Horace Bell Papers mssBellh
Brooke M. Black
The Huntington Library
May 2020
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Horace Bell papers
Creator:
Bell, Horace, 1830-1918
Identifier/Call Number: mssBellh
Physical Description:
4.68 Linear Feet
(4 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1829-1890
Abstract: Papers of Los Angeles pioneer, lawyer, and newspaper owner Horace Bell.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
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]. Horace Bell papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mrs. J. R. Phillips, November 1936, and gift of Everett Herman Yocam in 1987.
Biographical / Historical
Horace Bell, pioneer Los Angeles resident, was born in Indiana in 1830 and came to California in 1850 to engage in mining
and settled in Los Angeles in 1852. He joined the Rangers, a local group formed to provide law and order, and later wrote
Reminiscences of a ranger: early times in southern California (1881), describing his experiences in early Los Angeles. Bell
established a weekly newspaper, The porcupine, and practiced law in Los Angeles. He died in June 1919 in Los Angeles.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains manuscripts of Horace Bell's published works, including On the old West Coast and twelve other stories.
There is also family correspondence, including letters to his sister Caroline Bell Rush and other materials collected by Bell
about early California. There is also an Abel Stearns deed and a manuscript about Junipero Serra.
Processing Information
Processed by Huntington Library Staff. In 2020, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.
Arrangement
Organized in the following series: Correspondence, Manuscripts, and Correspondence and affidavit.
General
Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssHM 39687-39718, mssHM 39781-39800.
Custodial History
Everett Herman Yocam originally put eleven letters on deposit in 1973 (they were also under restriction). They were gifted
to the Library upon his death in 1987 and the restriction was lifted in 2021.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Frontier and pioneer life -- California -- Los Angeles
Western stories
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Vigilance committees -- California -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Affidavits -- California -- 19th century
Deeds -- California -- 19th century
Letters (correspondence) -- California -- 19th century
Manuscripts for publication -- California -- 19th century
Serra, Junípero, Saint, 1713-1784
Stearns, Abel, 1798-1871
Box 1, Folder 1
George Washington Ayers to Manuel Torres Baranda de Estrada HM 39781
1829 February 13
Box 1, Folder 2
Franciso García agreement with William M. Keith HM 39782
1836 March 1
Box 1, Folder 3
Ignacio Lugo account with the U.S. Government HM 39783
1850 June 2
Box 1, Folder 4
John Bankhead Magruder and Samuel R. Summer deed with Abel Stearns HM 39784
1850 October 16
Box 1, Folder 5
José Mascarel affidavit regarding Dead Man's Island HM 39785
1899, February 11
Box 1, Folder 6
Scouting Adventures during 1861-1865 HM 39786
approximately 1905
Box 1, Folder 7
Saddle and Sword HM 39787
between 1904 and 1910
Scope and Contents
Original manuscript of On the Old Coast.
Box 2, Folder 1
On the Old West Coast HM 39788
between 1904 and 1910
Scope and Contents
Includes twenty different chapters from manuscript including: El Batocario; Man of Gratitude, Bravery and Honor; Uncle Bill;
Chinameca; Meteors; Los Angeles in the Secession War; Tansey Bitters; Death Valley; Magruder; The Harvest; Calabasas; The
Smoked Yankee; Chapter 29 (no title); The Fat of the Land; Pioneers; Four Mayors; Chapter 31 (no title); The Boom; The Mormons;
The Onward March.
Box 2, Folder 2
Atlantis HM 39789
undated
Scope and Contents
Money's Zwirro-Zwirro.
Box 2, Folder 3
Doña Vicente Murrieta HM 39790
undated
Scope and Contents
Chapter 22 of unidentified publication.
Box 2, Folder 4
Gold Bricks HM 39791
undated
Scope and Contents
Chapter 22?
Box 2, Folder 5
The Jews and the Courts HM 39792
undated
Box 2, Folder 6
Los Angeles 1882 HM 39793
undated
Scope and Contents
Chapter 17?
Box 2, Folder 7
Pioneer characters and Elections HM 39794
undated
Scope and Contents
Chapter 23?
Box 2, Folder 8
Pioneer Relic. A brief biography of Lewis (Louise Douglas) Watkins. HM 39795
undated
Box 2, Folder 9
The Vásquez Vendetta. A Tale of the Vigilante Committee. HM 39796
undated
Box 3, Folder 1
Jack Power, El Campeador. A California Romance HM 39797
undated
Box 3, Folder 2
Junipero Serra's Conquest of California HM 39798
undated
Scope and Contents
From the manuscript of Don Guillermo Embustero y Mentiroso, edited by Major Horace Bell.
Box 3, Folder 3
Leonis (Lion's Brooch) HM 39799
undated
Box 3, Folder 4
Manifest Destiny as it appeared in Nicaragua in 1855-1857 HM 39800
undated
Correspondence and affidavit
1863-1891
Box 4, Folder 1
W.H. Baker to Eliza E. Baker HM 39687
1891 April 19
Box 4, Folder 2-5
Bessie H. Bell to Caroline Bell Rush HM 39688-39691
1875-1880
Scope and Contents
Four letters.
Box 4, Folder 6-7
Charles A. Bell to Caroline Bell Rush HM 39692-39693
1873-1875
Scope and Contents
Two letters.
Box 4, Folder 8-24
Horace Bell to Caroline Bell Rush HM 39694-39710
1863-1897
Scope and Contents
Seventeen letters.
Box 4, Folder 25-26
Jennie Bell to Caroline Bell Rush HM 39711-39712
1879-1888
Scope and Contents
Two letters.
Box 4, Folder 27-28
John Bell to Caroline Bell Rush HM 39713-39714
1873 July-December
Scope and Contents
Two letters.
Box 4, Folder 29
John Gatley Downey to D.W. Bell HM 39715
1871 November 14
Box 4, Folder 30
George W. Maikel to A.W. Jones HM 39716
1864 July 9
Box 4, Folder 31
U.S. Treasury Department to Horace A. Rush HM 39717
1879 February 18
Box 4, Folder 32
Affidavit regarding property stolen by Angel Mendibles and Victor Laborieux from John Sullivan HM 39718
1869 October 31
