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Register of the DeVries (Marion) Papers, 1898-1928
Ms30  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Administrative Information
  • Access Points
  • Biography
  • Scope and Content

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: DeVries (Marion) Papers,
    Date (inclusive): 1898-1928
    Collection number: Ms30
    Creator:
    Extent: 0.5 linear ft.
    Repository: San Joaquin County Museum.
    Lodi, CA 95241
    Language: English.

    Administrative Information

    Access

    Collection is open for research by appointment only.

    Publication Rights

    The library can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claimants of literary property.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item], DeVries (Marion) Papers, Ms30, San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum.

    Access Points

    personal name

    DeVries, Marion (b. 1865)
    McKinley, William, Pres. United States, 1896-1901
    Burroughs, William H.

    corporate name

    Lindenhurst Estates Company (New York, N.Y.)
    United States Court of Customs Appeals

    subject

    Politicians - California - San Joaquin County
    Business and politics - United States
    Politicians - Social life and customs
    Judges - United States
    Customs courts - United States
    Real estate developers - New York

    geographic name

    San Joaquin County (Calif.) - Politics and government

    Biography

    Marion DeVries (b.1865), attorney, member of the U.S. House of Representatives and subsequently Justice of the U.S. Court of Customs Appeals, was born and raised in San Joaquin County, where his father, William H., farmed 700 acres in the Lodi area. DeVries received a B.A. (1885) from local San Joaquin Valley College, the first institution of higher learning in the San Joaquin Valley, and studied law at the University of Michigan (1886-1887), where he was class valedictorian. Returning to Stockton, DeVries entered into law partnerships, first with attorney John B. Hall (1887-1889), then with W.B. Nutter (1889- ). In 1896 he was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served two terms (1897-1900). To remove the popular Democrat from his seat in what was normally a Republican stronghold, William McKinley appointed DeVries to the U.S. Court of Customs Appeals and he remained in this post until retirement (c1930). Evidence in the collection suggests that DeVries subsequently became a Republican. During these years DeVries lived in Washington D.C., where he continued private law practice in partnership with George Roscoe Davis. DeVries also operated his family ranch in San Joaquin County until his death. The DeVries Papers contain business papers of New York real estate developer, William H. Burroughs. Evidence in these papers indicates that Burroughs was president of the Lindenhurst Estates Co. near Babylon, Long Island (1912-1923). Burroughs' relationship to Marion DeVries is unclear.

    Scope and Content

    The Marion DeVries Papers consist of business papers, correspondence and memorabilia of Judge Marion DeVries. Although dates of documents in the collection range from 1760 to 1930, most of the business papers and correspondence date between 1899 and 1928 and relate to DeVries career as a Judge. The DeVries memorabilia consists almost entirely of invitations sent to Congressman or Judge Devries (1898-1902). The DeVries papers also contains correspondence and business papers pertaining to William H. Burroughs' Lindenhurst Estates Co. on Long Island (1912-1923).