%eadnotat; ]> PUBLIC "-//Stanford University::Libraries::Dept. of Special Collections::Manuscripts Division//TEXT (US::CSt::M0649::Harry C. Peterson Papers)//EN" "m0649.sgm"Guide to the Harry C. Peterson Papers, ca. 1880-1944Processed by Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Steven Mandeville-Gamble.Department of Special Collections
Green LibraryStanford University LibrariesStanford, CA 94305-6004 Phone: (650) 725-1022Email: speccoll@sulmail.stanford.eduURL: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/
© 2002

The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved.

Machine-readable finding aid derived from Microsoft Word via FileMaker Pro database. Date of source: 1993.Finding aid is written in English.Guide to the Harry C. Peterson Papers, ca. 1880-1944Collection number: M0649Department of Special Collections and University Archives Stanford University Libraries Stanford, CaliforniaContact InformationDepartment of Special CollectionsGreen LibraryStanford University LibrariesStanford, CA 94305-6004 Phone: (650) 725-1022Email: speccoll@sulmail.stanford.eduURL: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/Special Collections staff1993Steven Mandeville-Gamble

© 2002 The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved.

Descriptive SummaryPeterson, Harry C. Papers, ca. 1880-1944M0649Peterson, Harry C.2 linear ft.Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.The collection contains correspondence, notes, memorabilia, typescripts. Included is material pertaining to Stanford University and Sutters Fort.Administrative InformationAccess Restrictions

None.

Publication Rights

Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Purchased, 1993.

Preferred Citation

Harry C. Peterson Papers. M0649. Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Biography

Harry Claude Peterson never met a historical fact or artifact that he didn't like. The inveterate historian spent his entire adult life in one position after another related to history, particularly California Gold Rush Days.

Harry was born in Algona, Iowa, in 1876, son of Julius E. Peterson, a Norwegian mechanician. Leland Stanford had learned of the elder Peterson in Europe and brought him to Stanford University to teach Machine Shop Practices. Young Harry was educated in public schools in Algona and Palo Alto, California. He was in the photographic business in Palo Alto for a time. He was married in 1902 and had one son, Austin Peterson.

Harry was named Director and Curator of the Stanford University Museum of Fine Arts (now the Cantor Center) in 1899, where he remained until 1918, adding collections to the Museum and writing historical papers. He also acquired his own collection of historical books and documents while serving as Curator. During his residence in Palo Alto, he served on the city counsel for eight years.

Harry's next endeavor was as head of Field Research for the California History Department of the California State Library. He remained in that position for three years, and then joined the Oakland Tribune as feature writer of California history for the paper, for another three years. In 1925, he was named Curator of Sutter's Fort Museum in Sacramento, California, and became a charter member of the American Association of Museums.

Harry Peterson's credits are many, from over three hundred published stories and speeches and countless photographs concerning California History, many for professional and trade publications and meetings. He was responsible for energizing the public to the historical value of Sutter's Fort. He served on the Southern Pacific Railroad Company's selection committee to identify historical sites along its lines. He also acted as historical consultant on several Hollywood films of the Gold Rush days, such as The Pony Express, The Big Trail, the Fighting Caravan, and Sutter's Gold.. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Golden Empire Centennial in 1939. His energy, exemplified by his many activities, appeared to be unstoppable, but Harry Peterson died suddenly of a heart attack, in his office at Sutter's Fort, in 1941. His series of articles on the Gold Rush for the Oakland Tribune were collected in book form, The 49er, published posthumously by the Doubleday Company in 1949.

Collection Scope and Content Summary

Correspondence, notes, memorabilia, typescripts. Included is material pertaining to Stanford University and Sutters Fort.

Access Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Berner, Bertha.Couper, William.Covey, F.W.Davis, Horace.Gross, H.H.Hewes, Anna Lathrop.Holzman, R.O.Jordan, David Starr, 1851-1931.Lathrop, Charles G. (Charles Gardner), 1849-1914.Nash, H.C.Schmid, Rupert.Spencer, Francis.Stanford, Jane Lathrop, 1828-1905.Wilbur, Ray Lyman, 1875-1949.Stanford University--History.Sutters' Fort.Collection ContentsSeries 1. Peterson Family Material11Harry Claude Peterson biography and resumes n.d. (4 sheets)

See also B 3 (OS), Fs 1,4, and 5.

12Personal Correspondence1907-1937(11 letters & 4 postcards)13Correspondence to H. C. Peterson, from Arthur S. Dudley family1909-1937(3 items)14Stock certificate (gold mine), agreement to purchase (blank) 193315Commemorative silk ribbons1889-1916(14 items)16Photo album, Austin Petersonn.d.17Miscellany (Golden Gate Bridge ticket, H. C. Peterson business card, receipt 1932-1937(3 items).Series 2. Material Relating to Stanford University and Stanford Museum18"Founding of Stanford University (1891)"1931 (1 pamphlet).

See also B 3 (OS), Fs 1,4, and 5.

19"Stanford University Opening Day Exercises" 1891 (1 pamphlet).110Stanford Circulars 1 & 2 (with personal card of Mrs. Leland [Jane] Stanford). 1891111Stanford University student testimonials, King-Richardson, Company 1899 (1 pamphlet).112Stanford University Commencement 1901(1 program).113"Address to Stanford University Trustees," Jane L. Stanford 1899 (1 pamphlet).114"Address to Stanford University Trustees," Jane L. Stanford 1903 (1 pamphlet). See also B 3, F 3.115Letter to Jane L. Stanford, from F. W. Covey (Palo Alto Stock Farm), September 1, 1893(2 sheets).116Letter to Jane L. Stanford, from H. H. Gross,July 21, 1893 (2 sheets).117Letters to Jane L. Stanford, from Francis Spencer (Stanford Trustee), C. F. Crocker, C. S. Lathrop, C. P. Huntington.August 17, 1890 and August 17, 1893 (2 letters).118Letters to Jane L. Stanford, from Horace Davis (Stanford Trustee), July 13 and July 19, 1904(2 letters).119Letters to H. C. Nash (secretary to Leland W. Stanford), from R. O. Holzman, July 17, July 20, and August 5, 1893 (3 letters).120Letter to H. C. Nash, from H. H. Gross, July 21, 1893 ( 1 sheet).121Letter to H. C. Nash, from Rupert Schmid,August 2, 1893 (1 sheet)122In Memoriam: Leland Stanford, Jr., book with letter attached to Mrs. Jane L. Stanford, from William Couper. 1885123"Memorial Address: Leland Stanford," U. S. Senate, Washington D. C., 1893(1 pamphlet).124"In Memoriam: Anna Lathrop Hewes,"August 2, 1892 (1 pamphlet).125"Leland Stanford Junior Museum," Stanford University Press, 1903 ( 1 pamphlet).

Timothy Hopkins, Charles G. Lathrop, Anna Lathrop Hewes, David Starr Jordan, F. W. Covey, Palo Alto Stock Farm.

126Letter to H. C. Peterson, Curator, Leland Stanford, Jr. Museum, from Bertha Berner (Secretary to Jane L. Stanford), August 19, 1903 (1 sheet).

See also B 3, F 1.

127Letters to H. C. Peterson, from Charles G. Lathrop, July 6, 1901, and Mrs. Charles G. Lathrop, December 28, 1903 (2 letters).128Letter to H. C. Peterson, from David [Starr] Jordan, November 14, 1902 (1 letter)

See also B 3, F 5.

129Letter to H. C. Peterson, from R. [Ray] L. [Lyman] Wilbur, September 29, 1916 (1 sheet).130Letter from H. C. Peterson to [Mr. Bube?], with invoice, October 14, 1907 (2 sheets)131Additional Stanford Museum correspondence to H. C. Peterson 1901-1917 (8 letters, 1 postcard)132Envelopes to H. C. Peterson 1910-1916(5 envelopes)133News clipping, "New Library at Stanford Has Browsing Room." [ July 26 1919?].

Timothy Hopkins.

134Photo, note, and envelope re Herbert Hoover[1912](3 items).135Letter to Stanford student's parents, from Herbert Hoover, October 5, 1942 (1 letter)136"Palo Stock Farm Catalog," auction, November 26, 1897 (1 pamphlet).

See also B 1, F 15.

137Photographs of early Stanford University [1900](16 B/W photos and colored postcards).138Souvenir ticket to Stanford house, Michigan Bluff, Placer County, California, June 2, 1928(1 item.)

See also B 4, F 1.

139"Scientific Physiognomist." Fragment, signed by Mary Olmstead Stanton . n.d.(1 sheet).140Blank invoices,Vina Distillery 1890? (10 items)Series 3. Material Relating to Fort Sutter and the Discovery of Gold21Photographs of Sutter's Fort (n.d.) and H. C. Peterson, Curator (1932). (4 items)22" Sutter's Fort Historical Museum," pamphlet[1944?](48 pages).23"The Discovery of Gold in California," pamphlet1919(4 pages).24Letters by P. B .Beakart, stating that first gold found in 1848 was not nugget-sized 1921, 1931 (2 letters)25"California Pioneers," speech, John C. Chambers,February 22, 1918 (9 pages).26"Sutter's Fort Historical Museum," typescript, by H. C. Peterson 1925 ( 5 sheets).27"Hock Farm," partial typescript, by H. C. Peterson n.d. (3 sheets).28"It Never Occurred To Me," typescript, by H.C. Peterson n.d. (2 sheets).29Sutter's Fort Museum Collection, partial typescript, [by H. C. Peterson?] n.d. (2 sheets).210"Benicia," typescript, H. C. Peterson, September 12, 1927 (8 sheets).211"Marysville," partial typescript, by H.C. Peterson, September 14,1935 (4 sheets ).212Minutes, California State Historical Association, Sutter's Fort, H. C. Peterson, Acting Secretary,November 26, 1934 (3 sheets)213Lists of Fort Sutter display labels n.d. (5 sheets).214Sutter's Fort Museum correspondence, to H. C. Peterson , 1920-1929 (11 letters, 2 postcards)215Sutter's Fort Museum correspondence, to H. C. Peterson, 1930-1940 (16 letters, 4 postcards)216Correspondence to/from B. F. Hall and H. C. Peterson 1930-1937(3 letters and 1 postcard)217Correspondence from H.C Peterson 1927-1936(4 letters). 218Letter from Karen Kearns (Huntington Library) to Gerald Lucero regarding authenticity of attached letter, purportedly written by John A. Sutter, May 17, 1988 (2 sheets).

See also B 3, F 9.

219Photograph, John A. Sutter.n.d.220Copy of will, Anna Sutter, dated 1881 1926 (4 sheets). 221Invitation to H. C. Peterson to visit branches of the Sutter Family, from M. Van Volbeck,January 18, 1928.222Letters from Paulita de Sutter to H.C. Peterson,1938(4 letters).223Photographs, John Bidwell n.d. (3 photos)224Letter to John Bidwell, from Mrs. T. Lynch Mineral Point, November 13, 1851 (1 letter).225Letter to H.C. Peterson, from Charles E. Bancroft, regarding Bidwell's BarMarch 19, 1925, (1 sheet)226Letters from Charles H.Davis regarding disposition of effects, May 1, 1928 (2 letters).227Letters from/to A. William Lund and H. C. Peterson, May 19 and 26, 1928 (2 letters).228Letter to H. C Peterson from E. Brown regarding C. H. Davis, July 9, 1928 (1 letter)229Letter to H. C. Peterson from Capt. W.R. Scott regarding C. H. Davis, July 18, 1928 (1 sheet).230Typescript and handwritten draft regarding C. H. Davis n.d. (2 sheets).

See also Box 3, F 10.

231Correspondence between H. C. Peterson and the Progressive Magazine, January 27 to February 14, 1928 (7 letters).232The Progressive Magazine facsimile and book advertisement. n.d.(2 items).233Correspondence between Julius Loeb and H. C. Peterson regarding the Pony Express,August 4 and 25,1927, and February 20, 1928(4 letters).234List of Candidates [for California Historical Society ?]. prepared by H. C. Peterson. n.d.235Program, Garden Fete, for delegates to Pan American Reciprocal Trade Conference, August 28, 1930. Replica: California Republic flag, (2 items).236Illustrated card and poem, from E. A. Burbank (8x10 inches) to H. C. Peterson (and envelope)August 23, 1938.237Photographs commemorating "Days of the 49ers"[1939](8 photographs).

See also B 3, F2.

238Photograph (8x10 inches), Morgan Wallace as General John Fremont in film Sutter's Gold. n.d.239Luggage tag, H. C. Peterson, Sutter's Hotel, San Francisco, California. n.d.240Correspondence to H. C. Peterson regarding Whiskerinos Club, 1920s (2 letters, 3 postcards)241Miscellaneous envelopes1928-1937242Correspondence to H. C. Peterson regarding early California history 1928, 1938(5 letters)243"Romance of California," [text by H. C. Peterson ?], Sacramento Chamber of Commerce (pamphlet, [1927]22 pages).244"Romance of California," text by H. C. Peterson, Sacramento Chamber of Commerce (pamphlet,1938

47 pages, with map).

245Crofutt's New Overland Tourist, and Pacific Coast Guide (partial copy). [1880]246Historical notes on crossing the plains by H. C. Peterson n.d. (8 notes).247"Captain Jean J Voiget," typescripts, [by H. C. Peterson ?] n.d. (two copies, 8 pages). 248Notebook, compiled by H. C. Peterson, relating to J.J. Voiget's first survey of Yerba Buena (San Francisco) in 1839-40. 1904

(Notes from several historical sources, photos of dispositions of early settlers, maps, news clippings).

249Photograph of painting of Yerba Buena, [ by John J. Voiget . n.d.250Land grant testimony of John J. Voiget and Wm. I. Richardson, schedule of testimony, plot plan, San Francisco, 1848. 1848, 1854251Letter to H. C. Peterson from Alice Jeanette Voigetn.d.252Letter to Raphael Weill, from H. C. Peterson regarding Yerba Buena Cove, March 31, 1920(1 letter)253Photograph, U.S. Mint [San Francisco ?].1904254"The Highway of Romance" (Mother Lode State Highway), n.d. (pamphlet, 8 pages).255Program, Dedication of Fremont Tablet, Buttes, California, April 15, 1923. 256News clipping on John C. Fremont, New York Tribune, June 20, 1856.257Chinese Camp (California), typescript by H. C. Peterson n.d. (11 pages).258Chinese Camp (California), handwritten notes [by H.C. Peterson?] n.d.(4 sheets).259Coloma (California), handwritten notes [by H. C. Peterson?] n.d. (4 sheets).260Coyote Diggings (California), handwritten notes, [by H. C. Peterson], n.d. (3 notes, 1 envelope).261Volcano (California), handwritten notes, [ by H. C. Peterson ?] n.d. (1 sheet).262Announcement, State Mining Celebration, Mariposa, California, June 20-21,1 931 (1 sheet).263California history, handwritten notes, [H. C. Peterson ?] n.d. (2 sheets)264California pioneer tombstones (8 photographs).n.d.265Gold mining towns n.d. ( 8 photographs, and 1 chit from gold mining company).266Letter from John B. Montgomery to E. L. Norton, from Boston August 7, 1862, (1 sheet)267Monterey-Carmel (California), n.d ( 8 photographs). 268Letter to H. C. Peterson about San Mateo California from C. P Cooley, Palo Alto, California, January 1, 1928 (1 letter).269Photograph taken at Mission San Jose, California,[ with H. C. Peterson?] n.d.270Handwritten notes on "A Threatened Offense." California Penal Code). n.d.271"Central Pacific Railroad," pamphlet 1913 (2 copies). 272Sun Valley, Idaho, typescript [by H. C. Peterson ?].1938Series 4. Oversize materials31News clipping, "Mrs. Stanford Dies in Sudden Agony at a Honolulu Hotel, Declaring,'I am poisoned!'." San Francisco Chronicle, March 2, 1905.32News clipping, announcing 1849 centennial, Sacramento Union, March 22, 1936.33Policy statement to Jane L. Stanford from Stanford University Trustees, June 5, 1903. See also B 1 F 14.34Stanford University map.n.d.35Partial letter [to Jane L. Stanford ?] from Jesse Knight Jordan n.d. (3 pages).36The Resources of California, [ about Stanford University], September 1886.37News clipping. "The Dizzy Cycle that John A Sutter Executed in His Lifetime," by H. C. Peterson, Oakland Tribune, March 30, 1924.38"Life at Sutter's Fort," play script, with accompanying letter by Irene Clark to H. C. PetersonMarch 2, 1936 (script 21 pages, letter 2 pages).39Letter by John A. Sutter [purported] to Ernesto Hopkins n.d. (1 letter).

See also B 1 F 18

310Letter, partial, [by H.C. Peterson] regarding Captain C. H. Davis n.d. (11 sheet).

See also B 2, F 31

311Chattel mortgage agreement: Ralph Joines to Harry C. Peterson, regarding tools, Sutter's Fort. 1939312Boyd and Barber in San Francisco in mid-1800s, typescript n.d.(4 sheets).313California Indians, partial typescriptn.d.314News clippings. Marysville Advertiser, 1854 and 1857(13 clippings).315Handwritten copy of Sonoma (California) County law, 1857 (1 sheet).316Statement of charges incurred by patients of St. Luke's Hospital, San Francisco, September 1 to September 30, 1876. (2 sheets)317Accounts record [in Spanish]. 1851 (14 pages)318Proclamation [in Portugese], signed by Joaquin O. Alvarez and Jose de O Barbazo, April 26, 1826.(2 sheets).319Statement from Mutuo Soccorso della Compagna Carabiniere Swizzeri [in Italian], San Francisco,December 1, 1888.Series 5. Photoprints41Photoprints of Leland Stanford house at Michigan Bluff, California n.d. (8 glass negatives).42Photoprint of Peter Slater's Saloon, Fort Sutter, (H.C. Peterson behind bar), n.d.(1 glass negative, cracked)