This collection contains the papers, dating from 1838 to 1955, of the Oreña family, who held properties in present-day Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Los Angeles, California.

A native of Spain, Gaspar Oreña (1824-1904) came to the United States in the late nineteenth century. He married the widow of a prominent Californio family from Santa Barbara, Maria Antonia de la Guerra, after the death of her first husband, Cesareo E. Lataillade. Several of Oreña's children – namely, Leopoldo, Dario, Orestes, Arturo, and Serena – assumed the responsibilities of the maintaining or selling the family's properties in present-day Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. At some point, one of the Oreña children married into the Koch family. The Koch family also figures significantly in the collection, particularly those materials that relate to William de Koch, an agent of the Wells Fargo Co., and his son, Edward Oreña de Koch.

65 items in 3 boxes

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.

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.