David Smith Terry papers, 1849-1933

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Summary

Creators:
Terry, David S. (David Smith), 1823-1889
Abstract:
Papers belonging to California lawyer and judge David Smith Terry.
Extent:
6 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. David Smith Terry papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of letters and documents related to David Smith Terry's family life and judicial and political career. There are also materials related to the Terry-Broderick duel, Texas frontier life and political events before and during the Civil War, as seen chiefly in the personal correspondence between Terry, his wife and family.

Biographical / historical:

David Smith Terry was a lawyer, politician, and California Supreme Court justice. Terry was born in Kentucky but later moved to Texas and joined the Texas Rangers during the Mexican War. After settling in California, he was elected a judge of the Supreme Court in 1855. A political rivalry with David C. Broderick culminated in the famous Terry-Broderick duel in 1859, in which Broderick was killed. Terry joined the Confederate army during the American Civil War and returned to California afterwards to resume his law practice. He was shot and killed by Deputy US Marshal David Neagle in 1889 after an altercation with Justice Stephen J. Field.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Cornelia Terry McClure, January 1949.
Processing information:

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

Arrangement:

Organized in the following series: 1. Correspondence; 2. Miscellaneous items and ephemera.

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]. David Smith Terry papers, 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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