The Vivian M. Obern Papers cover efforts made during the 1976 American Bicentennial by organizers and participants to recreate the expedition by Juan Bautista de Anza and his party of 240 settlers from northern Mexico to northern California two hundred years ealier in 1776. The collection also contains documents regarding the efforts of the Santa Barbara County Trails Council to establish and maintain recreational trails throughout the county. Materials include correspondence, clippings, photographs, audio tapes, one videotape, and publications about the various events and organizations associated with Anza.

Vivian "Vie" Marie (Hapeman) Obern was born on May 26, 1921 in Park Ridge, Illinois. She graduated from Principia College in 1942 after majoring in political science and art. She married Earl George Obern in 1942 and they moved to Santa Barbara in 1947, raising three children there.

3 Linear Feet - in 3 boxes; 2 record storage boxes and 1 deep lid archival flat box.

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist and Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation Research Center as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital facsimiles of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Collection is open to researchers.