Gardner Family papers, 1877-1960

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Summary

Title:
Gardner Family papers
Dates:
1877-1960
Creators:
Gardner family, Gardner, Henri F., and Gardner, Dian Rathbun
Abstract:
The Gardner family was important in the land development and citrus production of Orange County, California. His son, Dian Rathbun Gardner, was a attorney who helped establish the Gardner Company by the family heirs after the death of his mother, Emma Howard Gardner, in 1935. The company dissolved in 1961 following the death of Dian Rathbun Gardner. The collection consists of correspondence, clippings, legal material, and ephemera relating to Henri F. Gardner, his wife Emma H. Gardner, his son Dian Rathbun Gardner, and the Gardner Company of Orange, California. Also includes account books, bank statements, correspondence and stock certificates relating to water development in Orange County, employee records and files on citrus production of the Gardner Company.
Extent:
13.0 Linear Feet (12 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Gardner Family papers (Collection 759). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of correspondence, clippings, legal material, and ephemera relating to Henri F. Gardner, his wife Emma H. Gardner, his son Dian Rathbun Gardner, and the Gardner Company of Orange, California. Includes over 100 land deeds, leases, and rental agreements from 1874-1918, Henri Gardner's daily journals for the 1880s, and papers dealing with the estate of Emma Howard Gardner. Also includes account books, bank statements, correspondence and stock certificates relating to water development in Orange County, employee records and files on citrus production of the Gardner Company.

This collection contains materials on land development and citrus production in Los Angeles and Orange counties. It is divided into three sections: 1) The papers of Henri of Henri F. Gardner (1852-1918), land owner and developer, ca. 1877-1918. Included in this section are land deeds, leases, rental agreements, tax records, journals, and materials relating to water development in Orange County during the late 19th early 20th centuries. 2) The papers of Dian Rathbun Gardner, lawyer and manager of Gardner Company. These papers cover the period ca. 1920-1961, and contain materials relating to the estates of H.F. Gardner, his widow Emma Howard Gardner (d. 1935), and the setting up of the Gardner Company by the Gardner heirs following the death of Emma Gardner. 3) The papers and business records of the Gardner Company, ca. 1935-1961. These files are arranged alphabetically and include account records, employee files, some legal correspondence, etc. The company was dissolved in 1961, following the death of Dian R. Gardner.

Biographical / historical:

The Gardner family was important in the land development and citrus production of Orange County, California; Henri F. Gardner, landowner and developer, also played a role in water development of the county during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; his son, Dian Rathbun Gardner, was an attorney who helped establish the Gardner Company by the family heirs after the death of his mother, Emma Howard Gardner, in 1935; the company dissolved in 1961, following the death of Dian Rathbun Gardner.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Dion L. Gardner 1962, 1970.
Processing information:

Processed by Saundra Taylor, May 1970.

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Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

  1. Papers of Henri F. Gardner (Box 1).
  2. Papers of Henri F. Gardner and Emma H. Gardner (Box 2).
  3. Papers of Dian Rathbun Gardner and misc. (Boxes 3-4).
  4. Gardner Company papers (Boxes 5-12).

Physical location:
Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Saundra Taylor, May 1970; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-09-02 11:01:14 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Gardner Family papers (Collection 759). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
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