Charles Fernald Papers mssFernald
Gina C Giang
The Huntington Library
March 2020
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Charles Fernald papers
Creator:
Fernald, Charles,
1830-1892
Identifier/Call Number: mssFernald
Physical Description:
10.59 Linear Feet
(11 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
Personal papers
1852-1921
Business papers
1852-1903
Box 1
Accounts and miscellaneous
1853-1887, undated
Box 2(2)
Thomas R. Bard to Charles Fernald
Box 3, Box 4(1), Box 4(2)
Letter books and other volumes
1861-1893
Judicial records
1857-1890
Box 5
United States Circuit Court No. 2, California, Southern District
1860-1890
Box 5
United States District Court, California, Northern District
1869
Box 6
California District Court
1857-1879
Box 6
Superior Court
1871-1891, undated
Court records
1863-1888, undated
Volume 17
Day book, California District Court, Second Judicial District
1863
Volume 18
District Court Calendar, Fernald and Richards
1869
Volume 19
Memoranda, Charles Fernald
1872
Volume 20
Daily Journal, Fernald and Richards
1874
Volume 21
Register of Actions, California District Court, County of Santa
Barbara
1876-1886
Volume 22
Trial docket, Charles Fernald
1884
Volume 23
Defendant's Exhibit No. 1., Alfeus Thompson
1888
Volume 24
Testimony: Thomas Bell vs. William Foxen, et al.
undated
Volume 25
In Memoriam: Honorable Charles Fernald of Santa Barbara
undated
Box 7
Legal miscellany
1864-1878, undated
Box 7
Agreements, deeds, indentures, etc.
1853-1889
Box 7
Posos Farm and Santa Rosa Island
1886
Box 9
Maps and photographs
Scope and Contents
Includes: Santa Barbara, Ex-mission, San Buenaventura, road map, and negative of Thomas
F. McFarland.
