Inventory of the Lindley Family Papers

Sara Gunasekara
Department of Special Collections
General Library
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616-5292
Phone: (530) 752-1621
Fax: (530) 754-5758
Email: speccoll@ucdavis.edu
© 2005
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.


Creator: Lindley family
Title: Lindley Family Papers
Date (inclusive): 1849-circa 1922
Extent: 1.2 linear feet
Abstract: The Lindley Family Papers which span the years 1849 to circa 1922 contain material relating to an early Sacramento, California merchant and his family. Thomas M. Lindley (1819-1896) opened a mercantile firm in Sacramento, California shortly after his arrival there in 1849. The bulk of the Papers consist of personal, business, and collected correspondence. The correspondence concerns family news, travel, and Lindley's business. Also included are legal documents, financial documents and photographs.
Physical location: Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite.
Repository: University of California, Davis. General Library. Department of Special Collections.
Davis, California 95616-5292
Collection number: D-159
Language of Material: Collection materials in English.

Biography

Thomas Morton Lindley was born on August 19, 1819 in Orange County, Indiana to Thomas and Jane (Hoops) Lindley. On March 4, 1849 he left Indiana to seek gold in California. Once in Sacramento, California, Lindley and Lucius A. Booth, set up a mercantile firm, Lindley & Booth, which continued until the Flood of 1849 destroyed the business. Later, two establishments grew out of the early firm: Lindley & Fry was established with a new partner, John Douglas Fry and Booth's firm was passed on to Newton Booth, a cousin by marriage to Thomas Lindley.
Floods in 1852-1853 and 1861 destroyed subsequent firms of Fry, Hoops, and Co. and Lindley, Worcester, & Weaver. After the Flood of 1861, Mr. Lindley bought out his partners' interest and the firm became Lindley, Hull, and Lohman, and later Lindley and Lohman. Circa 1869, Mr. Lindley bought out the interest of Mr. Lohman, admitted two men as partners and the firm became Lindley and Co. In 1886, Douglas A. Lindley, Thomas M. Lindley's oldest son, became a member of the firm.
In November 1857, Thomas M. Lindley married Isabelle Victoria Arrington (1838-1880), a native of North Carolina. They had nine children: Leila Jane Witherbee (1858-1905), Douglas Arrington (1861-1928), Morton (d. 1915), William, Helen, Mary Hunt, Alice Reith (1870-1904?), Flora (1870-1882), and Edith. The Lindley Family resided at 1314 H Street in Sacramento. Thomas M. Lindley died on June 6, 1896.
Sources:
Guinn, J.M. History of the state of California and biographical record of Oakland and environs, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Los Angeles: Historic Record Co., 1907.
An illustrated history of Sacramento County, California: containing a history of Sacramento County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future ... portraits of some of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also prominent citizens of today. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1890.

Scope and Content

The Lindley Family Papers which span from 1849 to circa 1922 contain material relating to Thomas M. Lindley, an early Sacramento, California merchant and his family. The bulk of the Papers consist of personal, business, and collected correspondence. The correspondence concerns family news, travel, and Lindley's business. Several letters written from 1861-1862 discuss the Civil War. Also included are legal documents connected to the sale of land in Sacramento and financial documents such as receipts, account statements, and stock certificates. Photographs of Lindley family members and the family residence on H Street in Sacramento are also present in the Papers.

Collection Arrangement

The Papers are arranged into seven series: 1. Correspondence, 2. Legal documents, 3. Financial documents, 4. Writings, 5. Printed Material, 6. Ephemera, and 7. Photographs.

Related Collections

An unpublished oral history of Leila Lindley McKevitt, daughter of Douglas and Mary Lindley, is in the Archives of the Oral History Program, AR-113, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis.
Holt-Atherton Special Collections at the University of the Pacific holds 0.5 linear feet of the Lindley Family Papers.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Lindley, Thomas Morton, 1819-1896
Lindley, Isabelle, 1838-1880
Lindley family
Merchants--California--Sacramento
Sacramento (Calif.)--History

Access

Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Information

Donated in 1974.

Processing Information

Sara Gunasekara processed these papers and created and encoded this finding aid.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Lindley Family Papers, D-159, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis.

Publication Rights

Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis 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 researcher.

 

Series 1 Correspondence 1849-1918

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.
Box 1:1

Jane to Anna Mary 1849 February 7

Box 1:2

Nicholas Oscar Arrington to Isabelle Lindley 1851 August 2

Box 1:3

Isabelle Lindley to Martha Arrington 1854 February 27

Box 1:4

W.W. Reynolds to Gibson, Stockwell and Co. 1854 April 13

Box 1:5

H. Heriot to Edgar L. Heriot 1855 April 28

Box 1:6

"A Gent" to Mrs. Arrington 1856 May 24

Box 1:7

Jim to Lizzie Arrington 1856 May 26

Box 1:8

Unidentified 1857 January 11

Box 1:9

Jane Lindley to Isabelle Lindley and Thomas M. Lindley 1858 January 15

Box 1:10

Jane Lindley to Isabelle Lindley and Thomas M. Lindley 1858 March 8

Box 1:11

William Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1858 April 11

Box 1:12

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1858 July 24

Box 1:13

Martha Arrington? to Mother 1858 November 8

Box 1:14

Isabelle Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1859 April 4

Box 1:15

William Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1860 March 9

Box 1:16

J.D. Fry to Thomas M. Lindley 1861 January 30

Box 1:17

J.D. Fry to Thomas M. Lindley 1861 February 7

Box 1:18

Nicholas Oscar Arrington to Thomas M. Lindley 1862 March 3

Box 1:19

James E. Perkins to Thomas M. Lindley 1862 April 19

Box 1:20

J.D. Fry to Thomas M. Lindley 1862 October 19

Box 1:21

William Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1862 October 27

Box 1:22

Isabelle Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1862 November 29

Box 1:23

William Arrington to Thomas M. Lindley 1863 April 21-28

Scope and Content Note

Six telegrams
Box 1:24

Ed Hull to Lindley, Hull and Lohman 1863 April 23

Box 1:25

A.J. Bailey to Lindley, Wooster and Weaver 1863 August 14

Box 1:26

Ed Hull to Lindley, Hull and Lohman 1863 October 5

Box 1:27

Garrett and Fuller to Lindley, Hull and Lohman 1863 November 23

Box 1:28

Sacramento Street Tree Commissioner's Office to Fry & Lindley 1864 January 17

Box 1:29

James E. Perkins to Thomas M. Lindley 1864 June 28

Box 1:30

J.A. Porter to Lindley, Hull and Lohman 1864 July 2

Box 1:31

William Arrington to Thomas M. Lindley 1864 August 2

Box 1:32

William Arrington to Thomas M. Lindley 1864 August 21

Box 1:33

James E. Perkins to Thomas M. Lindley 1865 November 22

Box 1:34

S.S. Brown to Thomas M. Lindley 1866 July 30

Box 1:35

A. Delano to T. Thomas M. Lindley 1866 August 21

Box 1:36

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1866 September 6

Box 1:37

Helen Shipley to Isabelle Lindley 1869 May 18

Box 1:38

A. Bates to Charlotte Stevens 1870 June 26

Box 1:39

Helen Shipley to Isabelle Lindley 1871 August 23

Box 1:40

Alice Lohman to Leila J. Lindley 1872 January 12

Box 1:41

Hannah Booth to Unidentified 1874 January 6

Box 1:42

Robert Edgar Arrington to Isabelle Lindley 1875 August 22

Box 1:43

William Lindley to Niece 1876 March 5

Box 1:44

Hannah Hanson to Leila J. Lindley 1876 July 12

Box 1:45

Morton Lindley to Leila J. Lindley 1877 March 3

Box 1:46

Val to Betsy Jane 1877 May 10

Box 1:47

Lulu? to Papa 1878 April 12

Box 1:48

Douglas Lindley to Sister 1878 May 18

Box 1:49

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1878 September 4

Box 1:50

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1878 September 5

Box 1:51

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1878 September 7

Box 1:52

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1878 September 10

Box 1:53

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1878 September 12

Box 1:54

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1878 September 12

Box 1:55

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1878 September 17

Box 1:56

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1878 September 26

Box 1:57

Thomas M. Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1878 September 29

Box 1:58

T.L. Barker to Thomas M. Lindley 1878 September 30

Box 1:59

H.B. Breckenfield to Miss Lindley 1878 November 25

Box 1:60

Morton Lindley to Isabelle Lindley 1879 January 23

Box 1:61

M.E.P. Spilman to Thomas M. Lindley 1879 May

Box 1:62

Helen Shipley to Isabelle Lindley 1879 August 7

Box 1:63

Belle Smith to Leila J. Lindley 1879 September 27

Box 1:64

Lizzie L. to Belle 1879 October 2

Box 1:65

Thomas M. Lindley to Leila J. Lindley 1879 October 29

Box 1:66

Alice Lohman to Leila J. Lindley 1879 November 12

Box 1:67

Keane Brothers to Leila J. Lindley 1880 January 16

Box 1:68

Al to Jeanette 1880 January 29

Box 1:69

Al J. to Friend Priggriz 1880 March 3

Box 1:70

Thomas M. Lindley to Leila J. Lindley 1880 April 10

Box 1:71

Helen Shipley to Leila J. Lindley 1880 April 14

Box 1:72

H.H. Carroll to Leila J. Lindley 1880 June 24

Box 1:73

Alonzo H. Corwin to E.N. Heriot 1880 June 25

Box 1:74

Charley Mack to Jane 1880 July 21

Box 1:75

Mrs. C.W. Crocker to Leila J. Lindley 1880 August 17

Box 1:76

Thomas M. Lindley to Leila J. Lindley 1880 September 17

Box 1:77

Howard Crosley to Mrs. C.H. Heriot 1880 December 2

Box 1:78

The Champion to Jane 1880

Box 1:79

Douglas Lindley to Sister 1881 January 27

Box 1:80

Helen Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1881 February 20

Box 1:81

Hattie Stoddard to Leila J. Lindley 1881 February 21

Box 1:82

Douglas Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1881 March 9

Box 1:83

Douglas Lindley to Sister 1881 March 9

Box 1:84

Unidentified to Jane 1881 March 14

Box 1:85

Jamie to William 1881 March 23

Box 1:86

Morton Lindley to Leila J. Lindley 1881 June 28

Box 1:87

The Champion to Jeanette 1881 June 30

Box 1:88

Morton Lindley to Leila J. Lindley 1881 July 4

Box 1:89

Helen Shipley to Leila J. Lindley 1881 July 11

Box 1:90

C.K. McClatchy to Leila J. Lindley 1881 August 3

Box 1:91

Douglas Lindley to Sister 1881 August 11

Box 1:92

Lu to Leila J. Lindley 1881 August 11

Box 1:93

C.K. McClatchy to Leila J. Lindley 1881 August 23

Box 1:94

C.K. McClatchy to Leila J. Lindley 1881 August 30

Box 1:95

Lizzie to Leila J. Lindley 1881 October 16

Box 1:96

Quincy to Leila J. Lindley 1881 December 12

Box 1:97

Lizzie to Leila J. Lindley 1882 January 6

Box 1:98

Helen Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1882 January 16

Box 1:99

Unidentified to Leila J. Lindley 1882 March 1

Box 2:1

Helen Shipley to Thomas M. Lindley 1882 April 5

Box 2:2

Eva to Leila J. Lindley 1882 April 8

Box 2:3

Leila J. Lindley to Alice Lindley 1882 June 16

Box 2:4

Rowena to Leila J. Lindley 1882 July 6

Box 2:5

Quincy to Leila J. Lindley 1882 July 16

Box 2:6

Thomas M. Lindley to Leila J. Lindley 1882 August 6

Box 2:7

Mammie to Leila J. Lindley 1882 August 7

Box 2:8

C.K. McClatchy to Leila J. Lindley 1882 August 16

Box 2:9

Thomas M. Lindley to Jennie, Mamie, Alice, Flora, and Edith Lindley 1882 August 20

Box 2:10

Thomas M. Lindley to Edith Lindley? 1882 August 27

Box 2:11

Edith Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1882 August 29

Box 2:12

Douglas Lindley to Edith Lindley 1882 September 24

Box 2:13

Addie to Leila J. Lindley 1882 October 23

Box 2:14

C.M. Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1882 December 4

Box 2:15

T.D. Corfall to Thomas M. Lindley 1882 December 22

Box 2:16

W.A. Beaman to Thomas M. Lindley 1882 December 30

Box 2:17

Champion to Jane 1882

Box 2:18

Alice Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1883 January 4

Box 2:19

Carrie to Leila J. Lindley 1883 January 14

Box 2:20

Culture League of America to Mrs. E.H. Coffey 1883 September 15

Box 2:21

Cousin Shipley to Leila J. Lindley 1884 February 18

Box 2:22

Leila J. Lindley to "Little Sisters" 1884 March 17

Box 2:23

Leila J. Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1884 May 18

Box 2:24

Leila J. Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1884 May 21

Box 2:25

Leila J. Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley 1884 May 23

Box 2:26

Morton Lindley to Sister 1884 May 28

Box 2:27

Kate to Leila J. Lindley 1884 July 24

Box 2:28

Quincy to Leila J. Lindley 1884 October 7

Box 2:29

Japanese Tree Importing Co. to Mrs. Heriot 1890 January 20

Box 2:30

Douglas A. Lindley to Mohawk Canal Improvement Co. 1890 September 24

Box 2:31

Anglo California Trust Company to Alden Anderson 1918 February 16

Box 2:32

Al J. to Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 2:33

Alice Lohman to unidentified undated

Box 2:34

Anna Mc to Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 2:35

Charles F.D. to Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 2:36

Hannah Booth to Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 2:37

Hannah Booth to Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 2:38

Helen Lindley to Thomas M. Lindley undated

Box 2:39

Lizzie to Jane undated

Box 2:40

Mame to Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 2:41

Mark A. Shipley to Helen Shipley undated

Box 2:42

Mary to Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 2:43

Unidentified to Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 2:44

Letter fragments undated

Box 2:45

Empty Envelopes undated

 

Series 2 Legal documents 1852-1908

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.
Box 2:46

Memorandum of title of a lot between Sixth and Seventh, and J and K Streets, Sacramento 1852

Scope and Content Note

Includes letter from James Reynolds to Thomas M. Lindley
Box 2:47

Agreement between Riker and Company and Fry, Hoops, and Co., for construction of a brick store room on a lot between J and K Streets in Sacramento 1853 August

Box 3:1

Request to the Sheriff of Sacramento County by Hill, Wooster, and Weaver for collection of a debt owed them by D.E. Gilbert 1860 February 1

Box 3:2

Deed giving Thomas M. Lindley and P.L. Weaver title to a mining claim between Gold Hill and Virginia City 1860 April 30

Box 3:3

Notice of sale of property by the Methodist Episcopal Church to Thomas M. Lindley 1860 October 1

Box 3:4

Petition for the rectification of the Sacramento River from the mouth of the Feather River to Suisun Bay, by the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce and other groups 1908 January 20

 

Series 3 Financial documents 1854-1911

Arrangement

Arranged into three subseries: Account statements, Receipts, and Stock certificates.
Box 2:48

Subseries 3.1 Account statements 1861; undated

Scope and Content Note

Contains one Lindley & Co. statement (undated) and one from Weaver and Neuman (1861).
Box 2:49

Subseries 3.2 Receipts 1854-1911

 

Subseries 3.3 Stock certificates 1863-1902

Scope and Content Note

Arranged alphabetically.
Box 2:50

Lake Tahoe Consolidated Mining Company 1863

Scope and Content Note

Six certificates of ownership of shares held by Thomas M. Lindley
Box 2:51

Omaha Consoliated Gold Mining Company of Nevada County, California 1900

Scope and Content Note

Two certificates of ownership of shares held by Helen Lindley and John Reith, Jr.
Box 2:52

Palomas Canal Company of Arizona 1900-1902

Scope and Content Note

Ten certificates of ownership of shares held by various people for differing amounts. All were issued when Douglas A. Lindley was President.
Box 2:53

Sacramento Land Company

Scope and Content Note

One certificate of ownership of shares held by Douglas A. Lindley, President of the Company.
Box 2:54

Series 4 Writings undated

Scope and Content Note

Contains eight unsigned and undated poems and one composition by Isabelle Lindley.
 

Series 5 Printed Material 1862-1884

Box 3:28

Serials 1862-1884

Box 2:55

Speeches of Newton Booth 1873-1878

Box 2:56

Other printed material 1879-1882

Scope and Content Note

Contains several leaflets and clippings.
 

Series 6 Ephemera 1853-1917

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by type.
Box 2:57

Artwork undated

Box 2:58

Calling cards undated

Box 2:59

Certificate 1917

Box 2:60

Greeting cards undated

Box 2:61

Greeting cards undated

Box 2:62

Invitations and dance cards 1853-1900

Box 2:63

Letterhead undated

Box 2:64

Locks of hair

Box 2:65

Recipes undated

 

Series 7 Photographs 1881-circa 1922

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically.
Box 3:20

Cousin Jennie 1895

Box 3:5

Douglas A. Lindley 1881

Box 3:6

Douglas A. Lindley and friends on the porch of the Zeta Psi house, Berkeley 1881

Box 3:7

Douglas A. Lindley and friends in front of the Zeta Psi house, Berkeley 1881?

Box 3:21

Group photograph including Mr. and Mrs. Lindley undated

Box 3:8

Isabelle Lindley undated

Box 3:9

Judge and Mrs. Peter J. Shields with group picnic undated

Box 3:10

Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 3:11

Leila J. Lindley undated

Box 3:22

Leila J. Lindley and Mary Lindley undated

Box 3:23

Leila J. Lindley, Mary Lindley, and Laura Denson in front of S.C. Denson's home at 1021 H Street, Sacramento undated

Box 3:24

Leila J. Lindley, Mary Lindley, and other girls in flower decorated horse cart undated

Box D Folio 5

Lindley family undated

Box 3:12

Lindley family at Pacific Grove undated

Box 3:13

Lindley family members in a carriage in front of their home at 1314 H Street, Sacramento undated

Box 3:14

Lindley family members on the front steps of their home at 1314 H Street, Sacramento circa 1900

Box 3:15

Carriage in front of the Lindley family home at 1314 H Street, Sacramento 1909 June

Box 3:16

Mary B. Lindley, wife of Douglas A. Lindley circa 1922

Box 3:17

Mary B. Lindley, wife of Douglas A. Lindley circa 1922

Box 3:25

Monkey and Parrot Club group photograph, includes Douglas A. Lindley and Mary Lindley undated

Box 3:18

Thomas M. Lindley with Leila, Mary and Helen Lindley undated

Box 3:26

Unidentified group in a garden undated

Box 3:27

Unidentified house undated

Box 3:19

Unidentified woman undated