Lippitt & Lippitt papers, 1904-1934

Processed by Sonoma County Library staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Geoffrey Skinner.
Published by the Sonoma County Library
Published Dec. 20, 2019
Sonoma County Library
6135 State Farm Drive
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Phone: 707 545-0831

Lippitt & Lippitt papers, 1904-1934

Sonoma County Library

Overview of the Collection

Title: Lippitt & Lippitt papers
Date (inclusive): 1904-1934
Identification: SPC.00048
Creator: Lippitt, Frank K.,1885-1917
Creator: Lippitt, E. S.(Edward Spaulding),1824-1912
Creator: Johnson, Newton A.,1886-1930
Creator: Lippitt & Lippitt
Physical Description: 2.2 linear feet 2 legal file boxes
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Repository: Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library, Sonoma County Library
Abstract: This collection contains court documents filed by and for Petaluma attorney Frank K. Lippett. Includes civil cases related to estates and other matters represented by Lippitt betwen 1904 and 1934. Includes typescript copies of wills and subsequent announcements, attorney notes, court orders and file copies of court transcripts. Records relating to the estate of Martin O'Reilly, dated June 1913-January 1917, were executed by Petaluma attorney Newton A. Johnson; Frank K. Lippitt served as executor.

Biography/Organization History

Frank Kavenaugh Lippitt was born in Petaluma, California, on March 9, 1885. After private schooling with his grandmother in Louisville, Kentucky, he returned to California and took a position in his brother-in-law's San Francisco coal business, then took up law under his father. Frank K. Lippitt entered partnership with his father, attorney (and judge) E. S. (Edward Spaulding) Lippitt (1824-1912), as Lippitt & Lippitt, with offices in the upper stories of the Mutual Relief Building at the corner of Western Avenue and Kentucky Street in Petaluma. He won a number of well-known cases and had a lucrative career, taking over the partnership following his father's death. After Frank K. Lippitt's retirement in June 1917 due to poor health, his associate, Newton A. Johnson (1886-1930), took over the firm until he himself retired and moved to Fresno. Lippitt died at his home in Petaluma on August 14, 1917 at age 52.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains court documents filed by and for Petaluma attorney Frank K. Lippett. Includes civil cases related to estates and other matters represented by Lippitt betwen 1904 and 1934. Includes typescript copies of wills and subsequent announcements, attorney notes, court orders and file copies of court transcripts. Records relating to the estate of Martin O'Reilly, dated June 1913-January 1917, were executed by Petaluma attorney Newton A. Johnson; Frank K. Lippitt served as executor.

Arrangement of the collection

Organized into three series:
  1. Case files, 1904-1934
  2. Martin O'Reilly estate documents, 1913-1917
  3. Hellings estate documents, 1914

Access Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection.

Personal Names

Lippitt, Frank K., 1885-1917
Lippitt, E. S. (Edward Spaulding), 1824-1912
Johnson, Newton A., 1886-1930

Corporate Names

LIppitt & Lippitt

Topical Terms

Lawyers--California--Petaluma
Lawyers--California--Petaluma--Correspondence

Genre and Format Terms

Probate records
Civil court records
Criminal court records
Correspondence
Documents (object genre)
Records and briefs
Legal instruments
Financial records
Ephemera
Reports
Writings
Archival materials

Important Information for Users of the Collection

Conditions Governing Access:

Access Information

This collection is partially processed. Please contact the Petaluma History Room for access; for contact info and current hours, see https://sonomalibrary.org/locations/petaluma-history-room

Conditions of Use

Collection does not circulate and may be photocopied or photographed by arrangement only.

Publication Rights

The Sonoma County Library makes no assertions as to ownership of any original copyrights to digitized work and can claim only physical ownership of the work (s) described in these records. However, these materials are intended for Personal or Research use only. Any other kind of use, including, but not limited to commercial or scholarly publication in any medium or format, public exhibition, or use online or in a web site, may be subject to additional restrictions including but not limited to the copyrights held by parties other than the Library. USERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for determining the existence of such rights and for obtaining any permissions and/or paying associated fees necessary for the proposed use. Preferred credit line is: Courtesy, the Sonoma County Library. Please see additional reproduction and reuse information at https://sonomalibrary.org/locations/sonoma-county-history-and-genealogy-library/order-photo
[Identification of item], Lippitt & Lippitt papers, 1885-1934. SPC.00048, Petaluma History Room, Sonoma County Library, Petaluma, CA.
Gift: donor unknown