Stratton (James T.) Papers, 1857-1903

Summary

Title:

James T. Stratton Papers,

Dates:

1857-1903

Creators:

Stratton, James T.

Abstract:

Mainly letters received by Stratton, ca. 1883-1901; letterpress copies of outgoing correspondence, 1881-1903; account books; diaries; survey records; deeds and tax receipts.

Extent:

Number of containers: 6 boxes

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], James T. Stratton papers, BANC MSS C-B 770, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Biographical / historical:

James Thompson Stratton was born on October 9, 1830 at Thompsonville, New York, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Stratton. His maternal grandfather was the Honorable William A. Thompson, first judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Alston and Sullivan counties, New York.

Stratton was educated at the Columbia Grammar School in New York, and came to California, via the Isthmus of Panama, just after the Gold Rush. He arrived in San Francisco on the "Columbus" on June 6, 1850. His first work in California was a survey of the town of Benicia; later, in 1851, he travelled up the American River to try his luck at the diggings. In 1853 he completed a survey of the town of Alameda, and in the following year he returned East to marry Cornelia A. Smith at Sing Sing, New York, on October 30, 1854.

Returning to California following his marriage, Stratton settled in the town of Clinton, now renamed East Oakland. In 1858 and 1859 he was the County Surveyor for Alameda County, and made many important surveys in other parts of California, becoming an authority on the large Mexican grants. It is said that he subdivided more Spanish ranchos than any other surveyor.

Stratton was appointed U.S. Surveyor-General for California by President Grant in 1873, but because of failing eyesight he was forced to abandon the job in 1876. During the period from 1880 to 1883 he served as Chief Deputy State Surveyor under General James W. Shanklin. Toward the end of his life he was associated with Shanklin in many land ventures throughout the state. It may also be noted that Stratton was a pioneer in the introduction of the Australian eucalyptus into California, planting over 300 acres of these trees on his Hayward ranch.

Stratton's death occurred in Oakland on March 15, 1903. He was survived by his wife and four children: Frederick Smith Stratton, George Malcolm Stratton, Robert T. Stratton and Mrs. Walter Good.

Physical location:

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Related resources

Related material:

Frederick Smith Stratton Papers,BANC MSS C-B 771.

Separated material:

Two mining stock certificates of the Chemical Gold Mining and Reduction Company have been removed to California Mining Stock Certificates, 1850-1912, BANC MSS C-G 2, v. 1, no. 12.

Other descriptive data:

The James T. Stratton Papers were presented to Bancroft Library by his grandson, Dr. James Malcolm Stratton, and his wife in June, 1958. The Frederick Smith Stratton Papers, also presented at this time, have been separately catalogued as C-B 771.

The Collection has been arranged in six boxes. It should be mentioned that among the incoming corresondence have been placed letters addressed to James W. Shanklin. These letters were undoubtedly passed along to Stratton and were kept by him after Shanklin's death in 1902. Since they concern business ventures undertaken jointly by Stratton and Shanklin it is felt that they are best kept together.

The Collection covers the period from 1857 to 1903, with the major part of the correspondence dated after 1881. Pocket diaries exist for the decade from 1869 to 1878, with the exceptions of 1871 and 1877.

A few items concerning George Malcolm Stratton have been gathered together into the Miscellany in Box 6.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:

Processed by The Bancroft Library staff

Date Prepared:

© 1997

Date Encoded:

Machine-readable finding aid derived from typescript by rekeying; finding aid encoded by Brooke Dykman Dockter. Date of source: Unknown.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library 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 reader.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], James T. Stratton papers, BANC MSS C-B 770, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US

Contact:

510-642-6481

bancref-library@berkeley.edu

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