Henry Dalton papers

The collection consists of letters, manuscripts, diaries, account books, and documents related to Henry Dalton and his life in early Southern California. Of note are land papers and maps related to Dalton's ranches: Rancho Azusa, Rancho Santa Anita, Rancho San Francisquito, Rancho San José, and Rancho Addition.

The papers include business papers and legal documents related to Dalton's trading in Peru, 1827-1842 (Box 1). Through 1842, Dalton's business correspondence, although including Peruvian interests, was written from cities on the Pacific coast of Mexico, while his coastal trade was extended northward to San Diego, San Pedro and Los Angeles. There is also correspondence and documents related to business affairs in Mexico, Dalton's litigation about his Mexican War claims, his land in Mexico, and claims before the Mexican government (Boxes 3-5). Boxes 6-12 contain business, personal, and family correspondence. Much of this correspondence and papers are of a personal nature, dealing with family matters, particularly after Dalton's death in 1884, when separate branches of the family grow and develop. There are also land papers (Boxes 13-14) and Dalton family accounts and receipts (Boxes 15 and 16).

The collection also contains 7 volumes detailing the daily occurrences at Rancho Azusa (1845-1879), 2 letter books; 8 diaries; 10 memorandum books, 25 account books, 4 Indian books, and 14 banking and receipt books (Boxes 16-24). In addition, there are 13 maps (DL 1178-1190) and one facsimile (FAC 682, Rolled photocopy of Census of Free Inhabitants, Azusa, Calif. 1860, 10 p.)