Abel Stearns Papers. Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 1. No online items

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1 No online items Abel Stearns Papers Finding aid prepared by Huntington Staff in The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens Manuscripts Department The Huntington Library 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, California Phone: (626) URL: The Huntington Library. All rights reserved. Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 1

2 Descriptive Summary Title: Abel Stearns Papers Dates: Collection Call Number: mssstearns papers Creator: Stearns, Abel, Extent: 97 boxes Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts Department 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, California Phone: (626) URL: Abstract: This collection contains the professional and personal papers of Southern California businessman and political Abel Stearns ( ). The materials in the collection deal with life in California during the Mexican and early statehood periods, including the cattle industry, ranching, real estate, political and social life, and the gold discoveries in Southern California in Language of Material: The records are in English and Spanish. Access Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services. Publication Rights The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher. Preferred Citation [Identification of item]. Abel Stearns Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California. Provenance Purchased from Mrs. Margaret Gaffey Kilroy, February Biographical Note Abel Stearns ( ) was born in Lunenberg, Massachusetts. As a young man he spent some years at sea, taking part in the trade with South America and China. In about 1826 he reached Mexico and during his residence there became a naturalized citizen. In about 1833, Stearns settled in Los Angeles, joined Juan Bandini in the trading business and married Bandini's daughter Arcadia. He became involved in almost every type of business and held minor political offices. In 1849 he represented the Los Angeles district at the constitutional convention in Monterey, and later was a member of the state assembly. By 1858, he had become the wealthiest man in Los Angeles County. After the drought of , he became bankrupt and had to sell a great deal of his property. He died in San Francisco in Abel Stearns Papers: Addenda 1, (bulk ) (Call number: msshm ) Abel Stearns Papers: Addenda 2, (Call number: msshm ) Scope and Content Professional and personal papers of Abel Stearns, including correspondence, business records, legal documents, and other manuscripts. The materials in the collection deal with life in California during the Mexican and early statehood periods, including the cattle industry, ranching, real estate, political and social life, and the gold discoveries in Southern California in Correspondents include Juan Bandini, Cave Johnson Couts, Tomas Eleuterio Estenaga, John Forster, Thomas Oliver Larkin, Perfecto Hugo Reid, Alfred Robinson, and others. Also included are diaries kept in by Juan Bautista Bandini, son of Juan Bandini, who lived in the Santa Monica area. The collection also contains a group of papers accumulated by John Tracy Gaffey, third husband of Mrs. Abel Stearns. The Gaffey papers contain correspondence, including letters from Stephen Mallory White, papers relating to San Pedro, California and historical sketches. Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 2

3 Indexing Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog. Personal Names Stearns, Abel, Subjects Couts, Cave Johnson, Correspondence Forster, John, Correspondence Larkin, Thomas Oliver, Correspondence Reid, Hugo,1811? Correspondence Robinson, Alfred, Correspondence White, Stephen Mallory, Correspondence Businessmen--California--Archives> Cattle trade--california Politicians--California--Archives Ranching--California Real property--california California--Gold discoveries--sources California--History Sources California--History Sources California--History Sources> California, Southern--History--Sources Los Angeles (Calif.)--History--Sources Bandini, Juan, Bandini, Juan Bautista Couts, Cave Johnson, Estenaga, Tomas Eleuterio Forster, John, Gaffey, John Tracy Larkin, Thomas Oliver, Reid, Hugo, 1811?-1853 Robinson, Alfred, White, Stephen Mallory, Genre Business records--california--19th century Diaries--California, Southern Family papers--california Letters (correspondence)--united States Legal documents--california Personal papers--california Professional papers--california Property records--california Box 1 Abella-Arenas 75 folders Box 2 Arguello, Jose A.-Arguello, Jose R. 60 folders Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 3

4 Box 3 Aruello, Luis A.-Avila, Antonio 61 folders Box 4 Avila, Enrique-Banning Box 5 Bandini, Juan, Sr folders Box 6 Bandini, Juan, Sr folders Box 7 Bandini, Juan, Sr folders Box 8 Bandini, Juan B folders Box 9 Bandini, Juan B folders Box 10 Barron-Booraem 60 folders Box 11 Botello-Brown 48 folders Box 12 Bruce-Butts 51 folders Box 13 Caballero-Carrillo 56 folders Box 14 Carrillo, Estefana-Carrillo, Vicente Box 15 Carsley-Celis 69 folders Box 16 Chapin-Colson 70 folders Box 17 Conant-Cullen 60 folders Box 18 Couts, Cave J folders Box 19 Couts, Cave J folders Box 20 Dalton-Dent 58 folders Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 4

5 Box 21 Dentler-Dent 47 folders Box 22 Edwards-Everett 47 folders Box 23 Estenaga, Thomas E folders Box 24 Estenaga, Thomas E folders Box 25 Fairchild-Fisher Box 26 Fitch, Henry D. 45 folders Box 27 Fitzgerald-Goller 78 folders Box 28 Forbes, Charles H. 83 folders Box 29 Forster, John 83 folders Box 30 Giraudeau, Marcelin 92 folders Box 31 Gonzalez, Miguel 55 folders Box 32 Gonzalez, Ramon-Green 56 folders Box 33 Greenwade-Hartman 73 folders Box 34 Hartnell-Howard, Volney 57 folders Box 35 Howard, William-Johnson 65 folders Box 36 Johnson, Charles R. 1851, February-1862, September 66 folders Box 37 Box 38 Johnson, Charles R. 1862, October-1871, February 52 folders Jones-Lee 72 folders Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 5

6 Box 39 Larkin, Thomas Oliver folders Box 40 Larkin, Thomas Oliver folders Box 41 Leese-Lyon 84 folders Box 42 McAllister-Manning 72 folders Box 43 Manriquez-Mireles 66 folders Box 44 Box 45 Mix-Moraga 88 folders More-Nye 79 folders Box 46 Ocampo-Otis 73 folders Box 47 Pacheco-Parrott 84 folders Box 48 Parsons-Peralta 64 folders Box 49 Perez-Pico 80 folders Box 50 Polhemus-Quintana 75 folders Box 51 Raho-Rogers 93 folders Box 52 Reid, Perfecto H folders Box 53 Reid, Perfecto H. before Box 54 Robinson, Alfred folders Box 55 Robinson, Alfred folders Box 56 Robinson, Alfred folders Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 6

7 Box 57 Roldan, Florencio-Roldan, Mariano Box 58 Rolfe-Ryerson 55 folders Box 59 Sabichi-Shaw 95 folders Box 60 Shore-Stanley 73 folders Box 61 Stearns, Abel folders Box 62 Stearns, Abel folders Box 63 Stearns, E.-Stribling 81 folders Box 64 Strobel-Teschemacher 69 folders Box 65 Thompson, Alpheus B. 73 folders Box 66 Thompson, Joseph P. 57 folders Box 67 Thompson-Vignes 61 folders Box 68 Villa-Warren 63 folders Box 69 Waters-Yndart 63 folders Box 70 Yorba-Zamorano 70 folders Box 71 Miscellaneous business and legal papers Box 72 Miscellaneous business and legal papers Box 73 Miscellaneous business and legal papers Box 74 Miscellaneous business and legal papers Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 7

8 Box 75 Miscellaneous business and legal papers Box 76 Miscellaneous business and legal papers Box 77 Miscellaneous business and legal papers Box 78 Miscellaneous business and legal papers Box 79 Miscellaneous business and legal papers Box 80 Miscellaneous business and legal papers [undated] Box 81 Papers relating to San Pedro, California Box 82 Papers relating to San Pedro, California Box 83 Papers relating to San Pedro, California Box 84 Rancho Los Alamitos Box 85 Ranchos-Upper California Azusa (Dalton), Bautista, Boca de Santa Monica, La Bolsa Chica, Las Bolsas, La Brea, La Canada, Canada de Los Vaqueros, Canon De Santa Ana, and Los Coyotes. Box 86 Rancho La Laguna , 1912 Box 87 Ranchos Jurupa, Mission Dolores-Lands, Palos Verdes, Del Paso, Paso De Bartolo, San Antonio (L.A. Co.), San Jose De Buenos Aires, San Juan Cajon De Santa Ana, San Pedro, Santa Ana Del Chino, Santa Gertrudis, Santa Rosa Island, Santiago De Santa Ana, Sespe, La Sierra, Sobrante De San Jacinto. Box 88 Various ranchos of Upper California Rancho Temecula, Rancho Temescal, Various Mines, Eagle Mills. Box 89 Oversize Los Coyotes-Testimony...etc. Ranchos-Lower California: Ensenada De Todos Santos, Guadalupe, San Antonio, Santa Rosa, Tecate, Tijuana, Valle De San Rafael, Los Vallecitos, various ranches... Box 90 Box 91 Papers relating to Abel Stearns and Pierre Domec. Papers relating to Abel Stearns and John Parrott. Miscellaneous papers relating to land. Printed matter. Gaffey Papers A-W Box 92 Gaffey Papers White, S.M. Box 93 Gaffey Papers San Pedro, California Box 94 Bandini, Juan Bautista: Diaries Volumes 2-4 Box 94A Bandini, Juan Bautista: Diary Volume 1 Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 8

9 Box 95 Bandini, Juan Bautista: Diaries Volumes 5-7 Box 96 Bandini, Juan Bautista: Diaries Volumes 1-3; English translation Box 97 Bandini, Juan Bautista: Diaries Volumes 4-7; English translation Abel Stearns Papers mssstearns papers 9