Henry B. Sparks papers
Scope and Contents
The papers of Henry Sparks are comprised of letters, diaries, photographs and a scrapbook of newspaper clippings. In large part, the letters are written by Henry’s longtime employer Nathan B. Smith from Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara where he convalesced prior to his death from 1927-1930. The scrapbook clippings are stories either written by Sparks, about him or they chronicle major events in Ventura County from 1922-1961. The diaries date from 1893 to 1916. Of note: the diaries in this collection are not necessarily written by Henry Sparks. Many have unidentified authors and several have the name Nathan B. Smith or Benjamin Tolman written on the first pages.
Dates
- 1888-1961
Creator
- Sparks, Henry B. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. Advance requests can be made to Research Library staff via email.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the MVC.
Biographical / Historical
Henry B. Sparks was a long-time resident of Ventura County. He was born in 1871 in Knob Noster, Boone County, Missouri. At three years of age he moved to the Saticoy area of Ventura County with his parents. In 1886, at age fifteen, he went to work for Nathan B. Smith, an apricot grower and farmer on N. Ventura Avenue. Over the next forty-three years, he worked his way up to superintendent of the ranch. When his employer died in 1930, Sparks inherited the land as repayment for the loans given to Smith over the years. He was also a columnist for the Ventura County Star-Free Press throughout the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s with the by-line "Henry Sparks of the Avenue", which referred to his long residence on Ventura Avenue. He was frequently interviewed by local newspapers about his reminiscences of the county throughout his lifetime. He diligently kept a daily diary which detailed his daily activities and the weather. He was an avid outdoorsman, and particularly enjoyed fishing. He married Eloise H. Metcalf at age 43 on March 20, 1929. He passed away at 101 years old on December 12, 1972.
Extent
0.92 Cubic Feet (2 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
These are the personal papers of Henry B. Sparks, a long-time Ventura County resident and columnist at the Ventura County Star-Free Press. His papers include a scrapbook, newspaper clippings, letters, diaries, and photographs.
Organization and Arrangement
The original order of materials has been maintained.The letters and diaries have been organized chronologically.
Physical Location
COLLECTION STORED ON-SITE: Stored at the MVC Research Library. Requests do not have to be made in advance, but researchers MUST make a research appointment on the Research Library website.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gwen Alferes; transfer; 2014.
Processing Information
Processed by Ali Phelps under the supervision of Hannah Rogers, 2024.
Our collections are processed using MPLP methods so that we can prioritize access for users and identify potential priorities for more detailed processing. If while using our collections you think there is something that should be added or amended in the finding aid, we welcome your input. You can notify staff in the reading room or send us an email at library@venturamuseum.org. Be sure to include the collection number and name and the box number you were working with in your email.
Creator
- Sparks, Henry B. (Person)
- Title
- Finding aid for Sparks, Henry B. papers, 1888-1961
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared/updated by Ali Phelps, 2024 under the supervisor of Hannah Rogers.
- Date
- February, 2024
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- This finding aid was made possible in part through funding from the County of Ventura and the Heritage Fund at the Ventura County Community Foundation.
Repository Details
Part of the Museum of Ventura County Repository