Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Fernald, Charles, 1830-1892
- Abstract:
- Charles Heard Fernald was a prominent pioneer, cultural leader, and jurist from Santa Barbara County, California. This collection consists of personal, legal, and land papers, primarily related to the Santa Barbara area, from 1850 to 1921.
- Extent:
- 11.09 Linear Feet (12 boxes, 25 volumes)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Charles Fernald papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Charles Fernald papers consists of personal, legal, and land papers primarily related to the Santa Barbara area from 1852 to 1904. Included are approximately 600 letters from Thomas Robert Bard, a developer of oil lands in Southern California to Fernald from 1870 to 1892. Subjects represented include court cases, chiefly in Southern California; land papers; and ranchos. Materials include correspondence, letter books, judicial records, appointments, commissions, petitions, maps, newspaper clippings, ephemera, and others.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Charles Heard Fernald was born in Maine on May 28, 1830. Fernald came to California in 1848 and tried mining in the Mother Lode. In 1850 he went to San Francisco, where he became a self-taught lawyer and a member of the California Bar at the age of twenty-two. Fernald settled in Santa Barbara and was elected successively as sheriff, district attorney, and judge of Santa Barbara County. He became recognized as a leading authority on Mexican land grants. He passed away in Santa Barbara on July 7, 1892.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Florence Fernald, June 1950.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Huntington Library staff, circa mid-20th century. In 2020, Gina C Giang and Maggie Hughes created a finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.
- Arrangement:
-
Organized in eight series:
- Series 1. Personal papers, 1852-1921
- Series 2. Business papers, 1852-1903
- Series 3. Judicial records, 1857-1890
- Series 4. Land papers, 1850-1916
- Series 5. Manuscripts, 1859
- Series 6. Maps and photographs
- Series 7. Newspaper clippings
- Series 8. Ephemera
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
- 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]. Charles Fernald papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191