The Gene Tully Papers span 1850-1966 and contain correspondence, notes, newsclippings, literary productions and photographs primarily related to the Tully Family, the Sierra Nevada, Fresno and San Benito Counties.

Frank Eugene Tully was born September 7, 1875 in Hollister, California. He attended school in Panoche Valley quitting at the age of 16 to become a cowboy. On December 25, 1898, he married Mary Searles and settled in North Fork. In 1903, he became one of a group of the original 60 men appointed to the position of forest ranger for the U.S. Forest Service. His first assignment was to patrol the outer boundary of Yosemite National Park, which included Roaring River, Kings River, Cherry River, Mono Lake, Monache Meadow, and Inyo County. It took six weeks to patrol the entire area. In 1905, Tully was placed in charge of grazing for the Sierra National Forest, and received permission to enter Yosemite National Park to rid the area of sheep; the task was completed in 1907. He worked as a ranger off and on until his final retirement in 1938. In his later years, Tully volunteered in the community and gave talks on San Joaquin Valley history. Tully died in 1973.

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Collection is open for research by appointment only.