Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Preferred Citation
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Biographical / Historical
Scope and Contents
Processing Information
General
Arrangement
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Charles Fernald papers
Creator:
Fernald, Charles, 1830-1892
Identifier/Call Number: mssFernald
Physical Description:
11.09 Linear Feet
(12 boxes, 25 volumes)
Date (inclusive): 1850-1921
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.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
Conditions Governing Use
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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Florence Fernald, June 1950.
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.
Scope and Contents
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.
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.
General
Former call number: mssFernald papers.
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
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Judges -- California -- Santa Barbara -- Archives
Lawyers -- California -- Santa Barbara -- Archives
Real property -- California -- Santa Barbara
Letters (correspondence) -- California -- Santa Barbara