Thomas Balch Elliott papers, 1873-1874

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Summary

Creators:
Elliott, Thomas Balch
Abstract:
Papers belonging to Dr. Thomas B. Elliott, one of the founders of the city of Pasadena, California.
Extent:
2.4 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Thomas Balch Elliott papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of letters, chiefly from Daniel M. Berry, describing Southern California and the events leading to the founding of Pasadena. There is also a manuscript by Thomas B. Elliott titled, "History of the San Gabriel Orange Grove Association." The collection also has 12 photographs, including those of Thomas Balch Elliott, his wife Helen, son Whittier, and daughters Agnes, and Helen Elliott Bandini, and her husband Arturo Bandini (son of California politician and ranchero Juan Bandini), their children Ralph Bandini, Elliott Bandini, Georgia Elliott, and Judge Elisha Oscar Crosby.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. Thomas B. Elliott, one of the founders of the city of Pasadena, California, formed the California Colony of Indiana in May 1873 for the purpose of seeking a place to settle in California. In the summer of 1873, Elliott sent his brother-in-law, Dr. Daniel M. Berry, to California to select the site of the new city, and after traveling around Southern California, Berry chose the area which is now Pasadena. He incorporated the San Gabriel Orange Grove Association, which replaced the California Colony of Indiana, and began negotiations with Dr. John S. Griffin, Benjamin Davis Wilson, and others, for the purchase of land on which the new town was established.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Whittier Elliot, April 1925.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff in the 1920s. In February 2025, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

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]. Thomas Balch Elliott 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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