Guide to the Amador, Yorba, López, and Cota families correspondence MS.R.032
Finding aid prepared by Kurt MacMillan and Audrey Pearson; machine-readable finding aid created by Audrey Pearson, 2007.
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
(cc) 2007
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine 92623-9557
spcoll@uci.edu
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
Title: Amador, Yorba, López, and Cota families correspondence
Creator:
Amador family
Creator:
Cota family
Creator:
Yorba family
Creator:
López family
Identifier/Call Number: MS.R.032
Physical Description:
0.4 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1853-1897
Abstract: This collection comprises hand-written correspondence among members of the Amador, Yorba, López, and Cota families in the
region of Orange County, San Diego County, and Baja California from 1853 to 1879. Items include personal letters and business
receipts. The collection documents the family matters of several prominent Californio families in the decades following the
Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the admission of California to the Union (1850). The correspondence largely concerns
the health of family members, births, deaths, family events, family visits, and business transactions. Several letters also
contain references to national boundaries, language problems, military movements, and epidemics. Members of the López family
in San Diego are the recipients of more than half of the letters, while members of the Amador family, some of whom were based
in San Juan Capistrano, are the largest group of letter writers, accounting for one-quarter of the collection.
Language of Material:
Spanish; Castilian
.
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. These materials are in the public domain. For permissions to reproduce
or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation
Amador, Yorba, López, and Cota families correspondence. MS-R032. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries,
Irvine, California. Date accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
Acquisition Information
Acquired, 1974.
Processing History
Processed by Kurt MacMillan and Audrey Pearson, 2007.
Historical Background
The Amador, Cota, Yorba, and López families were four prominent Californio families who received land grants and settled in
California in the nineteenth century. Bernardo Yorba was granted Rancho Yorba, Jose Antonio Yorba and Juan Pablo Peralta were
granted Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, Francisco Cota inherited Rancho de Ballona in present-day Los Angeles, José María Amador
was granted Rancho San Ramón, and Cornelio López and Bernardo Higuera were granted Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection comprises hand-written correspondence among members of the Amador, Yorba, López, and Cota families in the
region of Orange County, San Diego County, and Baja California from 1853 to 1879. Items include personal letters and business
receipts. The collection documents the family matters of several prominent Californio families in the decades following the
Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the admission of California to the Union (1850). The correspondence largely concerns
the health of family members, births, deaths, family events, family visits, and business transactions. Several letters also
contain references to national boundaries, language problems, military movements, and epidemics. Members of the López family
in San Diego are the recipients of more than half of the letters, while members of the Amador family, some of whom were based
in San Juan Capistrano, are the largest group of letter writers, accounting for one-quarter of the collection.
Collection Arrangement
This collection is arranged first by format, then chronologically.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Letters -- California -- 19th century.
Letters -- Mexico -- Baja California (Peninsula) -- 19th century.
Mexican American families -- California, Southern -- Correspondence.
California, Southern -- Correspondence.
Mexican Americans -- California, Southern -- Correspondence.
Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula) -- Correspondence
Amador family -- Correspondence
Yorba family -- Correspondence
López family -- Correspondence
Cota family -- Correspondence
box 1, folder 12
Transcripts of letters without originals
1860-1864
box 1, folder 14
Unidentified fragments
undated
