Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Manuscripts
Correspondence: Merritt, King – Phillips, Kay
- Description
- Drafts of King's book, Long horn trail drivers, make up the majority of the manuscript material. There is a copy of the manuscript that King sent to the publisher in 1940 and one incomplete draft of the book. In addition, there are a variety of manuscripts written by King relating his memories and stories about the American West and cattle drives, some of which were used in his books or printed in his column "Mavericks." Many of these items are untitled short stories, folklore, and biographies. Other book materials include King's handwritten inscriptions, an incomplete set of chapter drafts from Pioneer western empire builders, and the image proofs. Other items in the manuscript series are short stories, memoirs, and nonfiction writings of King's cowboy friends and associates, which King often quoted for use in his books and articles. There are also nine sketches by R. S. Carroll. The majority of the correspondence expresses interest in King's life in the West, requests, praise, and questions about King's books, praise for his writing and activism on American Indian welfare issues in his "Mavericks" column for the Western Livestock Journal, and submissions of personal stories about life in the American West. The correspondence also includes Kings letters responding to requests for information on his book and the Western Livestock Journal. Prominent correspondents include many of the individuals who King included in his books and articles such as E. A. Brininstool, Chuck Martin, Jeff Milton,Tex Moore and Loraine M. Reynolds. Much of the correspondence provides insight into King's work regarding American Indian rights and welfare issues. In particular, the Loraine M. Reynolds letters highlight her work with the Navajo Indians on the Alamo Indian Reservation and her critique of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Some of the correspondence includes drawings and illustrations of cowboy and trail herding images.
