Manuscripts

James Franklin Burns reminiscences

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Description: Burns details his move from Michigan to California in 1853. He also discusses his time as L.A. Chief of Police and County Sheriff including crimes that were committed while he held these positions and criminals he helped prosecute. Burns also talks about his actions during the 1871 Chinese Massacre in Chinatown and politics in California and Los Angeles.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1900, May 1.
Call number: mssHM 66765
Creator: Burns, James Franklin(Opens in new tab)
Provenance: Gift of John Koegel, July 21, 2000.
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Lydia H. Burns letter to Polly Burns Hall

Manuscripts

Lydia Burns writes to her sister Polly of her stay in Placerville, California, where she is working in "a publick house." With letterhead engraving of a view of Placerville, California.

mssHM 3206

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Lydia H. Burns letter to Polly Hall

Manuscripts

In this letter dated sometime in June, 1854, Lydia Burns Hall writes to her sister, Polly Hall. She remains unmarried, and is concerned she may eventually marry someone who will not be kind to her. Her life as a single woman is hard, but she thinks "their is better dayes acoming." On reverse of letter is a pictorial lettersheet containing John Sutter's account of "the first discovery of the Gold" and a view of Sutter's Mill

mssHM 3207

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Franklin Hichborn letter to Andrae Nordskog

Manuscripts

In this letter Hichborn says he was unable to locate a copy of his book, "The System" that Nordskog had requested. Hichborn says that he is not surprised that Nordskog was unable to find the book in public libraries because both The System and The Story of the California Legislature of 1915 concerned "crooked Jews" and were the subject of censorship and suppression via book burners. He suggests that the book may be found in the Hichborn Collection at the University of California Library Los Angeles.

mssHM 66236

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Albert Franklin Sawyer letter to James A. Tufts

Manuscripts

Dr. Sawyer writes to Professor Tufts that his son Albert, having failed the exams at Harvard, will soon arrive with his sister at Exeter. Dr. Sawyer hopes his sister will remain until Albert is "settled in his work," and is "anxious to have my son conform rigidly to the discipline of the Academy." He would have come himself, but urgent business has made it impossible for him to leave San Francisco. It is his hope that Professor Tufts can provide assistance, for Dr. Sawyer's hope is that his son can eventually attend Harvard, as it is his own alma mater. However, Dr. Sawyer describes his son as "extremely slovenly in his habits of study."

mssHM 27956

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Melcena Burns Denny plays

Manuscripts

This small group consists mainly of materials dealing with the production of two plays by Melcena Burns Denny (1876–1974). There are multiple copies of each of these plays, but each has slight variations. "Black Bart, The Lone Robber of Calaveras," was performed at California's First Theatre by the Troupers of the Gold Coast in 1946 and 1952, then at the Balboa Park Puppet Theatre in San Diego by the Junior Theatre Summer Work Shop in 1950, and finally in 1961 by the Triangle Club at the three-day Apple Festival in Julian, California. Included are scripts of her play and an essay written by Denny about Black Bart (born 1829). Her other play, "Lola Montez, The Spider Dancer," was performed at California's First Theatre in 1948 and 1949 by the Troupers of the Gold Coast; and included are scripts of the play, an incomplete short story about Lola Montez (1818-1861), song lyrics, and the music written by Edward C. Hopkins.

mssHM 65643-65679

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James Neill Northe letter to Benjamin Franklin Field

Manuscripts

In this letter, Northe complements Field on his letter and tells him that he is writing his own funeral service in blank verse.

mssHM 27993

James Franklin Burns reminiscences

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Lydia H. Burns letter to Polly Burns Hall

Lydia H. Burns letter to Polly Hall

Franklin Hichborn letter to Andrae Nordskog

Albert Franklin Sawyer letter to James A. Tufts

Melcena Burns Denny plays

James Neill Northe letter to Benjamin Franklin Field