical order. May be index for cash accounts, but not it's not specified.
Ledger 131
Unlabeled ledger: Cash accounts
1903 August 18 - December 17