Helen Sturdivant Collection

Finding aid created by Contra Costa County Historical Society staff using RecordEXPRESS

Contra Costa County Historical Society

724 Escobar Street

Martinez, California 94553

(925) 229-1042

http://www.cocohistory.com/

2019

Descriptive Summary

Title: Helen Sturdivant Collection

Dates: 1903-1973

Collection Number: 2005.22, 2009.27

Creator/Collector:

Extent: 3 boxes

Repository: Contra Costa County Historical Society

Martinez, California 94553

Abstract: The collection includes three boxes of material on the Sturdivant family of Somersville and related families including the Crozier, Parsons, Gibbel, Belshaw, Wilkening and Mortimore families of Somersville, Nortonville, Pittsburg, Illinois and Australia. The material was donated by Helen Sturdivant’s daughter Gloria Patten.

Language of Material: English

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Contact the Contra Costa County Historical Society for publication permission.

Preferred Citation

Helen Sturdivant Collection. Contra Costa County Historical Society

Scope and Content of Collection

Box 1 • Three wirebound volumes entitled “The Somersville Digs”, composed of information collected by Helen Lougher Sturdivant and compiled into three volumes by her daughter Gloria Patten. The project was performed by Gloria for an archaeology class in 1981. Volume I is entitled “Helen Lougher Sturdivant,” Volume II is entitled “Edna Parsons Gibbel,” and Volume III is entitled “Belshaw Family/Wilkening Family/Mortimore Family”. The material includes letters, family history, photographs and newspaper clippings, from 1903-1973. Accession # 05-22. Box 2 • File folders containing general correspondence, family photographs, letters of recommendation regarding one of the Sturdivants’ farm workers (Joe Castro), letters and memorabilia from the Sturdivants’ trip to Australia in 1968 to visit relatives, and letters from Helen Sturdivant to relatives in Illinois regarding family history. Date range is 1944-1970. Accession # 09-27. Box 3 • File folders containing general correspondence, photographs and newspaper clippings regarding Crozier and Lougher family genealogies. Date range is 1948-1970. Accession # 09-27.

Indexing Terms

agriculture

archeology

mining

family history

correspondence, personal

Sturdivant, Helen Lougher

Patten, Gloria

Sturdivant

Cozier

Parsons

Gibbel

Belshaw

Wilkening

Mortimore

Somersville

Nortonville

Pittsburg

letters

newspaper clippings

photographs

Additional collection guides

Guide to Collection