Guide to the Flores Family Papers MS-03
Revised by Chris S. Ervin
Presidio Research Center
2019-03-03
215 East Canon Perdido St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
chris@sbthp.org
Language of Material:
Spanish; Castilian
Contributing Institution:
Presidio Research Center
Title: Flores Family Papers
source:
Platz, Edward H., Dr.
source:
Platz, Helen (Hartnett)
creator:
Vallejo, Mariano Guadalupe, 1808-1890
creator:
Flores, Jose Ignacio
creator:
Guerra, Pablo de la, 1819-1874
creator:
Crespo, Angel
creator:
Quintero, Regina
Identifier/Call Number: MS-03
Physical Description:
0.25 Linear Feet
61 items
Date (inclusive): 1840-1921
Abstract: This collection consists of twenty handwritten documents, twenty-five newspaper clippings, ten photographs, and three miscellaneous
publications concerning Santa Barbara Presidio Commandant Gumesindo Flores and his wife Cipriana Llano Flores.
Container: SB-01
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of twenty handwritten documents, twenty-five newspaper clippings, ten photographs, and three miscellaneous
publications. Among the holographs are several poignant letters to Cipriana Flores from her mother in Mexico during the mid
19th century and copies of legal documents employed by Cipriana to justify her claim to the Presidio
comandancia to U.S. authorities. The certificates or testimonials by many of the men who knew Flores provide information on his military
career in California, as well as the careers of the men who are testifying.
There are also several pages from an early Spanish cookbook and a prayer. Photographs are of Cipriana Flores and various family
members, many of them taken at the Presidio. A scattering of genealogical notes accompany the photographs. Clippings include
obituary notices of Flores family members and articles about Cipriana Flores and the Presidio dating from the early 20th century.
Biographical / Historical
Gumesindo Flores (d.1860) was Santa Barbara Presidio's last
comandante, arriving in Santa Barbara from Monterey in 1842 where he had been in command since 1839. He married Cipriana Llanos Quintero
in 1835 and they had ten children. They lived in a wooden house on the 900 block of Santa Barbara Street, built in 1818.
The house was destroyed in the 1925 earthquake. Flores was murdered July 16, 1860 by an assassin and is buried at Mission
Santa Barbara. Cipriana Flores was born in Mexico on September 27, 1818 and came to California in 1833 when she was 15 years
old. She died at the age of 103 on November 23, 1921. The collection was compiled and preserved by Helen "Nellie" Hartnett
Platz, who was given many of the documents by her mother Rose Noe Hartnett, the granddaughter of Cipriana and Gumesindo Flores.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Edward Platz, 1991
General
The documents were transcribed and translated by Ruth C. Adams, Maria Powell, and John C. MacGregor from 1989-1990.
Preferred Citation
Flores Family Papers, MS-03, Presidio Research Center, Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist-Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation Research Center as the
owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be
obtained by the reader.
Existence and Location of Copies
Copies of original documents are available for use by researchers.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Letters
Photographs
Santa Barbara Presidio (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Platz, Edward H., Dr.
Platz, Helen (Hartnett)
Flores Family
Flores, Gumesindo
Flores, Cipriana Justina de Llanos, 1818-1921
Holographic Letters and Documents
1840-1921
folder 1
Arias en honor de Nuestra Senora de los Dolores
Physical Description: 2 pages, no date
General
Airs in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows
folder 2
Copies of certifications for Gumesindo Flores
1858-1885
Physical Description: 13 leaves, legal size
General
Copies of certifications of testimony about Gumesindo Flores, taken, by order of Senora Dona Cipriana Flores, from originals
she provided for this purpose. Certifications are from M.G. Vallejo, Pablo de la Guerra, Raymundo Carrillo, Ignacio del Valle,
A. F. Coronel, Anastasio Carrillo, Andres Pico, Juan Camarillo, Agustin V. E. Jamsens, Manual Diaz, and D. Spence taken in
1858 and 1859 and copied by a public scribe on June 19, 1885.
folder 3
Maria de Santiago, Jose. Copy of Baptismal Certificate for Cipriana Llanos
1921-04-18
Physical Description: 1 p.
General
Certificate taken from Baptismal Book of Spaniards, Holy Metropolitan Church of Mexico City, dated 4 April 1826. Copied by
F. N. Gutierrez in Santa Barbara on 18, April 1921.
folder 4
My Great, Great, Great Grandmother's Cook Book
Physical Description: 8 p. folded
General
Note, written in English, accompanying the cook book is dated June 8, 1[7]13, i.e. 1913
folder 5
Flores, Gumesindo. Copy of petition regarding ownership of his house on Canon Perdido Street
1858-02-27
Physical Description: 3 pages, legal sized
General
Petition written by Flores' power of attorney, Antonio de la Palma y Mesa, 1 April 1858.
folder 6
Coney, A. K. Letter to Cipriana de Flores
1885-06-01
Physical Description: 2 p. legal size
General
Concerning her deceased husband's pension, which she believes she should receive.
folder 7
Notes when my mother came to California
Physical Description: 2 p.
General
According to the donor, these notes were probably dictated by Rose Noe Hartnett and written down by Helen "Nellie" Hartnett
Platz.
folder 8
Clipping of notice of Cipriana Flores' divorce published in the Santa Barbara Gazette.
1885-08-08
Physical Description: 1 p.
folder 9
Crespo, Angel and Regina Quintero. Letter to Cipriana Flores
1842-04-04
Physical Description: 2 p.
General
Letter written by Cipriana Flores' godfather for her mother Regina Quintero. The letter mentions that Don Manual Micheltorena
will relieve her husband and take over as Governor and Commandant of the Californias. Several family members send along their
greetings and hope that she and her family will return to Mexico soon.
folder 10
Document about Gumesindo Flores' property
circa 1858
Physical Description: 1p.
General
Document not translated. Part of document may have been signed by Antonio Maria de la Guerra.
folder 11
Crespo, Angel. Letter to Gumersindo Flores
1842-02-02
Physical Description: 1 p.
General
Letter discusses military activities surrounding Governor Micheltorena--his attempt to form an army of 50,000 men in Mexico,
his upcoming trip to Alta California with 1,000 men, and his intent to relieve Gumesindo Flores of his post at the Presidio
in Santa Barbara.
folder 11
Crespo, Angel. Letter to Cipriana Flores
1842-02-02
Physical Description: 2 p.
General
Letter written by Cipriana Flores' godfather. The letter mentions that Don Manual Micheltorena will relieve her husband and
take over as Governor and Commandant of the Californias. He says her mother may travel north with Micheltorena to see Cipriana,
which Crespo does not advise. Several family members send along their greetings and all hope that she and her family will
return to Mexico soon.
folder 12
Quintero, Regina. Letter to Cipriana Flores
1841-02-15
Physical Description: 3 p.
General
Letter from Cipriana's mother, written by Angel Crespo, giving news of her family in Mexico and asking for news from Cipriana
in Alta California. She mentions that she has just received a letter from Cipriana, the first one in five years and discusses
the problems with delivering mail back and forth.
folder 13
Crespo, Angel and Regina Quintera. Letter to Gumersindo and Cipriana Flores
1843-02-15
Physical Description: 2 p.
General
Letter, written by Angel Crespo for Regina Quintero, sends family greetings and mentions family members back in Mexico. Mentions
that Gumersindo Flores will come to Mexico to take people back to Alta California.
folder 14
Crespo, Angel. Letter to Gumesindo Flores
1844-02-01
Physical Description: 2 p.
General
Acknowledges receipt of Gumesindo's and Cipriana's letters. Discusses the problem of Gumesindo finding relief for his post
so that he can return to Mexico. Mentions news from several friends and family.
folder 15
Moreno, Jose Maria. Letter to Gumesindo Flores
1840-05-27
Physical Description: 1 p.
General
Letter not translated.
folder 16
Cipriana Flores
Physical Description: 3 3/8 x 4 7/8 in., oval sepia
folder 16
Cipriana Flores in room with 4-poster bed in background
Physical Description: 3 3/4 x 5 in. black/white
folder 16
Jose Ignacio Flores and Cipriana Flores in room with 4-poster bed in background
Physical Description: 4 15/16 x 3 11/16 in. black/white
folder 16
Group photo in front of comandancia
Physical Description: 3 3/8 x 4 3/8 in. black/white
General
Cipriana Flores seated (Lolita Sangster standing beside her) in front of (from left to right) Alwin Hartnett, Nellie Platz,
Ignacio Flores, Rose Noe Hartnett and John Hartnett standing behind.
folder 16
Cipriana Flores in wheelchair with John Hartnett, son of Cipriana's daughter Rose Noe, standing behind
Physical Description: 2 7/8 x 3 15/16 in. black/white; 2 copies
folder 16
Comandancia
Physical Description: 5 7/16 x 7 in. faded sepia
General
written on photo in ink, "Old home on Sta Barbara St."
folder 16
Comandancia
Physical Description: 5 1/8 x 7 1/16 in. faded black/white
folder 16
Cipriana Flores seated in chair on porch
Physical Description: 4 11/16 x 6 5/8 black/white
folder 17-18
Newspaper Clippings and Miscellaneous Publications
General
Includes a history of Santa Barbara during the time of Gumesindo Flores, written by his son, Jose Ignacio Flores.
folder 19
Flores Documents: General Acquisition and Other Information
Physical Description: 1 Folder
General
2019-03-03 - During the course of fulfilling a reference request, an extra unnumbered folder titled "Flores Papers: General
Information" was found mixed in with the documented MS-03 folders 1 through 18 of the Flores Family Papers. The contents are
primarily the acquisition documents such as the Deed of Gift, Receipt, correspondence and other Flores-related documents received
after the initial gift. The Archivist numbered the new folder as "19" and added this Archival Object to the collection.
folder 20
Cipriana Justina de Llanos Flores records
source: Grzywacki, Alex F.
Physical Description: 4 Leaves
Material Specific Details: Find A Grave Memorial 64566192; Calvary Cemetery Interment record; Familysearch.org search results; Mexico church record;
1850, 1860, 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920 U.S. Federal census records; Ancestry family tree.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Flores, Cipriana Justina de Llanos, 1818-1921
Grzywacki, Alex F.
