Wilkinson (Webster H.) Papers, 1922-1932

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Summary

Title:
Webster H. Wilkinson papers
Dates:
1922-1932
Creators:
Wilkinson, Webster H., 1878-1942
Abstract:
Material related to San Francisco immigration attorney Webster H. Wilkinson, and the Chinese immigration case of Low Wah, of Bakersfield, California, and his son Low See Tong.
Extent:
0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Webster H. Wilkinson papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of 32 items related to Webster H. Wilkinson's law practice and to a case involving Bakersfield merchant Low Wah, his wife, and his son, Low See Tong, of Guangdong Province, China. Low See Tong was denied entry to the United States twice because his kinship to his father could not be proven. On the second occasion, he was detained at Angel Island for more than three months. The collection includes correspondence, a draft appeal, financial documents, notes, and a letter from Chinese American interpreter Chang Young, who requested a commission for his work on the case and noted his efforts to locate similar cases despite a temporary decline in incoming immigration matters. The correspondence includes letters between Wilkinson; Edward White, Commissioner of Immigration at Angel Island; and Warner Parker, an attorney in Washington, D.C. The collection also includes a case folder labeled "Low."

Biographical / historical:

Webster H. Wilkinson (1878–1942) was a San Francisco-based attorney whose practice focused primarily on immigration law for Chinese clients. Born in Illinois in 1878, he married Maude Vorhees in 1904, and the couple had one son, Richard. From 1924 to 1930, Wilkinson served as secretary of the short-lived Immigration Bar Association of San Francisco. He died in Oakland, California, in 1942.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Globus Books LLC, April 2026.
Processing information:

Processed by Brooke M. Black in July 2026.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Brooke M. Black
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-07-31 13:16:01 -0700 .

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]. Webster H. Wilkinson 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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