Sespe Rancho collection

The collection includes 412 items which include one manuscript on the history of Rancho Sespe, correspondence from historians, interview notes, a small number of drawings and pictures, miscellaneous notes, and copies of legal documents submitted to the California Land Commission by Carlos Antonio Carrillo in 1854 to prove his ownership of Rancho Sespe. Most of this collection is the creation of E.M. Sheridan, Keith Spalding and Howard F. Pressey. E. M. Sheridan is the author of the unpublished manuscript and was also a curator for the Pioneer Museum in Ventura, a predecessor of the Museum of Ventura County. Pressey was a historian and manager of Rancho Sespe. He also conducted most of the interviews and authored many of the interview notes in this collection. Spalding was also a historian of Rancho Sespe who assisted Pressey with interviews and had a secretary type his summary dictations.