Blanchard family papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains correspondence, photographs, notes, legal documents, negatives, film reels, sketches, writings, and other papers created by and related to the Blanchard family of Santa Paula. Elizabeth Blanchard letters to her husband and children feature prominently, as do Dean Hobbs Blanchard's writing and photographs. The materials cover the history of the family, the Limoneira Company, Santa Paula and Ventura County social life, the family international travels, and their involvement in various aspects of local history and life.
Dates
- 1838-1998
Creator
- Blanchard, Nathan W. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Open for research. All requests to access materials must be made in advance by contacting the Research Library staff via email: library@venturamuseum.org.
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 creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where the museum does not hold the copyright.
CONTAINS AV MATERIALS: Advance notice required. Researcher may be required to bear the cost of digitization or creation of an access copy.
Biographical / Historical
The Blanchard family of Santa Paula dates back to when Nathan Weston Blanchard, Sr., arrived in California during the 1850s Gold Rush. He married Ann Elizabeth Hobbs in 1864 and they moved to Ventura County in 1872. The Blanchards purchased part of the Saticoy y Santa Paula land grant from E.B. Higgins and engaged in ranching. Blanchard Sr. started an orange and lemon orchard in 1874, which marked the start of the family's prominence in the citrus industry and led to the foundation of the Limoneira Company in 1893. He was also one of three of the people responsible for funding the construction the Santa Paula Academy, which was later used as a high school. Blanchard Sr. was also a charter member of the Central Pacific Railroad. The Blanchards also funded the construction of the Dean Hobbs Blanchard Memorial Library in Santa Paula in honor of their first child, who died as a young child. Blanchard Sr. was affiliated with the Congregational Church, was a York Rite Mason, and belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was also a member of the Sons of the Revolution and of the California Club of Los Angeles. He died on October 22, 1917. Ann Elizabeth Hobbs Blanchard died in November 1924. They had five children: Dean Hobbs, Sarah Eliot, Eunice Weston, Nathan Weston, Jr., and Thomas Goodwin.
Their son, Nathan Weston Blanchard, Jr., was born on October 16, 1873. He followed his father's footsteps in running the family's citrus farm. He was a member of the Jonathan Club of Los Angeles, vice-president of the Limoneira Company, president of the N.W. Blanchard Investment Company, and a member of the executive board of the First Branch of the Pacific-Southwest Trust and Savings Bank of Santa Paula. He married Josephine Esther McClelland in Fresno in 1908. Nathan W. Blanchard, Jr., died on February 5, 1932. Josephine Esther McClelland Blanchard died on April 7, 1981. They had three children: Nathan Weston Blanchard III, Dean Hobbs Blanchard, and Eliot McClelland Blanchard. D.H. Blanchard was an avid ornithologist and world traveler. Many of his works, photographs, and writings are included in the collection.
Extent
10.98 Cubic Feet : (10 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Blanchard family of Santa Paula dates back to when Nathan Weston Blanchard, Sr., arrived in Ventura County in 1872. The Blanchards purchased part of the Saticoy y Santa Paula land grant from E.B. Higgins where they would eventually establish a citrus orchard, the Limoneira Company, in 1893. The Blanchard family was involved in many aspects of local history and life. Dean Hobbs Blanchard features prominently in the collection, with a particular emphasis on his work as an ornithologist and his international travels. Many of his works, photographs, and writings are included in the collection. The collection contains correspondence, photographs, notes, legal documents, negatives, film reels, sketches, writings, and other papers created by and related to the Blanchard family of Santa Paula.
Organization and Arrangement
This collection has been arranged at the collection level. Original order has been largely maintained, with the exception of oversized materials that have to be housed in larger boxes. A legacy finding aid has been included for reference.
Physical Location
Stored off-site and advance notice required for timely retrieval. Please contact the Research Library reference desk prior to your visit.
Additional Collection Guides
A legacy inventory created by former staff is available for users to reference in this Inventory document.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Blanchard family; gift; 2007.
Processing Information
Processed by Krystell Jimenez, 2021.
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
- Blanchard, Nathan W. (Person)
- Title
- Blanchard family papers, 1838-1998
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Krystell Jimenez, 2021.
- Date
- May 2021
- 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