CSLA-22, Documents for the History of Nineteenth-Century Los Angeles

THE THOMAS AND DOROTHY LEAVEY CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LOS ANGELES RESEARCH COLLECTION

DOCUMENTS FOR THE HISTORY OF NINETEENTH-CENTURY LOS ANGELES (CSLA-22)

COLLECTION TITLE: Documents for the History of Nineteenth-Century Los Angeles, 1846-1908
COLLECTION NUMBER: CSLA-22; gift of Carroll Morrison
ACCESSION NUMBER: 2002.83
COLLECTION SIZE: 1 archival document box; 1 oversize box
PROCESSING HISTORY: Processed by Steven Smith and Clay Stalls. Guide written by Clay Stalls, Department of Archives and Special Collections
RELATED COLLECTIONS: CSLA-25: WPA Transcriptions and Translations of Los Angeles City Archives Records and CSLA-26: Carroll and Lorrin Morrison Photographic Collection.

This collection contains twenty-four documents on the history of nineteenth-century Los Angeles. With Michael Engh, S. J., the intermediary, the CSLA Research Collection obtained these materials from Carroll Morrison, who along with her husband Lorrin Morrsion, was a former editor of the Journal of the West. They in turn had originally obtained them from a Eunice Crittendon, most likely in 1961.

Letters, circulars, petitions, a jury verdict, and other documents, some in Spanish and some in English, constitute this collection's holdings. The dates of the documents run from 1846 to 1908, with the bulk of the datable material originating between 1846 and 1857. Five of the documents are undated. Although the 30 October 1908 date of the announcement regarding the opening of the LaPetite Theatre (Box 1, Folder 7) is much later than the bulk of the material in this collection, it remains here because of its original inclusion with the other materials of the collection at the time they were accessioned. Eunice Crittendon made notes about and photocopies of some documents, which have been retained with the collection.

Many of the documents are autograph documents of, or concern, such important figures in Los Angeles history as Pío Pico (1801-1894), last governor of Mexican California and prominent landholder; his brother Andres Pico (1810-1876), leader of the Mexican defense in California against the U. S. forces; mayor, city council member, and civic leader, Stephen Foster (1820-1898); Sheriff James Barton (d. 1857); Hugo Reid (1811?-1852), owner of the Rancho Santa Anita and defender of Native American rights; the judge and lawyer Benjamin Hayes (1815-1877); and Kimball H. Dimmick, district attorney from 1852 to 1853. The documents cover various aspects of nineteenth-century life in Los Angeles, ranging from the frivolous--dirty courtrooms--to the serious: difficulties with Native American raiders over livestock theft; problems in city government, including an indictment of the county jailer for corruption; crime; and pollution of the zanja or water system.

Because there is no original order, the physical arrangement of the collection's materials is arbitrary, but the collection guide has been arranged in chronological order to give a better view of the range of materials across the nineteenth century. The documents in Box 1, Folders 5 and 19 were originally housed together but have been separated for preservation purposes. Some documents are in fragile condition and for research use a photocopy of the item is available. Their condition is noted in the entries in the box and folder list below that provides an index to the contents of CSLA-22. Some documents can be viewed in Adobe PDF; select the link found in the subject field to view the document on-line.

The Research Collection is a program of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles. To use this collection on-site, please call Loyola Marymount University's Department of Archives and Special Collections at 310-338-2780 or 310-338-7478.

For other materials that the Morrisons donated to the CSLA Research Collection, please consult CSLA-25: WPA Transcriptions and Translations of Los Angeles City Archives Records and CSLA-26: Carroll and Lorrin Morrison Photographic Collection.