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Guide to the Patricia Loomis Collection 2008.132
2008.132  
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Table of contents What's This?

Box 1

Personal correspondence and biographical clippings 2008-132 (1000-1002) 1951-2005

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.5 Linear feet (3 folders)

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence between Loomis and friends, members of the public. Most were requests for historical research and local information. Very few are personal letters. A full Container List is available in-house. Three biographical clippings detail Loomis's Milpitas book release, a 1986 history award, and a California Trail history trip in 1977.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

clippings (information artifacts)
correspondence
Box 1

San Jose Historical Museum records 2008-132-1003 1964-1991

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.25 Linear feet (1 folder)

Scope and Contents note

Includes institutional records from the Statehouse Replica Museum and the San Jose Historical Museum (precursor to History San Jose). Museum clippings, Park Bench Program records, Loomis's notes for related articles. A full Container List is available in-house.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

History San Jose. (San Jose, Calif.)
San Jose Historical Museum Association.
Statehouse Replica Museum. (San Jose, Calif.)
business records
Museums--California--San Jose
Box 1, Box 1

Historical tour materials 2008-132 (1009-1013) 1974-1986

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.3 Linear feet (5 folders)

Scope and Contents note

Contains itineraries, postcards, clippings, passenger lists and notes from Loomis's historical tours: Anza Trail Tour of Arizona 1974; Argonaut Tour of Overland Trails 1977; Mendocino County Argonauts Trip (1979); Anza Trail Tour and other tours 1979-1980; Carson City to Tragedy Springs Tour (1986).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Anza, Juan Bautista de, 1735-1788
Arbuckle, Clyde, 1903-
Argonauts Historical Society. (San Jose, Calif.)
Metropolitan Adult Education Program. (San Jose, Calif.)
Oregon-California Trails Association.
Mendocino County (Calif.)
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.) Description and travel.
Box 1

ByLines 2008-132 (1014-1035) 1940-1982

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.5 Linear feet (3 folders, 19 envelopes)

Scope and Contents note

Three folders contain loose clippings, mostly from the Mercury News, of Loomis's own stories. They are arranged chronologically. Signpost articles that were found loose, without notes, are included in her bylines. Articles that included her research notes are found in the Research Notes. Loomis also kept 9.5x14" envelopes of her clippings arranged by year, with topics written on front.
Box 3, Box 2

Signpost research and articles 2008-132 (1037-1105) 1970-1981

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 1.5 Linear feet (1.5 boxes)

Scope and Contents note

Contains all of Loomis's notes, drafts, and in many cases, final copies, of her "Signposts" articles for the Mercury News. For the most part they are maintained in Loomis's original envelopes and arranged alphabetically by the subject that either Loomis designated or that has been ascertained from examining the article. This is usually the street name or the family name of the related person. Loomis conducted many interviews with relatives and acquaintances during the course of her research; as a result her notes are useful for genealogy. The subject matter of this series touches on many of the prominent and pioneer families, as well as the history of mining, agriculture, ranching and academics, in the South Bay. Each of Loomis's envelopes was catalogued by subject; an index is available in-house.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

clippings (information artifacts)
drafts (documents)
research notes
Street signs
Streets--California--San Jose--History.
Box 2

Signposts research and articles A-Me 1970-1981

Language of Material: English
Box 3

Signposts research and articles Mo-Z 1970-1981

Language of Material: English
Box 5, Box 4, Box 3

Research notes by subject 2008-132 (1140-1304) 1850-2000

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 2.5 Linear feet (2.5 boxes)

Scope and Contents note

Loomis's research notes and background materials organized by topic. They have been kept in their original envelopes except where the envelopes were too torn to preserve, and are filed alphabetically according to either Loomis's subject notes on the envelope, or by examining the contents. The subject matter covers a wide geographical area across San Francisco, Santa Clara County, Alameda County, San Benito County and San Leandro County, as well as a comprehensive set of local history and related persons.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

clippings (information artifacts)
research notes
Box 3

Research Notes A, B

Box 4

Research Notes C-N

 

Greely-Grant Letter 2008-132-1206 1897

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear feet (1 folder)
creator: Grant, Robert

Scope and Contents note

Original and copies of a letter to "Bro. Greely" from "R. Grant M." dated August 8, 1897, from Pacific Grove, California. The letter also mentions a "Vostrovsky". A note from Loomis reads, "I was unable to find any Greely. Looked in county histories and in 1882 and 1905 directories." A note on the envelope the letter was stored in reads "Came from old house at [Edenvale] Historical Society interested?"

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Greely, Bro. -- Correspondence
Vostrovsky, Jerome
Monterey County (Calif.)--History
Pacific Grove (Calif.)
 

Gish, Hughs, Hellyer, Goodyear, Hensley, Belden research notes 2008-132-1198 January 1986

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear feet (1 folder)

Scope and Contents note

Background notes and clippings on several families pertaining to Overland Trails. Of interest is a letter to Loomis from Gage McKinney including a detailed history of the Gish-Hughs Families.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Gish, David Ellington
Gish, Mary Jane Glover
Hughes, Thomas Mason
 

Douglas genealogy 2008-132-1182

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear feet (1 folder)

Scope and Contents note

Douglas/Douglass family genealogy of unknown origin. Handwritten. Includes several original papers.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Douglas family
Douglass family
birth certificates
Families--California--History--19th century
Methodist Episcopal Church (Charleston, S.C.)
Mining claims
Scots--California--San Jose--Biography
 

Memorandum of Domestic Occurrence January 23, 1825

Language of Material: English

Scope and Contents note

Handwritten birth record on back of Spring Valley Water Works payment record for Wm. A. Douglas, born January 23, 1825. His mother Sarah Elisa Douglas died on the 11th February 1825. Isaac Richardson and Sarah Elisa Douglas were married between the 12th and 14th of February 1823.
 

Letter to Mrs. Douglass from Bessie M. Robinson October 28, 1903

Language of Material: English

Scope and Contents note

Handwritten letter sent to 859 Morrison (or Harrison) Street in Oakland, California, starts "Mother had the most uncomfortable day she has had in a long time yesterday; today she is up quite bright and cheerful...I send you a little information about that Balgay property. We should get it but all of this 'red-tape' and English law is tantalizing..." She goes on to detail her family history in Britain, possible links to wealth, and references a Mr. S. Donohoe, millionaire, in San Rafael.
 

Holland and Douglas family tree

Language of Material: English

Scope and Contents note

Handwritten family tree beginning with John Campbell Holland, b. June 30, 1824, and spouse Sarah Marie Holland, b. March 20, 1830. Children are listed, then one listing for Katherine Emerson Douglass, b. September 28 [year not noted]. "My twin sister" is written next to her name.
 

Douglas family history

Language of Material: English

Scope and Contents note

Handwritten, four-page history of the Douglas family in Scotland, undated.
 

Charleston land title October 11, 1824

Language of Material: English

Scope and Contents note

Original agreement between Mr. and Mrs. Douglass and "Committee" consisting of Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for a lot on Hasell Street in Charleston, South Carolina, next to the historic Trinity Church.
 

Mining deed for Ravenswood, Lander County, Nevada Territory December 24, 1863

Language of Material: English

Scope and Contents note

Original mining deed given to William H. Hoburg and William A. Douglass for fifty dollars for rock containing precious metals of gold, silver and copper, described as "Twenty five undivided feet in the Ozark Ledge. Twenty five undivided feet in the Hudson River Ledge and Twenty five feet in the Eclipse Ledge all three of the above ledges being consolidated into one company and known as the George Washington."
Box 5

Research Notes O-Z

 

San Jose Broom Factory correspondence 2008-132-1264 1926 June - September

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear feet (1 folder)
creator: Wilcox, Irwin M.

Scope and Contents note

Original set of letters to and from the San Jose Broom Factory (doing business at White & Alameda, San Jose, Calif.). May be the same company as Wilcox I. M. broom manufacturer, listed in a 1926 San Jose business directory.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

San Jose Broom Factory. (San Jose, Calif.) -- Correspondence
Brooms and brushes
Factories--California--San Jose
Box 6

Manuscripts and related research 2008-132 (1305-1315) 1939-2008

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.5 Linear feet (11 folders)

Subjects and Indexing Terms

correspondence
manuscripts (document genre)
research notes
 

San Jose Airport 2008-132 (1305-1310) Bulk, 1939-1952 1939-1991

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.25 Linear feet (6 folders)

Scope and Contents note

The San Jose Historical Museum published Loomis's "San Jose International Airport" in 1991. These materials include original correspondence between then-Councilman Ernie Renzel and various government agencies involved in the development of the San Jose Municipal Airport as well as correspondence between Ernie Renzel and the attorneys for the Estate of Mary Ives Crocker regarding purchase of the Stockton Ranch land for airport development. Loomis's undated manuscript with corrections is also included. Item-level lists and descriptions are available in-house.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Aikins, Bronte M.
Anderson, Jack Z., (Jack Zuinglius), 1904-1981
Crocker, Mary Virginia Ives, b. 1863
Nissen, James N., 1915-1994
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (Calif.).
Renzel, Ernest H., Jr., 1907-2007
Schmidt, R. F. W.
 

Milpitas 2008-132 (1311-1312) Bulk, 1980-1985 1876-1985

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear feet (2 folders)

Scope and Contents note

Loomis's book titled "Milpitas: the Century of 'Little Cornfields,' 1852-1952" was published in 1986 by the California History Center in Cupertino, Calif. Folders contain typed drafts circa 1985, background notes, maps and correspondence.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Milpitas (Calif.)
 

Oak Hill Cemetery 2008-132 (1313-1314) 1996-1998

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.2 Linear feet (2 folders)

Scope and Contents note

The San Jose Argonaut Historical Society published "A Walk through the Past: San Jose's Oak Hill Memorial Park" in 1998. includes Loomis's biographical research on the many pioneers buried in this cemetery.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Cemeteries--California--Guidebooks
Oak Hill Memorial Park (San Jose, Calif.)
 

Signposts Revisited 2008-132-1315 circa 2009

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear feet (1 binder)

Scope and Contents note

Binder used during creation of "Signposts Revisited" to track changes and request artwork. Includes a copy of Signposts I and II with new additions, as well as email correspondence.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Street signs
Streets--California--San Jose--History.
Box 6

News clippings, third-party 2008-132 (1316-1371) 1931-1974

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.5 Linear feet (55 envelopes)
creator: Barrett, Dick
creator: O’Brien, Robert, 1911-

Scope and Contents note

Loomis kept extensive clippings files for reference. These include Robert O'Brien's "Riptides" column for the San Francisco Chronicle, Dick Barrett's column in the Mercury News, the "Autologues" series in the Mercury News, and many articles from the Mercury News and other local papers, organized alphabetically by subject and/or year.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

San Francisco Chronicle.
San Francisco (Calif.) History
 

Riptides series 2008-132-1316 1948

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear feet (1 folder)

Scope and Contents note

Robert O'Brien's "Riptides" local history series was published from 1939 until 1952 in the San Francisco Chronicle. Only September and October 1948 are included.
 

Dick Barrett column 2008-132-1317 1969-1971

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear feet (1 folder)
 

Autologues 2008-132 (1318-1337) 1926-

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.25 Linear feet (19 folders)

Scope and Contents note

Clippings of articles written for the Mercury Herald, suggesting and recounting "autologues" that reveal the history of Santa Clara County. Incomplete. Amanda M. Miller wrote the series from 1926, John V. Young appears to have taken over in 1939, and then Carroll Hurd in 1941. 1940 is not included.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Automobile travel--California--San Francisco Bay Area
 

Clippings by subject 2008-132 (1338-1371) 1930-1974

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.25 Linear feet

Scope and Contents note

Loomis's clippings are arranged alphabetically by subject, including clippings from a variety of local newspapers. Subjects include "California History 1936-1974," "California Counties History 1931," "California Centennial 1949," "Agnew (Calif.) 1948-1953," "Boats--River," "Santa Clara University 1951," "Santa Cruz Mt. Towns," "Yosemite." A full index is available in-house.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Agnew (Calif.)