Created or collected by William Heath Davis between the years 1838 to 1871, the collection consists of correspondence, bills, receipts, checks, and two account books documenting Davis' business activities as an employee of California merchant Nathan Spear; supercargo aboard the Don Quixote to Honolulu; agent for Paty, McKinley & Co. in San Francisco; owner of the brig Euphemia; and merchant and landowner in San Francisco.

William Heath Davis (1822-1909) was an early Californian merchant, shipowner, and landowner. Born in Hawaii, he went to work for his uncle Nathan Spear in San Francisco beginning in 1838; served as a supercargo aboard the Don Quixote in 1842-1843; and worked as an agent for Paty, McKinley & Co. in San Francisco between the years 1843 and 1845. The following year he purchased the brig Euphemia with his new partner Hiram Grimes, becoming a major San Francisco merchant in his own right. In 1847, he married the daughter of Joaquin Estudillo, Maria de Jesus, assuming ownership of a large property in what is now San Leandro.

2.0 folders (0.2 linear feet)

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Collection is open for research.