Edgerton (Lucile Selk) Papers, approximately 1905-1962

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Summary

Title:
Lucile Selk Edgerton papers
Dates:
approximately 1905-1962
Creators:
Edgerton, Lucile Selk
Abstract:
The collection consists of the professional papers of California writer Lucile Selk Edgerton (1896-1987) including manuscripts of unpublished novels, original sketches, assorted printed magazines, copies of her published novels, California research notes, some printed items, and ephemera.
Extent:
2.5 Linear Feet (7 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Language:
The records are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Lucile Selk Edgerton papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of Lucile Selk Edgerton's professional papers, including the manuscripts of unpublished novels, original sketches meant to accompany her works of fiction, assorted printed magazines containing her published stories, copies of her published novels Pillars of Gold and In Walked Anny, some printed items, and ephemera. Part of the collection is made up by essays and research notes related to California history, and includes essays on Charles F. Wells, Thomas H. Blythe, Earl Rogers, Charlie Utting, C.E. Wells, and "Wild Horse Bill," as well as a variety of essays on the history of the Palo Verde Valley, the City of Blythe, and water reclamation around Isabella Lake. Many of the California research notes were compiled by Edgerton's son, Dean Edgerton, Jr. Also included is a bound volume with notes on his World War II experiences.

Biographical / historical:

Lucile Selk Edgerton (1896-1987) graduated from East High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1915. She attended the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism and was an art critic for the Milwaukee Sentinel. By 1937 she was living in Los Angeles. She was a prolific writer of short stories and novels, many of them with Western themes, during the 1930s and 1940s. She was the author of two published novels, In Walked Anny, in 1940, and Pillars of Gold, in 1941, a romance set in American Civil War California.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Elliott Mittler, December 2010.
Arrangement:

Organized in five series:

  1. Correspondence, essays and notes, printed items, and ephemera
  2. Manuscript: Pillars of Gold
  3. Publications
  4. Unpublished novels
  5. Sketches
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Katrina Denman.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-09-21 10:15:30 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

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

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Lucile Selk Edgerton papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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