Inventory of the Lewis Family Papers D-329

Transcription

1 Online items available Sara Gunasekara University of California, Davis General Library, Dept. of Special Collections st Floor, Shields Library, University of California 100 North West Quad Davis, CA URL: D-329 1

2 Language of Material: English Contributing Institution: University of California, Davis General Library, Dept. of Special Collections Title: Lewis Family Papers Creator: Lewis family Identifier/Call Number: D-329 Physical Description: 0.8 Linear Feet Date (inclusive): Abstract: The Lewis Family Papers contain materials relating primarily to Reed Lewis ( ), his son John Bacon Lewis ( ), and John's wife, Elizabeth ( ). John Bacon Lewis was a California pioneer who operated a draying business in San Francisco from He later purchased and farmed land in Sonoma County. Thirty seven letters written to or by John or Elizabeth Lewis make up the bulk of the Papers. Transcriptions of nearly all of these letters are also found in the Papers. The letters discuss family news, life in Farmington, Connecticut or San Francisco, California, and travel between Connecticut and California via the Isthmus of Panama. Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite. Biography Reed Lewis was born on October 14, 1787 in Vermont. He later moved to New York and was a pioneer of Saratoga County. In 1810, he married Margaret Bacon ( ). They had five children: Sarah, Catherine, Jane, Mary, and John. John Bacon Lewis, the youngest of Reed and Margaret Lewis' children was born on March 15, 1825 in Northumberland, New York. After the death of his father in 1836, John was sent to live with his sister Jane and her husband, James Cowles in Farmington, Connecticut. He resided there until 1847 when he returned to New York and entered into the mercantile business in Schuylerville. On February 2, 1848, John married Elizabeth Bodwell. Elizabeth (October 10, 1826-October 20, 1866) was born in Farmington to Augustus and Olive (Buck) Bodwell. John and Elizabeth had two children: John Bacon Lewis ( ) and Charles Wadsworth Lewis ( ). In January 1849, John joined the New York Union Mining Company, formed for the purpose of gold mining in California. The company set sail for California on February 23. However, when the group reached Panama, they found "two to three thousand people all anxious to get to California before the gold was all exhausted, and there was but one steamer available, therefore we were detained." After a four month stay in Panama, the company arrived in San Francisco in late August 1849 and soon dissolved their partnership. Shortly after his arrival in San Francisco, John bought a horse and cart and started a draying business. Elizabeth joined John in California in In 1856, John sold his draying business and moved to Sonoma County. There he purchased a tract of land with his brother-in-law, Charles Augustus Bodwell. They cultivated the land together until 1864, when John bought out Charles' interest. In 1900, John moved to Petaluma where he resided until his death on January 6, Sources: Gregory, Tom. History of Sonoma County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county, who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present time. Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, The Pioneer and Historical Review. [San Jose, Cal.: A.P. Murgotten], September Scope and Content The Lewis Family Papers contain materials relating primarily to Reed Lewis ( ), his son John Bacon Lewis ( ) and John's wife, Elizabeth ( ). Thirty seven letters written to or by John or Elizabeth Lewis make up the bulk of the Papers. Transcriptions of nearly all of these letters are in the Papers. The letters discuss family news, life in Farmington, Connecticut or San Francisco, California, and travel between Connecticut and California via the Isthmus of Panama. Several deeds relating to Reed Lewis' purchase of land in New York are also included. Collection Arrangement The Papers are arranged into six series: 1. Correspondence, 2. Deeds, 3. Financial Document, 4. Writings, 5. Transcriptions, and 6. Ephemera. Access Collection is open for research. Acquisition Information Donated in D-329 2

3 Processing Information Sara Gunasekara processed these papers and created and encoded this finding aid. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Lewis Family Papers, D-329, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis. Publication Rights Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis 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 researcher. Subjects and Indexing Terms Voyages to the Pacific coast Farmington (Conn.) -- History San Francisco (Calif.) -- History Saratoga County (N.Y.) -- History Lewis, Reed, Lewis family Lewis, John Bacon, Lewis, Elizabeth, Series 1 Correspondence Contains thirty-eight letters. Thirty-seven of the letters are written to or by John or Elizabeth Lewis. Transcriptions of nearly all of these letters are found in Series 5. Arranged chronologically. Box 1, Folder 1 [William Bacon?] to Reed Lewis 1817 December 3 Box 1, Folder 2 Margaret Roberts to John B. Lewis 1845 March 2 Box 2, Folder 1 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1847 November 10 Box 2, Folder 2 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1847 November 23 Box 2, Folder 3 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1847 December 6 Box 2, Folder 4 William Bodwell to John B. Lewis and Elizabeth Lewis 1848 March 8 Box 2, Folder 5 Catherine [Bement] to Elizabeth Lewis 1848 May 13 Box 2, Folder 6 Sarah Fake to Elizabeth Lewis 1848 October 18 Box 2, Folder 7 Clara Wadsworth to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 February 14 Includes letter from Sarah Fake. Box 2, Folder 8 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 August 30 Photocopy of original letter. Box 2, Folder 9 Catherine and William B. Bement to Elizabeth Lewis 1850 October Box 2, Folder 10 Catherine Bement to Elizabeth Lewis circa 1850 October-December Box 2, Folder 11 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1851 April 29 Box 2, Folder 12 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1851 May 14 Box 2, Folder 13 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1851 May 30 Box 2, Folder 14 Jane Cowles to John B. Lewis [1851?] September 30 Box 2, Folder 15 Augustus Bodwell to Elizabeth Lewis 1856 January 12 Box 2, Folder 16 M.H. Humphreys to Elizabeth Lewis 1856 February 17 Box 2, Folder 17 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 May 27 D-329 3

4 Series 1Correspondence Box 2, Folder 18 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 June 2 Box 2, Folder 19 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 July 3 Box 2, Folder 20 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 June 19 Box 2, Folder 21 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 July 17 Box 2, Folder 22 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 August 3 Box 2, Folder 23 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 September 2 Box 2, Folder 24 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 September 20 Box 2, Folder 25 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 October 19 Box 2, Folder 26 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 November 4 Box 2, Folder 27 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 November 19 Box 2, Folder 28 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 December 3 Box 2, Folder 29 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 December 18 Box 2, Folder 30 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 January 17 Box 2, Folder 31 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 February 4 Box 2, Folder 32 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 February 18 Box 2, Folder 33 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 March 18 Box 2, Folder 34 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 April 3 Box 2, Folder 35 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 April 18 Box 2, Folder 36 Charles W. Lewis to John B. Lewis 1868 March 16 Box 2, Folder 37 Envelopes undated Series 2 Deeds Contains three deeds for land in the town of Northumberland or the County of Saratoga in New York. Arranged chronologically. Box 1, Folder 9 Deed for Conrad Cramer for land in Saratoga County, New York 1816 March 22 Box 2, Folder 38 Deed between Reed Lewis, Jeremiah Terhune, and Seth Pope for land in Nothumberland, New York 1816 December 10 Box 1, Folder 10 Deed between Daniel Burt and Reed Lewis for land in Northumerland, New York 1834 March 14 Series 3 Financial document 1784 Box 2, Folder 39 Tax list prepared by Elijah Cowles 1784 Series 4 Writings 1843 Box 2, Folder 40 School compositions by Elizabeth Lewis 1843 Box 2, Folder 41 Poem by "Valentine" to Thomas B. Dodd undated Series 5 Transcriptions Contains transcriptions for nearly all of the letters in Series 1. Also included are transcriptions for several items that are not available in original form in the Papers. These include: transcriptions of fourteen letters written to or by John or Elizabeth Lewis and a transcription of John B. Lewis' diary. The diary records his trip from Farmington, Connecticut to San Francisco, California from January to September Box 2, Folder 42 Margaret Roberts to John B. Lewis 1845 March 2 Box 2, Folder 43 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1847 November 10 Box 2, Folder 44 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1847 November 23 Box 2, Folder 45 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1847 December 6 Box 2, Folder 46 William Bodwell to John B. Lewis and Elizabeth Lewis 1848 March 8 Box 2, Folder 47 Catherine Bement to Elizabeth Lewis 1848 May 13 Box 2, Folder 48 Sarah Fake to Elizabeth Lewis 1848 October 18 Box 2, Folder 49 Diary of John B. Lewis 1849 January-September Chronicles his trip from Farmington, Connecticut to San Francisco, California. Original diary is not in the papers. D-329 4

5 Series 5Transcriptions Box 1, Folder 3 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 February 2 Box 1, Folder 4 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 February 14 Box 2, Folder 50 Clara Wadsworth to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 February 14 Includes letter from Sarah Fake Box 1, Folder 5 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 February 22 Box 1, Folder 6 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 March 7 Box 1, Folder 7 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 March 21 Box 1, Folder 8 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 April 7 Box 2, Folder 51 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1849 August 30 Box 2, Folder 52 Catherine and William B. Bement to Elizabeth Lewis 1850 October Box 2, Folder 53 Catherine Bement to Elizabeth Lewis circa 1850 October-December Box 2, Folder 54 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1851 April 29 Box 2, Folder 55 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1851 May 14 Box 2, Folder 56 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1851 May 30 Box 2, Folder 57 Jane Cowles to John B. Lewis [1851?] September 30 Box 2, Folder 58 John B. Lewis to Margaret Roberts 1853 November 29 Box 2, Folder 59 Augustus Bodwell to Elizabeth Lewis 1856 January 12 Box 2, Folder 60 M.H. Humphreys to Elizabeth Lewis 1856 February 17 Box 2, Folder 61 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 May 27 Box 2, Folder 62 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 June 2 Box 2, Folder 63 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 June 19 Box 2, Folder 64 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 July 3 Box 2, Folder 65 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 July 17 Box 2, Folder 66 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1857 July 19 Box 2, Folder 67 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 August 3 D-329 5

6 Series 5Transcriptions Box 2, Folder 68 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 September 2 Box 2, Folder 69 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 September 20 Box 2, Folder 70 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 October 6 Box 2, Folder 71 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 October 19 Box 2, Folder 72 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1857 October 19 Box 2, Folder 73 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 November 4 Box 2, Folder 74 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 November 19 Box 2, Folder 75 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 December 3 Box 2, Folder 76 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1857 December 18 Box 2, Folder 77 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 January 3 Box 2, Folder 78 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 January 17 Box 2, Folder 79 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 February 4 Box 2, Folder 80 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 February 18 Box 2, Folder 81 John B. Lewis to Elizabeth Lewis 1858 March 1 Box 2, Folder 82 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 March 18 Box 2, Folder 83 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 April 3 Box 2, Folder 84 Elizabeth Lewis to John B. Lewis 1858 April 18 Box 2, Folder 85 John B. Lewis to Jane Cowles 1867 February 2 Box 2, Folder 86 Charles W. Lewis to John B. Lewis 1868 March 16 Series 6 Ephemera Arrangement note Arranged chronologically. Box 2, Folder 87 Drawing of floor plan circa ? Box 2, Folder 88 Lock of hair from Julia Lewis at age June 14 Box 2, Folder 89 Certificate of promotion for Julia Lewis from first grade to second grade 1894 June 29 Box 2, Folder 90 Newspaper clippings on John B. Lewis 1909; undated D-329 6