Collection Summary
Information for Researchers
Administrative Information
Scope and Content
Collection Summary
Collection Title: James Rankin & Sons Records,
Date (inclusive): 1921-1991
Date (bulk): (bulk 1921-1958)
Collection Number: BANC MSS 92/96 c
Creator:
James Rankin & Sons
Extent:
Number of containers: 3 boxes, 1 portfolio, 1 oversize folder
Linear ft.: 1.7
Repository: The
Bancroft Library
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Languages Represented:
English
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
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 Rankin & Sons records, BANC MSS 92/96 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Material Cataloged Separately
-
Photographs
have been transferred to Pictorial Collections of The Bancroft Library.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The James Rankin & Sons Records were given to The Bancroft Library in December 1991, by James Rankin & Sons.
Scope and Content
Born in May 1851, James Rankin immigrated to the United States from Scotland when in his teens. He first found employment
and learned the trade of plumbing from his uncle, Mr. Dalziel of Oakland. He continued to work with his uncle for about twenty
years until he was able to establish, in partnership with a Mr. Moore, his own firm, Rankin & Moore. Five years later, Mr.
Rankin sold his interest to Mr. Moore and began independently. In 1904 he took his two sons into partnership with him, the
firm being known as James Rankin & Sons. Their business was very successful both as to quality and quantity of work, winning
them many friends and patrons.
In 1923 William Randolph Hearst contracted with James Rankin & Sons to install heating and plumbing facilities at Hearst Castle,
San Simeon, then at Wyntoon Estate near McCloud, and also at Jolon, California. The James Rankin & Sons records contain correspondence,
invoices, clippings, and a memoir which provide information about the installation process in these three locations. This
collection supplements other records on the history of Hearst Castle, in particular concerning the plumbing and heating facilities
in Hearst Castle, and at Wyntoon Estate.
Along with the correspondence of William R. Hearst, the records also contain correspondence with Julia Morgan, the prominent
architect who designed and supervised the constructions both in San Simeon and at McCloud. The invoices record in detail all
aspects of the work.
The most interesting item in this collection is Mr. James Rankin's reminiscence recounting his contact with William Randolph
Hearst, Sr., regarding plumbing installations in Hearst Castle. Clippings, about Hearst Castle, Julia Morgan, and James Rankin
are included, as is a drawing of the plumbing layout for the poultry farm at Hearst Castle.