Description
The papers of the Midnight Mission and of Tom and Mary Liddecoat consist of material that documents the personal and business
history of the Liddecoat family, the Midnight Mission, and various other charities and individuals associated with the Liddecoat
family; specifically, the collection documents two generations of the Liddecoat family and their involvement in charitable
organizations such as the Midnight Mission, the Gospel Foundation of America, and charitable organizations on the family's
ranch in Walnut Creek, California.
Background
Tom "Brother Tom" Liddecoat (1874-1942) owned a lucrative packing firm in turn of the century Los Angeles. In 1914, he turned
away from this business and began a mission to help the poor and the homeless on LA's streets. This became the Midnight Mission.
Liddicoat and his daughter Mary ran the Mission until shortly before his death.