Davis (William H.) Copies of Manuscripts Holdings in the Calif. State Library, Sacramento, ca. 1840-1909

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Summary

Title:
Copies of William Heath Davis Manuscripts Holdings in the California State Library, Sacramento,
Dates:
ca. 1840-1909
Creators:
Davis, William Heath, 1822-1909
Abstract:
William Heath Davis (1822-1909) was a merchant in San Francisco, a real estate developer in San Diego, and an author. The collection consists of 2 reels of 35mm. positive microfilm of correspondence and other material related to Davis' business in Northern California.
Extent:
1 oversize box
Language:
English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Copies of William Heath Davis Manuscripts Holdings in the California State Library, Sacramento (Collection 104). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of 2 reels of 35mm. positive microfilm of correspondence and other material related to merchant William Heath Davis' business in Northern California.

Original papers held at the California State Library, Sacramento.

Biographical / historical:

William Heath Kanaka Bill Davis was born in Hawaii in 1822, the grandson of a Polynesian princess; accompanied his stepfather on voyages to Alaska, and when he was ten, to California; learned merchandizing from his uncle Nathan Spear, a wealthy merchant with stores in San Francisco and Monterey; operated store in San Francisco, served briefly on the town council, and became a millionaire by age 28; invested in 160 acre waterfront property, now located between Front Street and Broadway in San Diego; sent for six prefabricated buildings from Portland, Maine in 1849 and built a wharf and warehouse called New Town; however it did not attract sufficient business, and became known as Davis' Folly; Davis wrote Sixty Years in California (1889) and Seventy-Five Years in California (published posthumously in 1929); he died in 1909.

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by Manuscripts Division Staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé
Date Prepared:
© 1999
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid derived from card-file by rekeying. May 1999 . Supplementary encoding and revision supplied by Caroline Cubé.

Access and use

Restrictions:

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary 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], Copies of William Heath Davis Manuscripts Holdings in the California State Library, Sacramento (Collection 104). Department of 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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