Thompson & West Records: Finding Aid mssTW
Brooke M. Black
The Huntington Library
April 2022
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Thompson & West records
Creator:
Thompson & West
Identifier/Call Number: mssTW
Physical Description:
5 Linear Feet
(2 boxes, 5 volumes, 2 envelopes)
Date (inclusive): 1828-1891
Abstract: Papers belonging to the 19th century California publishing company Thompson & West.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
Conditions Governing Use
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]. Thompson & West records, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Dawson's Book Shop, July 1958.
Biographical / Historical
Thomas Hinkley Thompson (1841-1915) and Albert Augustus West (1841-1918), both from Illinois, formed a partnership in Oakland,
California, in 1875 to publish books patterned after the state and local histories which became popular in the United States
in the latter half of the 19th century. These volumes were sold by subscription and were generally accompanied by biographies
of the subscribers and prominent citizens.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of materials gathered for the publishing of local histories in California and Nevada from 1875-1890
(most of which relates to Yuba and Sutter counties in California). There is also some material on mining in California and
Nevada (especially the Comstock Lode) and the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance. The collection also contains some materials
on individuals such as Thomas Berdue, Samuel Brannan, Kit Carson, and William Thorrington. The collection also contains three
scrapbooks of press clippings about the histories, 12 original drawings, and two books of engravings.
Processing Information
Processed by Huntington Library staff. In 2022, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.
Arrangement
Organized in the following series: 1. Correspondence etc.; 2. Envelopes; 3. Volumes.
General
Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssTW 1-151.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Mines and mineral resources -- California
Mines and mineral resources -- Nevada
Mines and mineral resources -- Nevada -- Comstock Lode
Publishers and publishing -- California -- Oakland -- Archives
Vigilance committees -- California -- San Francisco -- History -- Sources
California -- Geography
California -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Nevada -- Geography
Nevada -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Sutter County (Calif.) -- History -- Sources
Yuba County (Calif.) -- History -- Sources
Clippings (information artifacts) -- California
Clippings (information artifacts) -- Nevada
Drawings (visual works) -- California
Drawings (visual works) -- Nevada
Engravings (prints) -- California
Engravings (prints) -- Nevada
Letters (correspondence) -- California
Letters (correspondence) -- Nevada
Scrapbooks -- California
Scrapbooks -- Nevada
Berdue, Thomas
Brannan, Sam, 1819-1889
Carson, Kit, 1809-1868
Thompson, Thomas Hinckley, 1841-1915
Thorrington, William B., -1858
West, Albert Augustus, 1841-1918
Correspondence etc.
1828-1891
Envelope 1, Envelope 2
Envelopes
1878-1880
Scope and Contents
One envelope contains sketches and drawings to be used as illustrations in Thompson & West histories (mssTW 150); the other
envelope contains ephemera.
Volumes mssTW 151 (1-5)
1874-1882
Volume 1
Scrapbook mssTW 151 (1)
1875-1882
Volume 2
Scrapbook mssTW 151 (2)
1874
Volume 3
Scrapbook mssTW 151 (3)
1875
Volume 4
Etchings mssTW 151 (4)
undated
Volume 5
Etchings mssTW 151 (5)
undated
